diff --git a/src/tools/mana_auto_replay.cc b/src/tools/mana_auto_replay.cc
index 97eae9f..b063e8e 100644
--- a/src/tools/mana_auto_replay.cc
+++ b/src/tools/mana_auto_replay.cc
@@ -438,28 +438,36 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
             try
             {
-                destSink = std::make_unique<mana::ManaCSink>(
-                    pluginHandle.get<mana_sink_plugin_t()>("mana_get_sink_plugin")());
+                if (auto entryPoint =
+                        pluginHandle.get<mana_sink_plugin_t()>("mana_get_sink_plugin"))
+                {
+                    destSink = std::make_unique<mana::ManaCSink>(entryPoint());
+                }
             }
             catch (const std::exception &e)
             {
-                spdlog::debug("plugin {} is not a MANA_C_SINK_PLUGIN", pluginFile);
-                try
+            }
+
+            if (!destSink)
+            {
+                if (auto entryPoint = pluginHandle.get<mana::IManaPlugin *()>("mana_get_plugin"))
                 {
-                    manaCppPlugin = std::unique_ptr<mana::IManaPlugin>(
-                        pluginHandle.get<mana::IManaPlugin *()>("mana_get_plugin")());
+                    manaCppPlugin = std::unique_ptr<mana::IManaPlugin>(entryPoint());
+                    if (!manaCppPlugin)
+                        throw std::runtime_error("plugin {}: mana_get_plugin() returned nullptr");
                     destSink = manaCppPlugin->makeSink();
                 }
-                catch (const std::exception &e)
-                {
-                    std::cerr << fmt::format("Error loading plugin: {}\n", e.what());
-                    return 1;
-                }
             }
         }
         catch (const std::exception &e)
         {
-            std::cerr << fmt::format("Error loading plugin: {}\n", e.what());
+            std::cerr << fmt::format("Error loading shared library {}: {}\n", pluginFile, e.what());
+            return 1;
+        }
+
+        if (!destSink)
+        {
+            std::cerr << fmt::format("Error: plugin {} does not provide a sink\n", pluginFile);
             return 1;
         }
     }