diff --git a/expr/binding_test.go b/expr/binding_test.go
index c3f6537..2025241 100644
--- a/expr/binding_test.go
+++ b/expr/binding_test.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	extReg    = NewEmptyExtensionRegistry(&extensions.DefaultCollection)
+	extReg    = NewEmptyExtensionRegistry(extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 	uPointRef = extReg.GetTypeAnchor(extensions.ID{
 		URI:  extensions.SubstraitDefaultURIPrefix + "extension_types.yaml",
 		Name: "point",
diff --git a/expr/builder_test.go b/expr/builder_test.go
index f517ec7..e62d4b4 100644
--- a/expr/builder_test.go
+++ b/expr/builder_test.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestExprBuilder(t *testing.T) {
 	b := expr.ExprBuilder{
-		Reg:        expr.NewEmptyExtensionRegistry(&extensions.DefaultCollection),
+		Reg:        expr.NewEmptyExtensionRegistry(extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError()),
 		BaseSchema: types.NewRecordTypeFromStruct(boringSchema.Struct),
 	}
 	precomputedLiteral, _ := expr.NewLiteral(int32(3), false)
diff --git a/expr/expressions_test.go b/expr/expressions_test.go
index 9473872..a5a9fff 100644
--- a/expr/expressions_test.go
+++ b/expr/expressions_test.go
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ func TestExpressionsRoundtrip(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	// get the extension set
 	extSet := ext.GetExtensionSet(&plan)
-	reg := expr.NewExtensionRegistry(extSet, &ext.DefaultCollection)
+	reg := expr.NewExtensionRegistry(extSet, ext.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 	tests := []expr.Expression{
 		sampleNestedExpr(reg, substraitExtURI),
 	}
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ func TestExpressionsRoundtrip(t *testing.T) {
 func ExampleExpression_Visit() {
 	const substraitExtURI = "https://github.com/substrait-io/substrait/blob/main/extensions/functions_arithmetic.yaml"
 	var (
-		exp                 = sampleNestedExpr(expr.NewEmptyExtensionRegistry(&ext.DefaultCollection), substraitExtURI)
+		exp                 = sampleNestedExpr(expr.NewEmptyExtensionRegistry(ext.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError()), substraitExtURI)
 		preVisit, postVisit expr.VisitFunc
 	)
 
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ func TestRoundTripUsingTestData(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.NoError(t, protojson.Unmarshal(raw, &protoSchema))
 	baseSchema := types.NewNamedStructFromProto(&protoSchema)
-	reg := expr.NewExtensionRegistry(extSet, &ext.DefaultCollection)
+	reg := expr.NewExtensionRegistry(extSet, ext.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 	for _, tc := range tmp["cases"].([]any) {
 		tt := tc.(map[string]any)
 		t.Run(tt["name"].(string), func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ func TestRoundTripExtendedExpression(t *testing.T) {
 		var ex proto.ExtendedExpression
 		require.NoError(t, protojson.Unmarshal(buf.Bytes(), &ex))
 
-		result, err := expr.ExtendedFromProto(&ex, &ext.DefaultCollection)
+		result, err := expr.ExtendedFromProto(&ex, ext.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
 		out := result.ToProto()
diff --git a/extensions/extension_mgr.go b/extensions/extension_mgr.go
index 1f46929..bbbea2b 100644
--- a/extensions/extension_mgr.go
+++ b/extensions/extension_mgr.go
@@ -3,15 +3,17 @@
 package extensions
 
 import (
+	"embed"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/fs"
 	"path"
 	"sort"
+	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/creasty/defaults"
 	"github.com/goccy/go-yaml"
-	substrait "github.com/substrait-io/substrait"
+	"github.com/substrait-io/substrait"
 	substraitgo "github.com/substrait-io/substrait-go/v3"
 	"github.com/substrait-io/substrait-go/v3/proto/extensions"
 )
@@ -20,45 +22,65 @@ type AdvancedExtension = extensions.AdvancedExtension
 
 const SubstraitDefaultURIPrefix = "https://github.com/substrait-io/substrait/blob/main/extensions/"
 
-// DefaultCollection is loaded with the default Substrait extension
-// definitions. Not all files are currently parsable.
-// Parser needs to enhanced to support all files
-var DefaultCollection Collection
+var (
+	getDefaultCollectionOnce = sync.OnceValues[*Collection, error](loadDefaultCollection)
+	unsupportedExtensions    = map[string]bool{
+		"unknown.yaml": true,
+	}
+)
+
+// GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError returns a Collection that is loaded with the default Substrait extension definitions.
+// This version is provided for the ease of use of legacy code. Please use GetDefaultCollection instead.
+func GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError() *Collection {
+	c, err := GetDefaultCollection()
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	return c
+}
 
-func init() {
+// GetDefaultCollection returns a Collection that is loaded with the default Substrait extension definitions.
+func GetDefaultCollection() (*Collection, error) {
+	return getDefaultCollectionOnce()
+}
+
+func loadDefaultCollection() (*Collection, error) {
 	substraitFS := substrait.GetSubstraitExtensionsFS()
 	entries, err := substraitFS.ReadDir("extensions")
 	if err != nil {
-		return
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	var defaultCollection Collection
 	for _, ent := range entries {
-		f, err := substraitFS.Open(path.Join("extensions/", ent.Name()))
-		if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
+		err2 := loadExtensionFile(&defaultCollection, substraitFS, ent)
+		if err2 != nil {
+			return nil, err2
 		}
-		fileStat, err := f.Stat()
+	}
+	return &defaultCollection, nil
+}
+
+func loadExtensionFile(collection *Collection, substraitFS embed.FS, ent fs.DirEntry) error {
+	f, err := substraitFS.Open(path.Join("extensions/", ent.Name()))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer func() {
+		_ = f.Close()
+	}()
+	fileStat, err := f.Stat()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	fileName := path.Base(fileStat.Name())
+	if _, ok := unsupportedExtensions[fileName]; !ok {
+		err = collection.Load(SubstraitDefaultURIPrefix+ent.Name(), f)
 		if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
-		}
-		fileName := path.Base(fileStat.Name())
-		// Catch and ignore load error for a file
-		// Currently extension grammar is not fully parseable
-		// There is a parser fix planned, once that is done,
-		// we can panic instead of ignoring failed extension file load
-		defer func(f fs.File, fileName string) {
-			if r := recover(); r != nil {
-				fmt.Printf("Ignoring extension file:%s, Recovered from panic: %v\n", fileName, r)
-			}
-			if err1 := f.Close(); err1 != nil {
-				panic(err1)
-			}
-		}(f, fileName)
-		err1 := DefaultCollection.Load(SubstraitDefaultURIPrefix+ent.Name(), f)
-		if err1 != nil {
-			fmt.Printf("Ignoring extension file:%s err:%v, Skipping it \n", fileName, err1)
+			return err
 		}
 	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 // ID is the unique identifier for a substrait object
diff --git a/extensions/extension_mgr_test.go b/extensions/extension_mgr_test.go
index 8184402..0ef7bd7 100644
--- a/extensions/extension_mgr_test.go
+++ b/extensions/extension_mgr_test.go
@@ -277,11 +277,11 @@ func TestDefaultCollection(t *testing.T) {
 			)
 			switch tt.typ {
 			case scalarFunc:
-				variant, ok = extensions.DefaultCollection.GetScalarFunc(id)
+				variant, ok = extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError().GetScalarFunc(id)
 			case aggFunc:
-				variant, ok = extensions.DefaultCollection.GetAggregateFunc(id)
+				variant, ok = extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError().GetAggregateFunc(id)
 			case windowFunc:
-				variant, ok = extensions.DefaultCollection.GetWindowFunc(id)
+				variant, ok = extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError().GetWindowFunc(id)
 			}
 
 			require.True(t, ok)
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ func TestDefaultCollection(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 
-	et, ok := extensions.DefaultCollection.GetType(extensions.ID{
+	et, ok := extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError().GetType(extensions.ID{
 		URI: extensions.SubstraitDefaultURIPrefix + "extension_types.yaml", Name: "point"})
 	assert.True(t, ok)
 	assert.Equal(t, "point", et.Name)
@@ -303,9 +303,10 @@ func TestDefaultCollection(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestCollection_GetAllScalarFunctions(t *testing.T) {
-	scalarFunctions := extensions.DefaultCollection.GetAllScalarFunctions()
-	aggregateFunctions := extensions.DefaultCollection.GetAllAggregateFunctions()
-	windowFunctions := extensions.DefaultCollection.GetAllWindowFunctions()
+	defaultExtensions := extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError()
+	scalarFunctions := defaultExtensions.GetAllScalarFunctions()
+	aggregateFunctions := defaultExtensions.GetAllAggregateFunctions()
+	windowFunctions := defaultExtensions.GetAllWindowFunctions()
 	assert.GreaterOrEqual(t, len(scalarFunctions), 309)
 	assert.GreaterOrEqual(t, len(aggregateFunctions), 62)
 	assert.GreaterOrEqual(t, len(windowFunctions), 7)
@@ -323,21 +324,20 @@ func TestCollection_GetAllScalarFunctions(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.signature, func(t *testing.T) {
 			assert.True(t, tt.isScalar || tt.isAggregate || tt.isWindow)
-			c := extensions.DefaultCollection
 			if tt.isScalar {
-				sf, ok := c.GetScalarFunc(extensions.ID{URI: tt.uri, Name: tt.signature})
+				sf, ok := defaultExtensions.GetScalarFunc(extensions.ID{URI: tt.uri, Name: tt.signature})
 				assert.True(t, ok)
 				assert.Contains(t, scalarFunctions, sf)
 				// verify that default nullability is set to MIRROR
 				assert.Equal(t, extensions.MirrorNullability, sf.Nullability())
 			}
 			if tt.isAggregate {
-				af, ok := c.GetAggregateFunc(extensions.ID{URI: tt.uri, Name: tt.signature})
+				af, ok := defaultExtensions.GetAggregateFunc(extensions.ID{URI: tt.uri, Name: tt.signature})
 				assert.True(t, ok)
 				assert.Contains(t, aggregateFunctions, af)
 			}
 			if tt.isWindow {
-				wf, ok := c.GetWindowFunc(extensions.ID{URI: tt.uri, Name: tt.signature})
+				wf, ok := defaultExtensions.GetWindowFunc(extensions.ID{URI: tt.uri, Name: tt.signature})
 				assert.True(t, ok)
 				assert.Contains(t, windowFunctions, wf)
 			}
diff --git a/extensions/variants_test.go b/extensions/variants_test.go
index 868e33d..b279549 100644
--- a/extensions/variants_test.go
+++ b/extensions/variants_test.go
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ func TestMatchWithSyncParams(t *testing.T) {
 		require.NotNil(t, testFile)
 		assert.Len(t, testFile.TestCases, testFileInfo.numTests)
 
-		reg, funcRegistry := functions.NewExtensionAndFunctionRegistries(&extensions.DefaultCollection)
+		reg, funcRegistry := functions.NewExtensionAndFunctionRegistries(extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 		for _, tc := range testFile.TestCases {
 			t.Run(tc.FuncName, func(t *testing.T) {
 				switch tc.FuncType {
diff --git a/functions/dialect_test.go b/functions/dialect_test.go
index dba1735..13ade37 100644
--- a/functions/dialect_test.go
+++ b/functions/dialect_test.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import (
 var gFunctionRegistry FunctionRegistry
 
 func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
-	gFunctionRegistry = NewFunctionRegistry(&extensions.DefaultCollection)
+	gFunctionRegistry = NewFunctionRegistry(extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 	m.Run()
 }
 
diff --git a/functions/local_functions_test.go b/functions/local_functions_test.go
index 05f2821..c1068f7 100644
--- a/functions/local_functions_test.go
+++ b/functions/local_functions_test.go
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ add(120::i8, 10::i8) [overflow:SILENT] = <!UNDEFINED>
 	assert.Len(t, testFile.TestCases, len(testResults))
 	require.GreaterOrEqual(t, len(testFile.TestCases), len(testResults))
 
-	reg, funcRegistry := functions.NewExtensionAndFunctionRegistries(&extensions.DefaultCollection)
+	reg, funcRegistry := functions.NewExtensionAndFunctionRegistries(extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 	for i, result := range testResults {
 		tc := testFile.TestCases[i]
 		t.Run(result.name, func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ sum((2.5000007152557373046875, 7.0000007152557373046875, 0, 7.000000715255737304
 	testCases := append(testFile.TestCases, testFile1.TestCases...)
 	require.GreaterOrEqual(t, len(testCases), len(testResults))
 
-	reg, funcRegistry := functions.NewExtensionAndFunctionRegistries(&extensions.DefaultCollection)
+	reg, funcRegistry := functions.NewExtensionAndFunctionRegistries(extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 	for i, result := range testResults {
 		tc := testCases[i]
 		t.Run(result.name, func(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/plan/builders.go b/plan/builders.go
index 1bc7910..0e3aae9 100644
--- a/plan/builders.go
+++ b/plan/builders.go
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ type Builder interface {
 const FETCH_COUNT_ALL_RECORDS = -1
 
 func NewBuilderDefault() Builder {
-	return NewBuilder(&extensions.DefaultCollection)
+	return NewBuilder(extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 }
 
 func NewBuilder(c *extensions.Collection) Builder {
diff --git a/plan/internal/helper_test.go b/plan/internal/helper_test.go
index 5686a10..ef48306 100644
--- a/plan/internal/helper_test.go
+++ b/plan/internal/helper_test.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func TestVirtualTableExpressionFromProto(t *testing.T) {
 	literal1 := expr.NewPrimitiveLiteral(int32(1), false)
 	expr1 := literal1.ToProto()
 
-	reg := expr.NewExtensionRegistry(extSet, &ext.DefaultCollection)
+	reg := expr.NewExtensionRegistry(extSet, ext.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 	rows := &proto.Expression_Nested_Struct{Fields: []*proto.Expression{
 		expr1,
 	}}
diff --git a/plan/plan_builder_test.go b/plan/plan_builder_test.go
index b8b3d58..82791a7 100644
--- a/plan/plan_builder_test.go
+++ b/plan/plan_builder_test.go
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func TestBasicEmitPlan(t *testing.T) {
 	protoPlan, err := p.ToProto()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	roundTrip, err := plan.FromProto(protoPlan, &extensions.DefaultCollection)
+	roundTrip, err := plan.FromProto(protoPlan, extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	assert.Equal(t, p, roundTrip)
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ func TestEmitEmptyPlan(t *testing.T) {
 	protoPlan, err := p.ToProto()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	roundTrip, err := plan.FromProto(protoPlan, &extensions.DefaultCollection)
+	roundTrip, err := plan.FromProto(protoPlan, extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	assert.Equal(t, p, roundTrip)
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ func checkRoundTrip(t *testing.T, expectedJSON string, p *plan.Plan) {
 	assert.Truef(t, proto.Equal(&expectedProto, protoPlan), "JSON expected: %s\ngot: %s",
 		protojson.Format(&expectedProto), protojson.Format(protoPlan))
 
-	roundTrip, err := plan.FromProto(&expectedProto, &extensions.DefaultCollection)
+	roundTrip, err := plan.FromProto(&expectedProto, extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	roundTripProto, err := roundTrip.ToProto()
diff --git a/plan/plan_test.go b/plan/plan_test.go
index 363367b..e74d6dc 100644
--- a/plan/plan_test.go
+++ b/plan/plan_test.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestRelFromProto(t *testing.T) {
 
-	registry := expr.NewEmptyExtensionRegistry(&extensions.DefaultCollection)
+	registry := expr.NewEmptyExtensionRegistry(extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 	literal5 := &proto.Expression_Literal{LiteralType: &proto.Expression_Literal_I64{I64: 5}}
 	exprLiteral5 := &proto.Expression{RexType: &proto.Expression_Literal_{Literal: literal5}}
 
diff --git a/plan/relations_test.go b/plan/relations_test.go
index b261cfc..08b385e 100644
--- a/plan/relations_test.go
+++ b/plan/relations_test.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ func createPrimitiveBool(value bool) expr.Expression {
 }
 
 func TestRelations_Copy(t *testing.T) {
-	extReg := expr.NewExtensionRegistry(extensions.NewSet(), &extensions.DefaultCollection)
+	extReg := expr.NewExtensionRegistry(extensions.NewSet(), extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 	aggregateFnID := extensions.ID{
 		URI:  extensions.SubstraitDefaultURIPrefix + "functions_arithmetic.yaml",
 		Name: "avg",
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ func TestRelations_Copy(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestAggregateRelToBuilder(t *testing.T) {
-	extReg := expr.NewExtensionRegistry(extensions.NewSet(), &extensions.DefaultCollection)
+	extReg := expr.NewExtensionRegistry(extensions.NewSet(), extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 	aggregateFnID := extensions.ID{
 		URI:  extensions.SubstraitDefaultURIPrefix + "functions_arithmetic.yaml",
 		Name: "avg",
diff --git a/testcases/parser/parse_test.go b/testcases/parser/parse_test.go
index 86e3b63..9b5d13f 100644
--- a/testcases/parser/parse_test.go
+++ b/testcases/parser/parse_test.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ add(120::i8, 10::i8) [overflow:ERROR] = <!ERROR>
 		{&types.Int16Type{Nullability: types.NullabilityRequired}, &types.Int16Type{Nullability: types.NullabilityRequired}},
 		{&types.Int8Type{Nullability: types.NullabilityRequired}, &types.Int8Type{Nullability: types.NullabilityRequired}},
 	}
-	reg, funcRegistry := functions.NewExtensionAndFunctionRegistries(&extensions.DefaultCollection)
+	reg, funcRegistry := functions.NewExtensionAndFunctionRegistries(extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 	basicGroupDesc := "'Basic examples without any special cases'"
 	overflowGroupDesc := "Overflow examples demonstrating overflow behavior"
 	groupDescs := []string{basicGroupDesc, basicGroupDesc, overflowGroupDesc}
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ func TestParseAggregateFunc(t *testing.T) {
 avg((1,2,3)::fp32) = 2::fp64
 sum((9223372036854775806, 1, 1, 1, 1, 10000000000)::i64) [overflow:ERROR] = <!ERROR>`
 
-	reg, funcRegistry := functions.NewExtensionAndFunctionRegistries(&extensions.DefaultCollection)
+	reg, funcRegistry := functions.NewExtensionAndFunctionRegistries(extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 	arithUri := "https://github.com/substrait-io/substrait/blob/main/extensions/functions_arithmetic.yaml"
 	testFile, err := ParseTestCasesFromString(header + tests)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -544,7 +544,7 @@ LIST_AGG(t1.col0, ','::string) = 1::fp64
 	require.NotNil(t, testFile)
 	assert.Len(t, testFile.TestCases, 1)
 	assert.Equal(t, AggregateFuncType, testFile.TestCases[0].FuncType)
-	reg := expr.NewEmptyExtensionRegistry(&extensions.DefaultCollection)
+	reg := expr.NewEmptyExtensionRegistry(extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 	aggFun, err := testFile.TestCases[0].GetAggregateFunctionInvocation(&reg, nil)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, "string_agg", aggFun.Name())
@@ -724,7 +724,7 @@ func TestLoadAllSubstraitTestFiles(t *testing.T) {
 			testFile, err := ParseTestCaseFileFromFS(got, filePath)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 			require.NotNil(t, testFile)
-			reg, funcRegistry := functions.NewExtensionAndFunctionRegistries(&extensions.DefaultCollection)
+			reg, funcRegistry := functions.NewExtensionAndFunctionRegistries(extensions.GetDefaultCollectionWithNoError())
 			for _, tc := range testFile.TestCases {
 				testGetFunctionInvocation(t, tc, &reg, funcRegistry)
 			}