diff --git a/core/bbs.js b/core/bbs.js
index 074a742b..e3d08ed4 100644
--- a/core/bbs.js
+++ b/core/bbs.js
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ function printVersionAndExit() {
 }
 
 function main() {
+    let errorDisplayed = false;
+
     async.waterfall(
         [
             function processArgs(callback) {
@@ -87,7 +89,14 @@ function main() {
                                 configPathSupplied = null;  //  make non-fatal; we'll go with defaults
                             }
                         } else {
-                            console.error(err.message);
+                            errorDisplayed = true;
+                            console.error(`Configuration error: ${err.message}`); //  eslint-disable-line no-console
+                            if (err.hint) {
+                                console.error(`Hint: ${err.hint}`);
+                            }
+                            if (err.configPath) {
+                                console.error(`Note: ${err.configPath}`);
+                            }
                         }
                     }
                     return callback(err);
@@ -114,8 +123,9 @@ function main() {
                 });
             }
 
-            if(err) {
+            if(err && !errorDisplayed) {
                 console.error('Error initializing: ' + util.inspect(err));
+                return process.exit();
             }
         }
     );
diff --git a/core/config.js b/core/config.js
index 788514ae..4f615c18 100644
--- a/core/config.js
+++ b/core/config.js
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ exports.Config = class Config extends ConfigLoader {
         systemConfigInstance = new Config(configOptions);
         systemConfigInstance.init(baseConfigPath, err => {
             if (err) {
-                console.stdout(`Configuration ${baseConfigPath} error: ${err.message}`); //  eslint-disable-line no-console
                 return cb(err);
             }
 
@@ -61,7 +60,7 @@ exports.Config = class Config extends ConfigLoader {
             //  instance we just created
             exports.get = systemConfigInstance.get.bind(systemConfigInstance);
 
-            return cb(err);
+            return cb(null);
         });
     }
 
diff --git a/core/config_loader.js b/core/config_loader.js
index 47b3d4d4..28473d88 100644
--- a/core/config_loader.js
+++ b/core/config_loader.js
@@ -185,6 +185,9 @@ module.exports = class ConfigLoader {
         };
 
         ConfigCache.getConfigWithOptions(options, (err, config) => {
+            if (err) {
+                err.configPath = options.filePath;
+            }
             return cb(err, config);
         });
     }
diff --git a/core/theme.js b/core/theme.js
index f763614d..c64792d5 100644
--- a/core/theme.js
+++ b/core/theme.js
@@ -265,6 +265,10 @@ exports.ThemeManager = class ThemeManager {
         };
 
         [ 'menus', 'prompts'].forEach(sectionName => {
+            if (!_.isObject(mergedTheme.sectionName)) {
+                return Log.error({sectionName}, 'Merged theme is missing section');
+            }
+
             Object.keys(mergedTheme[sectionName]).forEach(entryName => {
                 let createdFormSection = false;
                 const mergedThemeMenu = mergedTheme[sectionName][entryName];