diff --git a/dotdrop/dotdrop.py b/dotdrop/dotdrop.py
index f92b49d..da79064 100644
--- a/dotdrop/dotdrop.py
+++ b/dotdrop/dotdrop.py
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ def importer(opts, conf, paths):
     cnt = 0
     for path in paths:
         if not os.path.lexists(path):
-            LOG.err('\"{}\" does not exist, ignored !'.format(path))
+            LOG.err('\"{}\" does not exist, ignored!'.format(path))
             continue
         dst = path.rstrip(os.sep)
         dst = os.path.abspath(dst)
@@ -269,8 +269,6 @@ def importer(opts, conf, paths):
         # create a new dotfile
         dotfile = Dotfile('', dst, src)
         linkit = opts['link'] or opts['link_by_default']
-        retconf, new_dotfile = conf.new(dotfile, opts['profile'], linkit)
-        dotfile = new_dotfile
 
         # prepare hierarchy for dotfile
         srcf = os.path.join(CUR, opts['dotpath'], src)
@@ -279,17 +277,24 @@ def importer(opts, conf, paths):
             if opts['dry']:
                 LOG.dry('would run: {}'.format(' '.join(cmd)))
             else:
-                run(cmd, raw=False, debug=opts['debug'], checkerr=True)
+                r, _ = run(cmd, raw=False, debug=opts['debug'], checkerr=True)
+                if not r:
+                    LOG.err('importing \"{}\" failed!'.format(path))
+                    continue
             cmd = ['cp', '-R', '-L', dst, srcf]
             if opts['dry']:
                 LOG.dry('would run: {}'.format(' '.join(cmd)))
                 if linkit:
                     LOG.dry('would symlink {} to {}'.format(srcf, dst))
             else:
-                run(cmd, raw=False, debug=opts['debug'], checkerr=True)
+                r, _ = run(cmd, raw=False, debug=opts['debug'], checkerr=True)
+                if not r:
+                    LOG.err('importing \"{}\" failed!'.format(path))
+                    continue
                 if linkit:
                     remove(dst)
                     os.symlink(srcf, dst)
+        retconf, dotfile = conf.new(dotfile, opts['profile'], linkit)
         if retconf:
             LOG.sub('\"{}\" imported'.format(path))
             cnt += 1
diff --git a/dotdrop/templategen.py b/dotdrop/templategen.py
index 5a0c5e5..49f9bc5 100644
--- a/dotdrop/templategen.py
+++ b/dotdrop/templategen.py
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ class Templategen:
 
     def _handle_file(self, src):
         """generate the file content from template"""
-        filetype = utils.run(['file', '-b', src], raw=False, debug=self.debug)
+        _, filetype = utils.run(['file', '-b', src],
+                                raw=False, debug=self.debug)
         filetype = filetype.strip()
         if self.debug:
             self.log.dbg('\"{}\" filetype: {}'.format(src, filetype))
diff --git a/dotdrop/utils.py b/dotdrop/utils.py
index 4491427..88da481 100644
--- a/dotdrop/utils.py
+++ b/dotdrop/utils.py
@@ -25,20 +25,24 @@ def run(cmd, raw=True, debug=False, checkerr=False):
     p = subprocess.Popen(cmd, shell=False,
                          stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
     p.wait()
-    out = p.stdout.readlines()
     ret = p.returncode
+    out = p.stdout.readlines()
+    lines = ''.join([x.decode('utf-8', 'replace') for x in out])
     if checkerr and ret != 0:
-        LOG.warn('cmd \"{}\" returned non zero ({}): {}'.format(ret, out))
+        c = ' '.join(cmd)
+        errl = lines.rstrip()
+        m = '\"{}\" returned non zero ({}): {}'.format(c, ret, errl)
+        LOG.err(m)
     if raw:
-        return out
-    lines = [x.decode('utf-8', 'replace') for x in out]
-    return ''.join(lines)
+        return ret == 0, out
+    return ret == 0, lines
 
 
 def diff(src, dst, raw=True, opts='', debug=False):
     """call unix diff to compare two files"""
     cmd = 'diff -r {} \"{}\" \"{}\"'.format(opts, src, dst)
-    return run(shlex.split(cmd), raw=raw, debug=debug)
+    _, out = run(shlex.split(cmd), raw=raw, debug=debug)
+    return out
 
 
 def get_tmpdir():