diff --git a/source/runtime.cpp b/source/runtime.cpp
index acdf322..4bf31d7 100644
--- a/source/runtime.cpp
+++ b/source/runtime.cpp
@@ -16,10 +16,11 @@ extern "C" int main(int argc, char const * const * argv) {
 		bool is_config_loaded{false};
 
 		system.res_fs().read_file(config_path, [&](coral::readable const & file) {
-			kym::vm vm{&system.thread_safe_allocator(),
-				[&system](coral::slice<char const> const & error_message) {
-					system.log(app::log_level::error, error_message);
-				}};
+			coral::allocator * const allocator{&system.thread_safe_allocator()};
+
+			kym::vm vm{allocator, [&system](coral::slice<char const> const & error_message) {
+				system.log(app::log_level::error, error_message);
+			}};
 
 			if (!vm.init({.datastack_size = 64, .callstack_size = 64})) {
 				system.log(app::log_level::error, "failed to allocate memory for config vm");
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ extern "C" int main(int argc, char const * const * argv) {
 				return;
 			}
 
-			coral::stack<coral::u8> script_source{&system.thread_safe_allocator()};
+			coral::stack<coral::u8> script_source{allocator};
 			coral::u8 stream_buffer[1024]{0};
 
 			if (!coral::stream(coral::sequence_writer{&script_source}, file, stream_buffer).is_ok())
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@ extern "C" int main(int argc, char const * const * argv) {
 					vm.with_object(config.get_field("title"), [&](kym::bound_object & title) {
 						coral::stack<coral::u8, 128> title_buffer{&system.thread_safe_allocator()};
 
-						if (!title.stringify(coral::sequence_writer(&title_buffer)).is_ok()) {
+						if (!title.stringify(coral::sequence_writer{&title_buffer}).is_ok()) {
 							system.log(app::log_level::error,
 								"failed to decode `title` property of config");
 
@@ -64,7 +65,21 @@ extern "C" int main(int argc, char const * const * argv) {
 			});
 		});
 
-		if (!is_config_loaded) return coral::u8_max;
+		if (!is_config_loaded) {
+			coral::stack<coral::u8> error_message{&system.thread_safe_allocator()};
+
+			{
+				coral::sequence_writer error_writer{&error_message};
+
+				if (!error_writer(coral::slice{"failed to load "}.as_bytes()).is_ok())
+					return coral::u8_max;
+
+				if (!error_writer(config_path.as_slice().as_bytes()).is_ok())
+					return coral::u8_max;
+			}
+
+			return coral::u8_max;
+		}
 
 		// app::canvas canvas_2d();