diff --git a/cmd/git-sv/config.go b/cmd/git-sv/config.go
index b9d9b26..a7ed36f 100644
--- a/cmd/git-sv/config.go
+++ b/cmd/git-sv/config.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"log"
@@ -24,7 +23,7 @@ func loadEnvConfig() EnvConfig {
 	var c EnvConfig
 	err := envconfig.Process("", &c)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err.Error())
+		log.Fatal("failed to load env config, error: ", err.Error())
 	}
 	return c
 }
@@ -43,11 +42,16 @@ func getRepoPath() (string, error) {
 	cmd := exec.Command("git", "rev-parse", "--show-toplevel")
 	out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", errors.New(string(out))
+		return "", combinedOutputErr(err, out)
 	}
 	return strings.TrimSpace(string(out)), nil
 }
 
+func combinedOutputErr(err error, out []byte) error {
+	msg := strings.Split(string(out), "\n")
+	return fmt.Errorf("%v - %s", err, msg[0])
+}
+
 func loadConfig(filepath string) (Config, error) {
 	content, rerr := ioutil.ReadFile(filepath)
 	if rerr != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/git-sv/main.go b/cmd/git-sv/main.go
index a78fded..f446991 100644
--- a/cmd/git-sv/main.go
+++ b/cmd/git-sv/main.go
@@ -27,19 +27,19 @@ func main() {
 	if envCfg.Home != "" {
 		if homeCfg, err := loadConfig(filepath.Join(envCfg.Home, configFilename)); err == nil {
 			if merr := merge(&cfg, homeCfg); merr != nil {
-				log.Fatal(merr)
+				log.Fatal("failed to merge user config, error: ", merr)
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
 	repoPath, rerr := getRepoPath()
 	if rerr != nil {
-		log.Fatal(rerr)
+		log.Fatal("failed to get repository path, error: ", rerr)
 	}
 
 	if repoCfg, err := loadConfig(filepath.Join(repoPath, repoConfigFilename)); err == nil {
 		if merr := merge(&cfg, repoCfg); merr != nil {
-			log.Fatal(merr)
+			log.Fatal("failed to merge repo config, error: ", merr)
 		}
 		if len(repoCfg.ReleaseNotes.Headers) > 0 { // mergo is merging maps, headers will be overwritten
 			cfg.ReleaseNotes.Headers = repoCfg.ReleaseNotes.Headers
@@ -165,6 +165,6 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	if apperr := app.Run(os.Args); apperr != nil {
-		log.Fatal(apperr)
+		log.Fatal("failed to run cli, error: ", apperr)
 	}
 }