diff --git a/app.psgi b/app.psgi
index fd4e9c506..a5f414a08 100644
--- a/app.psgi
+++ b/app.psgi
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
+
 use strict;
 use Plack::Builder;
+
+use FindBin;
+use lib "$FindBin::Bin/lib";
+
 use WebGUI::Paths -inc;
 use WebGUI::Config;
 use WebGUI::Fork;
@@ -12,14 +17,15 @@ WebGUI::Fork->init();
 
 builder {
     my $first_app;
+    WebGUI::Paths->siteConfigs or die "no configuration files found";
     for my $config_file (WebGUI::Paths->siteConfigs) {
-        my $config = WebGUI::Config->new($config_file);
+        my $config = WebGUI::Config->new($config_file) or die "failed to log configuration file: $config_file: $!";
         my $psgi = $config->get('psgiFile') || WebGUI::Paths->defaultPSGI;
         my $app = do {
             # default psgi file uses environment variable to find config file
             local $ENV{WEBGUI_CONFIG} = $config_file;
             Plack::Util::load_psgi($psgi);
-        };
+        } or die;
         $first_app ||= $app;
         my $gateway = $config->get('gateway');
         $gateway =~ s{^/?}{/};