diff --git a/helpers/generate.py b/helpers/generate.py
index 815f47b..07d97c5 100755
--- a/helpers/generate.py
+++ b/helpers/generate.py
@@ -156,10 +156,16 @@ def conf2top(top):
             print("Warning: Error opening", top["file"], file=sys.stderr)
 
     if "command" in top:
-        body = subprocess.run(top["command"], shell=True, text=True, capture_output=True, check=args.allowfailcommand).stdout
+        try:
+            body = subprocess.run(top["command"], shell=True, text=True, capture_output=True, check=True).stdout
+        except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+            print(f"Warning: Command for '{top['title']}' returned non-zero exit code, output not used")
 
     if "proto_command" in top:
-        protostub = subprocess.run(top["proto_command"], shell=True, text=True, capture_output=True, check=args.allowfailcommand).stdout
+        try:
+            protostub = subprocess.run(top["proto_command"], shell=True, text=True, capture_output=True, check=True).stdout
+        except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+            print(f"Warning: Protocommand for '{top['title']}' returned non-zero exit code, output not used")
 
     return Top(top["title"], sender, body, protostub)
 
@@ -180,6 +186,8 @@ def do_imports(entry):
                 result[key] = do_imports(value)
             except KeyError:
                 pass
+            except OSError as e:
+                print(f"Warning: reading {key} yielded error {e}")
         return result
 
     if isinstance(entry, list):
@@ -223,7 +231,6 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     parser.add_argument("--send-mm", action="store_true")
     parser.add_argument("--send-mail", action="store_true")
     parser.add_argument("--save", action="store_true")
-    parser.add_argument("--allowfailcommand", action="store_false")
     parser.add_argument("--time")
     parser.add_argument("--date")
     args = parser.parse_args()