diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1ccbd64..8810ca6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@ const reader = new InteractiveOptions([
     description: 'the switch foo', // description in the help page (optional)
     message: 'should foo be true?', // message when asking interactively (optional)
     preset: [], // preset choices for string and path types (optional)
-    error: 'wrong input', // message to display when the user gives invalid input
-    error_callback: (opt, val, err)=>{...} // function to call when an option value could not be read
+    error: 'wrong input' // message to display when the user gives invalid input
   },
 ]);
 
@@ -78,7 +77,8 @@ const reader = new InteractiveOptions([], {
   env: true,
   interactive: true,
   configs: ['json files to search for options'],
-  exit_on_interrupt: true,
+  exit_on_interrupt: true,  // exit when user cancels prompt
+  error_callback: (opt, val, err)=>{...} // function to call when an option value could not be read
 });
 ```
 
diff --git a/lib/InteractiveOptions.ts b/lib/InteractiveOptions.ts
index 64cb584..76fb21e 100644
--- a/lib/InteractiveOptions.ts
+++ b/lib/InteractiveOptions.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { ArgSource } from './Sources/ArgSource';
 import { ConfigSource } from './Sources/ConfigSource';
 import { InteractiveSource } from './Sources/InteractiveSource';
 import { Option, OptionProcess } from './Option';
+import { ErrorCallback } from './Types/ErrorCallback';
 
 const types: Record<OptionType, TypeValidation> = {
   string:  new TypeValidation ('string'),
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ interface SourceConfig {
   interactive?: boolean;
   configs?: string[];
   exit_on_interrupt?: boolean;
+  error_callback?: ErrorCallback;
 }
 
 export class InteractiveOptions extends Persistent {
@@ -71,14 +73,22 @@ export class InteractiveOptions extends Persistent {
     if (
       typeof source_config.configs !== 'undefined'
       && Array.isArray (source_config.configs)
-    )
-      this.sources.push (new ConfigSource (source_config.configs));
+    ) {
+      this.sources.push (new ConfigSource (
+        source_config.error_callback,
+        source_config.configs
+      ));
+    }
     if (source_config.env !== false)
-      this.sources.push (new EnvSource);
+      this.sources.push (new EnvSource (source_config.error_callback));
     if (source_config.args !== false)
-      this.sources.push (new ArgSource);
-    if (source_config.interactive !== false)
-      this.sources.push (new InteractiveSource (exit_on_interrupt));
+      this.sources.push (new ArgSource (source_config.error_callback));
+    if (source_config.interactive !== false) {
+      this.sources.push (new InteractiveSource (
+        source_config.error_callback,
+        exit_on_interrupt
+      ));
+    }
   }
 
   public async parse (): Promise<Record<string, unknown>> {
diff --git a/lib/Option.ts b/lib/Option.ts
index 621fe8b..2d5a77e 100644
--- a/lib/Option.ts
+++ b/lib/Option.ts
@@ -19,11 +19,6 @@ interface Option {
   message?: string;
   preset?: unknown[];
   error?: string;
-  error_callback?: (
-    option: string,
-    value: unknown,
-    e: Error
-  ) => unknown;
 }
 
 interface OptionProcess extends Option {
diff --git a/lib/Sources/ConfigSource.ts b/lib/Sources/ConfigSource.ts
index 2970c37..697eb6c 100644
--- a/lib/Sources/ConfigSource.ts
+++ b/lib/Sources/ConfigSource.ts
@@ -11,13 +11,14 @@ import fs from 'fs-extra';
 import { run_regex } from '@sapphirecode/utilities';
 import hjson from 'hjson';
 import { OptionProcess } from '../Option';
+import { ErrorCallback } from '../Types/ErrorCallback';
 import { OptionSource } from './OptionSource';
 
 export class ConfigSource extends OptionSource {
   private _config_files: string[];
 
-  public constructor (config_files: string[]) {
-    super ();
+  public constructor (error_callback?:ErrorCallback, config_files: string[]) {
+    super (error_callback);
     this._config_files = config_files;
   }
 
@@ -53,7 +54,8 @@ export class ConfigSource extends OptionSource {
         for (const key of Object.keys (json))
           data[key] = json[key];
       }
-      catch {
+      catch (e) {
+        this.error_callback ('*', `config file: ${f}`, e);
         continue;
       }
     }
diff --git a/lib/Sources/InteractiveSource.ts b/lib/Sources/InteractiveSource.ts
index d3d2368..1823562 100644
--- a/lib/Sources/InteractiveSource.ts
+++ b/lib/Sources/InteractiveSource.ts
@@ -14,8 +14,11 @@ import { OptionSource } from './OptionSource';
 export class InteractiveSource extends OptionSource {
   private _exit_on_interrupt: boolean;
 
-  public constructor (exit_on_interrupt: boolean) {
-    super ();
+  public constructor (
+    error_callback?:ErrorCallback,
+    exit_on_interrupt: boolean
+  ) {
+    super (error_callback);
     this._exit_on_interrupt = exit_on_interrupt;
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/Sources/OptionSource.ts b/lib/Sources/OptionSource.ts
index 2214329..47a55bc 100644
--- a/lib/Sources/OptionSource.ts
+++ b/lib/Sources/OptionSource.ts
@@ -6,10 +6,17 @@
  */
 
 import { OptionProcess } from '../Option';
+import { ErrorCallback } from '../Types/ErrorCallback';
 
 export abstract class OptionSource {
   public abstract async parse(opt: OptionProcess[]): Promise<void>;
 
+  protected error_callback?: ErrorCallback;
+
+  public constructor (error_callback?: ErrorCallback) {
+    this.error_callback = error_callback;
+  }
+
   protected async assign_arg (
     opt: OptionProcess,
     value: unknown
@@ -19,8 +26,8 @@ export abstract class OptionSource {
       opt.filled = true;
     }
     catch (e) {
-      if (typeof opt.error_callback !== 'undefined')
-        opt.error_callback (opt.name, value, e);
+      if (typeof this.error_callback !== 'undefined')
+        this.error_callback (opt.name, value, e);
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/lib/Types/ErrorCallback.ts b/lib/Types/ErrorCallback.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6207da9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Types/ErrorCallback.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+export type ErrorCallback = (
+  option: string,
+  value: unknown,
+  e: Error
+) => unknown;