diff --git a/tts.py b/tts.py
index 23ad5a2..c3fb01a 100644
--- a/tts.py
+++ b/tts.py
@@ -302,31 +302,32 @@ def load_config():
     for section in cfg:
         try:
             logging.debug('Fetching config: '+str(section))
-            conf['IRC_CHANNEL'] = cfg['irc']['channel']
-            conf['IRC_USERNAME'] = cfg['irc']['username']
-            conf['IRC_OAUTH_TOKEN'] = cfg['irc']['oauth_token']
-            conf['IRC_SERVER'] = cfg['irc']['server']
-            conf['IRC_CLEARMSG_TIMEOUT'] = cfg['irc']['clearmsg_timeout']
+
+            conf['IRC_CHANNEL'] = cfg['irc']['channel'] or False
+            conf['IRC_USERNAME'] = cfg['irc']['username'] or False
+            conf['IRC_OAUTH_TOKEN'] = cfg['irc']['oauth_token'] or False
+            conf['IRC_SERVER'] = cfg['irc']['server'] or "irc.chat.twitch.tv"
+            conf['IRC_CLEARMSG_TIMEOUT'] = cfg['irc']['clearmsg_timeout'] or 10
             
-            conf['IRC_SUBONLY'] = cfg['bot']['subonly']
-            conf['IRC_MODONLY'] = cfg['bot']['modonly']
-            conf['IRC_TTS_LEN'] = cfg['bot']['message_length']
+            conf['IRC_SUBONLY'] = cfg['bot']['subonly'] or False
+            conf['IRC_MODONLY'] = cfg['bot']['modonly'] or False
+            conf['IRC_TTS_LEN'] = cfg['bot']['message_length'] or 200
             
-            conf['LOG_LEVEL'] = cfg['log']['level']
-            conf['HTTP_PORT'] = cfg['http']['port']
-            conf['HTTP_BIND'] = cfg['http']['bind']
+            conf['LOG_LEVEL'] = cfg['log']['level'] or "INFO"
+            conf['HTTP_PORT'] = cfg['http']['port'] or 80
+            conf['HTTP_BIND'] = cfg['http']['bind'] or "localhost"
 
             conf['MESSAGE'] = {}
-            conf['MESSAGE']['TOO_LONG'] = cfg['messages']['too_long']
-            conf['MESSAGE']['DISABLED'] = cfg['messages']['disabled']
-            conf['MESSAGE']['DENIED'] = cfg['messages']['denied']
-            conf['MESSAGE']['SUBONLY'] = cfg['messages']['subonly']
-            conf['MESSAGE']['MODONLY'] = cfg['messages']['modonly']
-            conf['MESSAGE']['READY'] = cfg['messages']['ready']
-            conf['MESSAGE']['WHITELISTONLY'] = cfg['messages']['whitelist']
-            conf['MESSAGE']['SAYS'] = cfg['messages']['says']
+            conf['MESSAGE']['TOO_LONG'] = cfg['messages']['too_long'] or "Sorry, your message is too long"
+            conf['MESSAGE']['DISABLED'] = cfg['messages']['disabled'] or "Sorry, TTS is disabled."
+            conf['MESSAGE']['DENIED'] = cfg['messages']['denied'] or "Sorry, you're not allowed to use TTS."
+            conf['MESSAGE']['SUBONLY'] = cfg['messages']['subonly'] or "Sorry, TTS is sub-only."
+            conf['MESSAGE']['MODONLY'] = cfg['messages']['modonly'] or "Sorry, TTS is mod-only."
+            conf['MESSAGE']['READY'] = cfg['messages']['ready'] or "TTS bot is ready."
+            conf['MESSAGE']['WHITELISTONLY'] = cfg['messages']['whitelist'] or False
+            conf['MESSAGE']['SAYS'] = cfg['messages']['says'] or "says"
 
-            conf['USERMAP'] = cfg['usermapping']
+            conf['USERMAP'] = cfg['usermapping'] or []
 
             if 'whitelist' in cfg:
                 conf['WHITELIST'] = True
@@ -334,7 +335,7 @@ def load_config():
             else:
                 conf['WHITELIST'] = False
 
-        except KeyError as e:
+        except KeyError:
             logging.exception('Your config file is invalid, please check and try again.')
             sys.exit(254)
 
@@ -343,6 +344,15 @@ def load_config():
         logging.debug('Whitelist:')
         logging.debug(conf['WHITELIST_USER'])
 
+    if not conf['IRC_CHANNEL']:
+        raise ValueError('Please add your twitch channel to config.yml.')
+    if not conf['IRC_USERNAME']:
+        raise ValueError('Please add the bots username to config.yml.')
+    if not conf['IRC_OAUTH_TOKEN']:
+        raise ValueError('Please add the bots oauth-token to config.yml.')
+    if not conf['IRC_OAUTH_TOKEN'].startswith('oauth:'):
+        raise ValueError('Your oauth-token is invalid, it has to start with: "oauth:"')
+
     return conf
 
 conf = {}
@@ -351,12 +361,15 @@ msg_queue_raw = []
 msg_queue = {}
 
 logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG, format='%(asctime)s %(module)s %(threadName)s %(levelname)s: %(message)s')
+sys.tracebacklimit = 0
 
 def main():
     conf = load_config()
     lastreload = datetime.datetime.now()
     logging.getLogger().setLevel(conf['LOG_LEVEL'])
-
+    if conf['LOG_LEVEL'] == 'DEBUG':
+        sys.tracebacklimit = 5
+    
     logging.info("Starting Webserver")
     httpd = socketserver.TCPServer((conf['HTTP_BIND'], conf['HTTP_PORT']), HTTPserv)
     httpd.allow_reuse_port = True