diff --git a/src/common.rs b/src/common.rs
index 85b6f0a..aef15f4 100644
--- a/src/common.rs
+++ b/src/common.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ pub enum ExitCode {
   FilesystemError = 3,
   RepositoryError = 4,
   RemoteError = 5,
-  PushError = 6
+  PushError = 6,
+  FetchError = 7,
+  ConfigError = 8
 }
 
 pub struct ReturnData {
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 87bc1a1..3108557 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -49,6 +49,11 @@ impl fmt::Display for ConfigFile {
       Some(path) => format!("{}", path)
     };
 
+    let ssh_key = match &self.config.git.ssh_identity_file {
+      Some(k) => k,
+      None => &format!("Not defined")
+    };
+
     let schedule_interval = match self.config.schedule.interval {
       None => {
         if !self.config.schedule.enabled {
@@ -72,7 +77,7 @@ impl fmt::Display for ConfigFile {
         Schedule enabled: {}\
         {}"
       , self.path, self.file.is_file(), self.file.permissions().readonly(), self.config.from
-      , to_list, branches_list, work_dir_path, self.config.git.ssh_identity_file, self.config.schedule.enabled
+      , to_list, branches_list, work_dir_path, ssh_key, self.config.schedule.enabled
       , schedule_interval)
   }
 }
@@ -91,7 +96,7 @@ pub struct Config {
 #[derive(PartialEq)]
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
 pub struct Git {
-  pub ssh_identity_file: String,
+  pub ssh_identity_file: Option<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(PartialEq)]
@@ -184,6 +189,10 @@ fn verify_config(config: &Config) -> Result<(), String> {
     && !&config.from.starts_with("https://")
     && !&config.from.starts_with("http://") {
       return Err(format!("'from' value does not use a supported protocol"))
+  } else if !&config.from.starts_with("ssh://") {
+    if let None = &config.git.ssh_identity_file {
+      return Err(format!("'from' value using ssh, but no ssh identity file was defined"))
+    }
   }
 
   Ok(())
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 99f9b5c..d141f2c 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -90,10 +90,12 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), String> {
     return Ok(())
   }
 
-  let cfgs = match config::read_config(args.config, &refractr) {
-    Ok(cfgs) => cfgs,
-    Err(e) => return Err(e)
+  let mut cfgs = vec![];
+  match config::read_config(args.config, &refractr) {
+    Ok(c) => cfgs = c,
+    Err(e) => common::error(format!("{}", e), common::ExitCode::ConfigError)
   };
+
   if refractr.verbose >= 2 {
     // no need to loop over configs if verbose is not at the correct level
     for i in &cfgs {
@@ -108,5 +110,4 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), String> {
   };
 
   Ok(())
-
 }
diff --git a/src/refractr.rs b/src/refractr.rs
index 3266580..5b92c4e 100644
--- a/src/refractr.rs
+++ b/src/refractr.rs
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ pub struct Refractr {
 struct OpenedRepository {
   repo: Repository,
   path: String,
+  ssh: bool,
   remotes: Vec<String>,
   cfg: Config,
 }
@@ -60,35 +61,33 @@ impl Refractr {
     Ok(())
   }
 
-  fn fetch(&self, repo: &Repository, branches: &Vec<String>, ssh: Option<&String>) -> Result<(), Error> {
-    match ssh {
-      Some(key) => {
-        let mut cb = RemoteCallbacks::new();
-        let mut fo = FetchOptions::new();
-        cb.credentials(move |_,_,_| Cred::ssh_key(
-          "git",
-          None,
-          Path::new(&key),
-          None));
-        cb.certificate_check(|cert, url| {
-          let mut sha256 = String::new();
-          for i in cert.as_hostkey().unwrap().hash_sha256().unwrap().to_vec() {
-            sha256.push_str(&hex::encode(i.to_string()));
-          }
-          common::warning(
-            format!("implicitly trusting unknown host {} with sha256 host key {}",
-            url,
-            hex::encode(cert.as_hostkey().unwrap().hash_sha256().unwrap().to_vec())));
-          common::warning(
-            format!("to ignore this error in the future, add this host to your known_hosts file"));
-          Ok(CertificateCheckStatus::CertificateOk)
-        });
-        fo.download_tags(git2::AutotagOption::All);
-        fo.remote_callbacks(cb);
-        repo.find_remote("origin")?.fetch(&branches, Some(&mut fo), None)?;
-      },
-      None => repo.find_remote("origin")?.fetch(&branches, None, None)?
-    };
+  fn fetch(&self, repo: &Repository, branches: &Vec<String>, ssh: bool, ssh_key: &Option<String>) -> Result<(), Error> {
+    let mut cb = RemoteCallbacks::new();
+    let mut fo = FetchOptions::new();
+    if ssh {
+      let key_string: String = ssh_key.clone().unwrap();
+      cb.credentials(move |_,_,_| Cred::ssh_key(
+        "git",
+        None,
+        Path::new(&key_string),
+        None));
+      cb.certificate_check(|cert, url| {
+        let mut sha256 = String::new();
+        for i in cert.as_hostkey().unwrap().hash_sha256().unwrap().to_vec() {
+          sha256.push_str(&hex::encode(i.to_string()));
+        }
+        common::warning(
+          format!("implicitly trusting unknown host {} with sha256 host key {}",
+          url,
+          hex::encode(cert.as_hostkey().unwrap().hash_sha256().unwrap().to_vec())));
+        common::warning(
+          format!("to ignore this error in the future, add this host to your known_hosts file"));
+        Ok(CertificateCheckStatus::CertificateOk)
+      });
+    }
+    fo.download_tags(git2::AutotagOption::All);
+    fo.remote_callbacks(cb);
+    repo.find_remote("origin")?.fetch(&branches, Some(&mut fo), None)?;
 
     Ok(())
   }
@@ -129,7 +128,7 @@ impl Refractr {
     Ok(remote_list)
   }
 
-  fn push_remotes(&self, cfg: &Config, repo: &Repository, remote_list: &Vec<String>) -> Result<(), String> {
+  fn push_remotes(&self, cfg: &Config, ssh: bool, repo: &Repository, remote_list: &Vec<String>) -> Result<(), String> {
     for id in remote_list {
       let mut remote = repo.find_remote(&id).unwrap();
       common::verbose(
@@ -137,24 +136,27 @@ impl Refractr {
         1, 
         format!("Pushing to remote: {}", remote.url().unwrap()));
       let mut callbacks = RemoteCallbacks::new();
-      callbacks.credentials(|_,_,_| Cred::ssh_key(
-        "git",
-        None,
-        &Path::new(&cfg.git.ssh_identity_file),
-        None));
-      callbacks.certificate_check(|cert, url| {
-        let mut sha256 = String::new();
-        for i in cert.as_hostkey().unwrap().hash_sha256().unwrap().to_vec() {
-          sha256.push_str(&hex::encode(i.to_string()));
-        }
-        common::warning(
-          format!("implicitly trusting unknown host {} with sha256 host key {}",
-          url,
-          hex::encode(cert.as_hostkey().unwrap().hash_sha256().unwrap().to_vec())));
-        common::warning(
-          format!("to ignore this error in the future, add this host to your known_hosts file"));
-        Ok(CertificateCheckStatus::CertificateOk)
-      });
+      if ssh {
+        let key_string: String = cfg.git.ssh_identity_file.clone().unwrap();
+        callbacks.credentials(move |_,_,_| Cred::ssh_key(
+          "git",
+          None,
+          &Path::new(&key_string),
+          None));
+        callbacks.certificate_check(|cert, url| {
+          let mut sha256 = String::new();
+          for i in cert.as_hostkey().unwrap().hash_sha256().unwrap().to_vec() {
+            sha256.push_str(&hex::encode(i.to_string()));
+          }
+          common::warning(
+            format!("implicitly trusting unknown host {} with sha256 host key {}",
+            url,
+            hex::encode(cert.as_hostkey().unwrap().hash_sha256().unwrap().to_vec())));
+          common::warning(
+            format!("to ignore this error in the future, add this host to your known_hosts file"));
+          Ok(CertificateCheckStatus::CertificateOk)
+        });
+      }
       let mut push_options = PushOptions::new();
       push_options.remote_callbacks(callbacks);
 
@@ -221,6 +223,7 @@ impl Refractr {
               let _ = self.fast_forward(&repos[i].path, &repos[i].cfg.branches);
               if let Err(e) = self.push_remotes(
                 &repos[i].cfg,
+                repos[i].ssh,
                 &repos[i].repo,
                 &repos[i].remotes) {
                   common::error(e, ExitCode::PushError)
@@ -273,13 +276,14 @@ impl Refractr {
         })
       };
 
+      let ssh = cfg.config.from.starts_with("ssh://");
       let mut builder = RepoBuilder::new();
       let mut cb = RemoteCallbacks::new();
       let mut fo = FetchOptions::new();
       
       // make initial clone
-      if cfg.config.from.starts_with("ssh://") {
-        let key_string = cfg.config.git.ssh_identity_file.clone();
+      if ssh {
+        let key_string = cfg.config.git.ssh_identity_file.clone().unwrap();
         cb.credentials(move |_,_,_| Cred::ssh_key(
           "git",
           None,
@@ -311,7 +315,9 @@ impl Refractr {
       let repo = match builder.clone(&cfg.config.from, Path::new(&repo_dir)) {
         Ok(repo) => repo,
         Err(e) => {
-          println!("{}", e);
+          if e.code() != ErrorCode::Exists {
+            common::error(format!("failed to clone repo to {}: {}", repo_dir, e), ExitCode::FilesystemError);
+          }
           common::warning(format!("found existing repo at {}, attempting to use", repo_dir));
           match self.fast_forward(&repo_dir, &cfg.config.branches) {
             Ok(_) => if let Ok(repo) = Repository::open(Path::new(&repo_dir)) {
@@ -331,7 +337,12 @@ impl Refractr {
       };
 
       self.set_up_refs(&repo, &cfg.config.branches).unwrap();
-      self.fetch(&repo, &cfg.config.branches, Some(&cfg.config.git.ssh_identity_file)).unwrap();
+      if let Err(e) = self.fetch(&repo,
+        &cfg.config.branches,
+        ssh,
+        &cfg.config.git.ssh_identity_file) {
+          common::error(format!("failed to fetch repo {}: {}", cfg.config.from, e), ExitCode::FetchError);
+      }
 
       let remotes = match self.make_remotes(&repo, &cfg) {
         Ok(v) => v,
@@ -340,7 +351,7 @@ impl Refractr {
           msg: e
         })
       };
-      if let Err(e) = self.push_remotes(&cfg.config, &repo, &remotes) {
+      if let Err(e) = self.push_remotes(&cfg.config, ssh, &repo, &remotes) {
         common::error(e, ExitCode::PushError);
       }
 
@@ -348,6 +359,7 @@ impl Refractr {
         loop_repos.push(OpenedRepository {
           repo,
           path: repo_dir,
+          ssh: cfg.config.from.starts_with("ssh://"),
           remotes,
           cfg: cfg.config
         });