diff --git a/include/dindexer-common/settings.hpp b/include/dindexer-common/settings.hpp
index 11f295f..d115c9a 100644
--- a/include/dindexer-common/settings.hpp
+++ b/include/dindexer-common/settings.hpp
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ namespace dinlib {
 		dindb::BackendPlugin backend_plugin;
 	};
 
-	bool load_settings ( const std::string& parPath, Settings& parOut, bool parExpand=true );
+	void load_settings ( const std::string& parPath, Settings& parOut, bool parExpand=true );
 } //namespace dinlib
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/common/settings.cpp b/src/common/settings.cpp
index fa65122..23eeb7d 100644
--- a/src/common/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/common/settings.cpp
@@ -20,35 +20,32 @@
 #include <yaml-cpp/yaml.h>
 #include <ciso646>
 #include <wordexp.h>
+#include <stdexcept>
+#include <sstream>
 
 namespace dinlib {
 	namespace {
 		std::string expand ( const char* parString );
 		std::string find_plugin_by_name ( const std::string& parName );
+		void throw_if_plugin_failed ( const dindb::BackendPlugin& parPlugin, const std::string& parPluginPath, const std::string& parIntendedName );
 	} //unnamed namespace
 
-	bool load_settings (const std::string& parPath, dinlib::Settings& parOut, bool parExpand) {
+	void load_settings (const std::string& parPath, dinlib::Settings& parOut, bool parExpand) {
 		const std::string path = (parExpand ? expand(parPath.c_str()) : parPath);
 
-		try {
-			auto settings = YAML::LoadFile(path);
+		auto settings = YAML::LoadFile(path);
 
-			if (not settings["backend_name"]) {
-				return false;
-			}
-			parOut.backend_name = settings["backend_name"].as<std::string>();
-			const std::string backend_settings_section = parOut.backend_name + "_settings";
-			if (settings[backend_settings_section]) {
-				auto settings_node = settings[backend_settings_section];
-				parOut.backend_plugin = dindb::BackendPlugin(find_plugin_by_name(parOut.backend_name), &settings_node);
-				return true;
-			}
+		if (not settings["backend_name"]) {
+			throw std::runtime_error("No backend_name given in the config file");
 		}
-		catch (const std::exception&) {
-			return false;
+		parOut.backend_name = settings["backend_name"].as<std::string>();
+		const std::string backend_settings_section = parOut.backend_name + "_settings";
+		if (settings[backend_settings_section]) {
+			auto settings_node = settings[backend_settings_section];
+			const std::string plugin_path = find_plugin_by_name(parOut.backend_name);
+			parOut.backend_plugin = dindb::BackendPlugin(plugin_path, &settings_node);
+			throw_if_plugin_failed(parOut.backend_plugin, plugin_path, parOut.backend_name);
 		}
-
-		return false;
 	}
 
 	namespace {
@@ -73,5 +70,29 @@ namespace dinlib {
 			assert(dindb::backend_name(path) == parName);
 			return path;
 		}
+
+		void throw_if_plugin_failed (const dindb::BackendPlugin& parPlugin, const std::string& parPluginPath, const std::string& parIntendedName) {
+			if (not parPlugin.is_loaded()) {
+				std::ostringstream oss;
+				oss << "Unable to load plugin \"" << parIntendedName <<
+					"\" found at path \"" << parPluginPath << '"';
+				throw std::runtime_error(oss.str());
+			}
+			if (parPlugin.name() != parIntendedName) {
+				std::ostringstream oss;
+				oss << "Plugin \"" << parIntendedName << "\" not found." <<
+					" Plugin at path \"" << parPluginPath << "\" reports \"" <<
+					parPlugin.name() << "\" as its name";
+				throw std::runtime_error(oss.str());
+			}
+			if (parPlugin.max_supported_interface_version() < parPlugin.backend_interface_version()) {
+				std::ostringstream oss;
+				oss << "Plugin \"" << parPlugin.name() << "\" at path \"" <<
+					parPluginPath << "\" uses interface version " << parPlugin.backend_interface_version() <<
+					" but the maximum supported interface version is " <<
+					parPlugin.max_supported_interface_version();
+				throw std::runtime_error(oss.str());
+			}
+		}
 	} //unnamed namespace
 } //namespace dinlib
diff --git a/src/delete/main.cpp b/src/delete/main.cpp
index 0c42fb2..1e458ab 100644
--- a/src/delete/main.cpp
+++ b/src/delete/main.cpp
@@ -61,16 +61,14 @@ int main (int parArgc, char* parArgv[]) {
 	}
 
 	dinlib::Settings settings;
-	{
-		const bool loaded = dinlib::load_settings(CONFIG_FILE_PATH, settings);
-		if (not loaded) {
-			std::cerr << "Can't load settings from " << CONFIG_FILE_PATH << ", quitting\n";
-			return 1;
-		}
+	try {
+		dinlib::load_settings(CONFIG_FILE_PATH, settings);
+	}
+	catch (const std::runtime_error& err) {
+		std::cerr << "Can't load settings from " << CONFIG_FILE_PATH << ":\n";
+		std::cerr << err.what() << '\n';
+		return 1;
 	}
-	//TODO: throw if plugin loading failed
-	assert(settings.backend_plugin.name() == settings.backend_name);
-	assert(settings.backend_plugin.is_loaded());
 
 	if (not vm.count("groupid")) {
 		std::cerr << "No IDs specified\n";
diff --git a/src/locate/main.cpp b/src/locate/main.cpp
index 34edb87..860a7a5 100644
--- a/src/locate/main.cpp
+++ b/src/locate/main.cpp
@@ -71,16 +71,14 @@ int main (int parArgc, char* parArgv[]) {
 	}
 
 	dinlib::Settings settings;
-	{
-		const bool loaded = dinlib::load_settings(CONFIG_FILE_PATH, settings);
-		if (not loaded) {
-			std::cerr << "Can't load settings from " << CONFIG_FILE_PATH << ", quitting\n";
-			return 1;
-		}
+	try {
+		dinlib::load_settings(CONFIG_FILE_PATH, settings);
+	}
+	catch (const std::runtime_error& err) {
+		std::cerr << "Can't load settings from " << CONFIG_FILE_PATH << ":\n";
+		std::cerr << err.what() << '\n';
+		return 1;
 	}
-	//TODO: throw if plugin loading failed
-	assert(settings.backend_plugin.name() == settings.backend_name);
-	assert(settings.backend_plugin.is_loaded());
 
 	auto& db = settings.backend_plugin.backend();
 	if (vm.count("set")) {
diff --git a/src/navigate/main.cpp b/src/navigate/main.cpp
index fdcb835..c0436d5 100644
--- a/src/navigate/main.cpp
+++ b/src/navigate/main.cpp
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 #include <ciso646>
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
-#include <cassert>
 #include <boost/range/algorithm/copy.hpp>
 
 namespace {
@@ -52,16 +51,14 @@ int main (int parArgc, char* parArgv[]) {
 	}
 
 	dinlib::Settings settings;
-	{
-		const bool loaded = dinlib::load_settings(CONFIG_FILE_PATH, settings);
-		if (not loaded) {
-			std::cerr << "Can't load settings from " << CONFIG_FILE_PATH << ", quitting\n";
-			return 1;
-		}
+	try {
+		dinlib::load_settings(CONFIG_FILE_PATH, settings);
+	}
+	catch (const std::runtime_error& err) {
+		std::cerr << "Can't load settings from " << CONFIG_FILE_PATH << ":\n";
+		std::cerr << err.what() << '\n';
+		return 1;
 	}
-	//TODO: throw if plugin loading failed
-	assert(settings.backend_plugin.name() == settings.backend_name);
-	assert(settings.backend_plugin.is_loaded());
 
 	do_navigation(settings.backend_plugin.backend());
 	return 0;
diff --git a/src/scan/main.cpp b/src/scan/main.cpp
index d739066..e500e02 100644
--- a/src/scan/main.cpp
+++ b/src/scan/main.cpp
@@ -73,16 +73,15 @@ int main (int parArgc, char* parArgv[]) {
 #endif
 
 	dinlib::Settings settings;
-	{
-		const bool loaded = dinlib::load_settings(CONFIG_FILE_PATH, settings);
-		if (not loaded) {
-			std::cerr << "Can't load settings from " << CONFIG_FILE_PATH << ", quitting\n";
-			return 1;
+	try {
+		if (din::parse_commandline(parArgc, parArgv, vm)) {
+			return 0;
 		}
 	}
-	//TODO: throw if plugin loading failed
-	assert(settings.backend_plugin.name() == settings.backend_name);
-	assert(settings.backend_plugin.is_loaded());
+	catch (const std::invalid_argument& err) {
+		std::cerr << err.what() << "\nUse --help for help" << std::endl;
+		return 2;
+	}
 
 	bool ignore_read_errors = (vm.count("ignore-errors") > 0);
 	const std::string search_path(vm["search-path"].as<std::string>());
diff --git a/src/tag/main.cpp b/src/tag/main.cpp
index 5195640..454bc43 100644
--- a/src/tag/main.cpp
+++ b/src/tag/main.cpp
@@ -147,15 +147,13 @@ int main (int parArgc, char* parArgv[]) {
 	assert(id_mode xor glob_mode);
 
 	dinlib::Settings settings;
-	{
-		const bool loaded = dinlib::load_settings(CONFIG_FILE_PATH, settings);
-		if (not loaded) {
-			std::cerr << "Can't load settings from " << CONFIG_FILE_PATH << ", quitting\n";
-			return 1;
-		}
-		//TODO: throw if plugin loading failed
-		assert(settings.backend_plugin.name() == settings.backend_name);
-		assert(settings.backend_plugin.is_loaded());
+	try {
+		dinlib::load_settings(CONFIG_FILE_PATH, settings);
+	}
+	catch (const std::runtime_error& err) {
+		std::cerr << "Can't load settings from " << CONFIG_FILE_PATH << ":\n";
+		std::cerr << err.what() << '\n';
+		return 1;
 	}
 
 	const auto master_tags_string = vm["tags"].as<std::string>();