diff --git a/terraform_compliance/common/exceptions.py b/terraform_compliance/common/exceptions.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..18e14396
--- /dev/null
+++ b/terraform_compliance/common/exceptions.py
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+
+
+class TerraformComplianceInvalidConfig(Exception):
+    pass
diff --git a/terraform_compliance/common/pyhcl_helper.py b/terraform_compliance/common/pyhcl_helper.py
index 08f4d4e2..6b52b6ba 100644
--- a/terraform_compliance/common/pyhcl_helper.py
+++ b/terraform_compliance/common/pyhcl_helper.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 from os.path import isdir
 from terraform_compliance import Validator
 from terraform_validate.terraform_validate import TerraformSyntaxException
+from terraform_compliance.common.exceptions import TerraformComplianceInvalidConfig
 from shutil import rmtree
 
 
@@ -16,14 +17,18 @@ def load_tf_files(tf_directory):
         try:
             Validator(tf_directory)
             print('All HCL files look good.')
-            result = True
+            return True
 
         except ValueError:
             print('Unable to validate Terraform Files.')
             print('ERROR: {}'.format(exc_info()[1]))
             exit(1)
+
         except TerraformSyntaxException:
-            pad_invalid_tf_files(exc_info()[1])
+            result = pad_invalid_tf_files(exc_info()[1]) is True
+
+        except TerraformComplianceInvalidConfig:
+            pass
 
     return result
 
@@ -35,10 +40,12 @@ def pad_invalid_tf_files(exception_message):
         print('Invalid HCL file: {}. Fixing it.'.format(filename))
         pad_tf_file(filename)
         return True
+    elif 'Invalid terraform configuration in ' in exception_message[0]:
+        raise TerraformComplianceInvalidConfig('ERROR: Invalid terraform configuration {}'.format(exception_message[1]))
 
     return False
 
 
 def pad_tf_file(file):
     with open(file, 'a') as f:
-        f.write('variable {}')
+        f.write('\n\nvariable {}')
diff --git a/terraform_compliance/main.py b/terraform_compliance/main.py
index 3df53423..c9008acb 100644
--- a/terraform_compliance/main.py
+++ b/terraform_compliance/main.py
@@ -1,20 +1,20 @@
 import os
 from argparse import ArgumentParser
+from sys import exc_info, exit, executable
 
 try:
     from radish.main import main as call_radish
 except ImportError as e:
     import subprocess
-    import sys
 
 
     def pip(action, package, params=None):
         print '{}ing {}..'.format(action, package)
 
         if action == 'uninstall':
-            cmds = [sys.executable, "-m", "pip", action, '--yes', package]
+            cmds = [executable, "-m", "pip", action, '--yes', package]
         else:
-            cmds = [sys.executable, "-m", "pip", action, package]
+            cmds = [executable, "-m", "pip", action, package]
 
         subprocess.call(cmds)
 
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ def pip(action, package, params=None):
     print "~"*40
     print " Please run terraform-compliance again."
     print "~"*40
-    sys.exit(1)
+    exit(1)
 
 from tempfile import mkdtemp
 from git import Repo
@@ -35,10 +35,11 @@ def pip(action, package, params=None):
 from distutils.dir_util import copy_tree
 from shutil import rmtree
 from terraform_compliance.common.readable_dir import ReadableDir
+from terraform_compliance.common.exceptions import TerraformComplianceInvalidConfig
 
 
 __app_name__ = "terraform-compliance"
-__version__ = "0.4.8"
+__version__ = "0.4.9"
 
 
 class ArgHandling(object):
@@ -100,7 +101,12 @@ def cli(arghandling=ArgHandling(), argparser=ArgumentParser(prog=__app_name__,
                 '--user-data=tf_dir={}'.format(tf_directory)]
     commands.extend(radish_arguments)
 
-    load_tf_files(tf_directory)
+    try:
+        load_tf_files(tf_directory)
+    except TerraformComplianceInvalidConfig:
+        print exc_info()[1]
+        exit(1)
+
     print('Running tests.')
     result = call_radish(args=commands[1:])
 
diff --git a/tests/terraform_compliance/common/test_pyhcl_helper.py b/tests/terraform_compliance/common/test_pyhcl_helper.py
index 5d2b934d..76df30d6 100644
--- a/tests/terraform_compliance/common/test_pyhcl_helper.py
+++ b/tests/terraform_compliance/common/test_pyhcl_helper.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ def test_pad_tf_file(self):
         pad_tf_file(tmpFile)
         contents = open(tmpFile, 'r').read()
         remove(tmpFile)
-        self.assertEqual(contents, 'variable {}')
+        self.assertEqual(contents, '\n\nvariable {}')
 
     @patch('terraform_compliance.common.pyhcl_helper.pad_tf_file', return_value=None)
     def test_pad_invalid_tf_files(self, *args):