diff --git a/Program.cs b/Program.cs
index 88a7f69..5883c8e 100644
--- a/Program.cs
+++ b/Program.cs
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ namespace directors_assistant
                         justArgs.AddRange(ec.args);
                         var commandPath = cmdAndArgs[0];
                         var commandArguments = String.Join(' ', justArgs);
-                        if (ec.timeout > TimeSpan.Zero)
+                        if (ec.timeout != null && ec.timeout > TimeSpan.Zero)
                         {
                             executeTimed(cmd.name, commandPath, commandArguments, ec.timeout);
                         }
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ namespace directors_assistant
             process.Start();
             process.BeginErrorReadLine();
             process.BeginOutputReadLine();
-            if (timeout > TimeSpan.Zero)
+            if (timeout != null && timeout > TimeSpan.Zero)
             {
                 Task.WaitAny(
                     Task.Run(() =>
@@ -145,19 +145,32 @@ namespace directors_assistant
                 });
             });
 
-            stopwatch.Start();
-            process.Start();
-            process.BeginErrorReadLine();
-            process.BeginOutputReadLine();
-            process.WaitForExit();
-            stopwatch.Stop();
-            Console.WriteLine($"{commandName} returned {process.ExitCode} after {stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds}ms");
-            telefranz.ProduceMessage(new silver_messages.directorial.command_completed()
+            try
             {
-                command = commandName,
-                runtimeMilliseconds = stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds,
-                exit_code = process.ExitCode
-            });
+                stopwatch.Start();
+                process.Start();
+                process.BeginErrorReadLine();
+                process.BeginOutputReadLine();
+                process.WaitForExit();
+                stopwatch.Stop();
+                Console.WriteLine($"{commandName} returned {process.ExitCode} after {stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds}ms");
+                telefranz.ProduceMessage(new silver_messages.directorial.command_completed()
+                {
+                    command = commandName,
+                    runtimeMilliseconds = stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds,
+                    exit_code = process.ExitCode
+                });
+            }
+            catch(Exception e)
+            {
+                Console.Error.WriteLine($"{commandName} FATAL: {JsonConvert.SerializeObject(e)}");
+                telefranz.ProduceMessage(new silver_messages.directorial.command_error()
+                {
+                    stderr = e.Message,
+                    command = commandName,
+                    runtime = (uint)stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds
+                });
+            }
         }
 
         private static Process readableProcess(string commandPath, string commandArguments)