diff --git a/cli-processor/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/cli/processor/AbstractExitStatus.java b/cli-processor/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/cli/processor/AbstractExitStatus.java
index 46d0fd85c..c099e2c69 100644
--- a/cli-processor/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/cli/processor/AbstractExitStatus.java
+++ b/cli-processor/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/cli/processor/AbstractExitStatus.java
@@ -106,10 +106,10 @@ public void generateMessage(boolean showStackTrace) {
 
       if (message != null && !message.isEmpty()) {
         logBuilder.log(message);
-      } else if (throwable != null && showStackTrace) {
+      } else if (showStackTrace && throwable != null) {
         // log the throwable
         logBuilder.log();
-      }
+      } // otherwise there is nothing to log
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/metaschema-cli/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/cli/commands/AbstractValidateContentCommand.java b/metaschema-cli/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/cli/commands/AbstractValidateContentCommand.java
index daca27a35..85dedaf36 100644
--- a/metaschema-cli/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/cli/commands/AbstractValidateContentCommand.java
+++ b/metaschema-cli/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/cli/commands/AbstractValidateContentCommand.java
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 import gov.nist.secauto.metaschema.cli.util.LoggingValidationHandler;
 import gov.nist.secauto.metaschema.core.configuration.DefaultConfiguration;
 import gov.nist.secauto.metaschema.core.configuration.IMutableConfiguration;
+import gov.nist.secauto.metaschema.core.metapath.MetapathException;
 import gov.nist.secauto.metaschema.core.model.IConstraintLoader;
 import gov.nist.secauto.metaschema.core.model.MetaschemaException;
 import gov.nist.secauto.metaschema.core.model.constraint.IConstraintSet;
@@ -191,7 +192,7 @@ public ExitStatus execute() {
           try {
             URI constraintUri = ObjectUtils.requireNonNull(UriUtils.toUri(arg, cwd));
             constraintSets.add(constraintLoader.load(constraintUri));
-          } catch (IOException | MetaschemaException | URISyntaxException ex) {
+          } catch (IOException | MetaschemaException | MetapathException | URISyntaxException ex) {
             return ExitCode.IO_ERROR.exitMessage("Unable to load constraint set '" + arg + "'.").withThrowable(ex);
           }
         }
@@ -271,6 +272,8 @@ public ExitStatus execute() {
         return ExitCode.IO_ERROR.exitMessage(String.format("Unknown host for '%s'.", source)).withThrowable(ex);
 
       } catch (IOException ex) {
+        return ExitCode.IO_ERROR.exit().withThrowable(ex);
+      } catch (MetapathException ex) {
         return ExitCode.PROCESSING_ERROR.exit().withThrowable(ex);
       }
 
@@ -285,7 +288,7 @@ public ExitStatus execute() {
           sarifHandler.addFindings(validationResult.getFindings());
           sarifHandler.write(sarifFile);
         } catch (IOException ex) {
-          return ExitCode.PROCESSING_ERROR.exit().withThrowable(ex);
+          return ExitCode.IO_ERROR.exit().withThrowable(ex);
         }
       } else if (!validationResult.isPassing()) {
         LOGGER.info("Validation identified the following issues:", source);