diff --git a/src/GF/Command/Importing.hs b/src/GF/Command/Importing.hs
index 73589533d..31c4983dc 100644
--- a/src/GF/Command/Importing.hs
+++ b/src/GF/Command/Importing.hs
@@ -6,15 +6,22 @@ import GF.GFCC.API
 
 import GF.Devel.UseIO
 import GF.Infra.Option
+import GF.Data.ErrM
 
 import Data.List (nubBy)
 
 -- import a grammar in an environment where it extends an existing grammar
 importGrammar :: MultiGrammar -> Options -> [FilePath] -> IO MultiGrammar
-importGrammar mgr0 opts files = do
-  gfcc2 <- case fileSuffix (last files) of
-    s | elem s ["gf","gfo"] -> compileToGFCC opts files
-    "gfcc" -> 
-      mapM file2gfcc files >>= return . foldl1 unionGFCC
-  let gfcc3 = unionGFCC (gfcc mgr0) gfcc2
-  return $ MultiGrammar gfcc3
\ No newline at end of file
+importGrammar mgr0 opts files =
+  case fileSuffix (last files) of
+    s | elem s ["gf","gfo"] -> do
+      res <- appIOE $ compileToGFCC opts files
+      case res of
+        Ok gfcc2 -> do let gfcc3 = unionGFCC (gfcc mgr0) gfcc2
+                       return $ MultiGrammar gfcc3
+        Bad msg  -> do print msg
+                       return mgr0
+    "gfcc" -> do
+      gfcc2 <- mapM file2gfcc files >>= return . foldl1 unionGFCC
+      let gfcc3 = unionGFCC (gfcc mgr0) gfcc2
+      return $ MultiGrammar gfcc3
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/GF/Compile/API.hs b/src/GF/Compile/API.hs
index b9726bc23..06baa1d47 100644
--- a/src/GF/Compile/API.hs
+++ b/src/GF/Compile/API.hs
@@ -9,12 +9,12 @@ import GF.Infra.Option
 import GF.Devel.UseIO
 
 -- | Compiles a number of source files and builds a 'GFCC' structure for them.
-compileToGFCC :: Options -> [FilePath] -> IO GFCC
+compileToGFCC :: Options -> [FilePath] -> IOE GFCC
 compileToGFCC opts fs = 
     do gr <- batchCompile opts fs
        let name = justModuleName (last fs)
        let (abs,gc0) = mkCanon2gfcc opts name gr
-       gc1 <- checkGFCCio gc0
+       gc1 <- ioeIO $ checkGFCCio gc0
        let opt = if oElem (iOpt "noopt") opts then id else optGFCC
            par = if oElem (iOpt "noparse") opts then id else addParsers
        return (par (opt gc1))
diff --git a/src/GF/Devel/Compile.hs b/src/GF/Devel/Compile.hs
index 1b6f2710e..149e49c5d 100644
--- a/src/GF/Devel/Compile.hs
+++ b/src/GF/Devel/Compile.hs
@@ -30,13 +30,12 @@ import GF.Devel.Arch
 import Control.Monad
 import System.Directory
 
-batchCompile :: Options -> [FilePath] -> IO SourceGrammar
+batchCompile :: Options -> [FilePath] -> IOE SourceGrammar
 batchCompile opts files = do
-  let defOpts = addOptions opts (options [emitCode])
-  egr <- appIOE $ foldM (compileModule defOpts) emptyCompileEnv files 
-  case egr of
-    Ok (_,gr) -> return gr
-    Bad s -> error s
+  (_,gr) <- foldM (compileModule defOpts) emptyCompileEnv files
+  return gr
+  where
+    defOpts = addOptions opts (options [emitCode])
 
 -- to output an intermediate stage
 intermOut :: Options -> Option -> String -> IOE ()
@@ -83,10 +82,7 @@ compileModule opts1 env file = do
   ioeIOIf $ putStrLn $ "modules to include:" +++ show names ----
   let sgr2 = MGrammar [m | m@(i,_) <- modules sgr, 
                            notElem (prt i) $ map fileBody names]
-  let env0 = (0,sgr2)
-  (e,mm) <- foldIOE (compileOne opts) env0 files
-  maybe (return ()) putStrLnE mm
-  return e
+  foldM (compileOne opts) (0,sgr2) files
 
 
 compileOne :: Options -> CompileEnv -> FullPath -> IOE CompileEnv
diff --git a/src/GF/Devel/GFC.hs b/src/GF/Devel/GFC.hs
index cbbad22ae..87af00b8b 100644
--- a/src/GF/Devel/GFC.hs
+++ b/src/GF/Devel/GFC.hs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ mainGFC xx = do
   case opts of
     _ | oElem (iOpt "help") opts -> putStrLn usageMsg
     _ | oElem (iOpt "-make") opts -> do
-      gfcc <- compileToGFCC opts fs
+      gfcc <- appIOE (compileToGFCC opts fs) >>= err fail return
       let gfccFile = targetNameGFCC opts (absname gfcc)
       outputFile gfccFile (printGFCC gfcc)
       mapM_ (alsoPrint opts gfcc) printOptions
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ mainGFC xx = do
       mapM_ (alsoPrint opts gfcc) printOptions
       
     _ -> do
-      mapM_ (batchCompile opts) (map return fs)
+      appIOE (mapM_ (batchCompile opts) (map return fs)) >>= err fail return
       putStrLn "Done."
 
 targetName :: Options -> CId -> String