diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index bf0e2fb..65cbe3a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@ promoting secure builds.
 ## Highlights
 
 - Uses the system command `gpg` to do all operations. *This enables
-  advanced features such as use of smartcards or cutting-edge
+  advanced features such as use of smartcards, key splitting, or cutting-edge
   ciphers.*
 
-- Hooks into the `publish` and `publishLocal` tasks. *All artrifacts
+- Hooks into the `publish` and `publishLocal` tasks. *All artifacts
   will be signed; there is no need to run a separate `publishSigned`
   task.*
 
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ promoting secure builds.
   `credentials` mechanism, thus enabling global configuration without
   the need of adding a global plugin.*
 
-- Works out-of-the-box. *Publishing falls back to unsigned artifacts
+- Works out-of-the-box. *`publishLocal` falls back to unsigned artifacts
   in case key material cannot be found, after emitting an explicit
-  warning.*
+  warning. `publish` will fail the build by default if signing fails to avoid accidentally publishing unsigned artifacts, though you can override this with a setting.*
   
 ## Requirements
 
@@ -40,13 +40,13 @@ promoting secure builds.
   functionality provided by this plugin)
 
 ## Getting started
-```scala
+```sbt
 addSbtPlugin("io.crashbox" % "sbt-gpg" % "<latest_tag>")
 ```
 Copy the above snippet to an sbt configuration file. E.g.
 
 - `project/plugins.sbt` to enable the plugin on a per-project basis
-- `~/.sbt/1.0/plugins/gpg.sbt` to enable the plugin globally
+- `~/.sbt/1.0/plugins/gpg.sbt` to enable the plugin globally (not recommended)
 
 That's it! The autoplugin "SbtGpg" will now be enabled for the given
 project(s). It will modify the `publish` and `publishLocal` tasks to
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ By default, all signing operations will use `gpg`'s default key. A
 specific key can be used by setting sbt `Credentials` for the host
 "gpg".
 
-```scala
+```sbt
 credentials += Credentials(
   "GnuPG Key ID",
   "gpg",
diff --git a/src/main/scala/Gpg.scala b/src/main/scala/Gpg.scala
index cde4dba..edd1935 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/Gpg.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/Gpg.scala
@@ -5,19 +5,22 @@ import java.io.File
 import scala.util.control.NonFatal
 import sys.process._
 
-class Gpg(
-    command: String,
-    options: Seq[String] = Seq.empty,
-    keyId: Option[String] = None)(log: String => Unit = System.err.println) {
+class Gpg(command: String,
+          options: Seq[String] = Seq.empty,
+          keyId: Option[String] = None)(
+    info: String => Unit = System.out.println,
+    warn: String => Unit = System.err.println) {
+
+  private val logger = ProcessLogger(info, info) // gpg uses stderr for everything; redirect to info
 
   def run(params: String*): Int =
     try {
       val idOption = keyId.toSeq.flatMap(id => Seq("--local-user", id))
-      val process = Process(command, options ++ idOption ++ params).run()
+      val process = Process(command, options ++ idOption ++ params).run(logger)
       process.exitValue()
     } catch {
       case NonFatal(ex) =>
-        log(ex.getMessage)
+        warn(ex.getMessage)
         127
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/scala/SbtGpg.scala b/src/main/scala/SbtGpg.scala
index 17eff8d..d3d82b9 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/SbtGpg.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/SbtGpg.scala
@@ -10,48 +10,79 @@ object SbtGpg extends AutoPlugin {
   override def trigger = allRequirements
 
   object autoImport {
+
+    val gpgWarnOnFailure = settingKey[Boolean](
+      "If true, only issue a warning when signing fails. If false, error " +
+        "and fail the build. Defaults to true in publishLocal, false in publish.")
+
     val gpgCommand = settingKey[String]("Path to GnuPG executable.")
+
     val gpgOptions =
       settingKey[Seq[String]]("Additional global options to pass to gpg.")
+
     val gpgKey = taskKey[Option[String]](
       "Key ID used to sign artifacts. Setting this to None will " +
         "cause sbt-gpg to fall back to using gpg's default key. When set, " +
         "it is equivalent to gpg's `--local-user` option.")
+
     val gpg =
       taskKey[Gpg]("Utility wrapper to the underlying gpg executable.")
   }
+
+  def packagedArtifactsImpl(
+      arts: Map[Artifact, File],
+      gpg: Gpg,
+      warnOnFailure: Boolean)(warn: String => Unit): Map[Artifact, File] = {
+
+    val (signatures, failure) = arts.foldLeft((Map[Artifact, File](), false)) {
+      case ((acc, false), (art, file)) =>
+        gpg.sign(file) match {
+          case Some(signed) =>
+            (acc + (art.withExtension(art.extension + ".asc") -> signed), false)
+
+          case None =>
+            val report: String => Unit =
+              if (warnOnFailure) warn else sys.error(_)
+
+            report("GPG reported an error. Artifacts won't be signed.")
+            (acc, true)
+        }
+
+      case (pair @ (_, true), _) => pair
+    }
+
+    // if we fail the signing part-way through, we throw out *all* the signatures
+    if (failure) arts else signatures ++ arts
+  }
+
   import autoImport._
 
   lazy val gpgSettings: Seq[Setting[_]] = Seq(
+    gpgWarnOnFailure := false,
+    publishLocal / gpgWarnOnFailure := true,
     gpgCommand := "gpg",
     gpgOptions := Seq("--yes"),
     gpgKey := Credentials.forHost(credentials.value, "gpg").map(_.userName),
     gpg := {
       val log = streams.value.log
-      new Gpg(gpgCommand.value, gpgOptions.value, gpgKey.value)(log.warn(_))
+      new Gpg(gpgCommand.value, gpgOptions.value, gpgKey.value)(log.info(_),
+                                                                log.warn(_))
     }
   )
 
   lazy val signingSettings: Seq[Setting[_]] = Seq(
-    packagedArtifacts := {
-      val log = streams.value.log
-      val arts: Map[Artifact, File] = packagedArtifacts.value
-      var failed = false
-      arts.flatMap {
-        case (art, file) if !failed =>
-          gpg.value.sign(file) match {
-            case Some(signed) =>
-              Map(
-                art -> file,
-                art.withExtension(art.extension + ".asc") -> signed
-              )
-            case None =>
-              log.warn("GPG reported an error. Artifacts won't be signed.")
-              failed = true
-              Map(art -> file)
-          }
-        case (art, file) => Map(art -> file)
-      }
+    publish / packagedArtifacts := {
+      packagedArtifactsImpl(
+        (publish / packagedArtifacts).value,
+        gpg.value,
+        (publish / gpgWarnOnFailure).value)(streams.value.log.warn(_))
+    },
+    publishLocal / packagedArtifacts := {
+      packagedArtifactsImpl(
+        (publishLocal / packagedArtifacts).value,
+        gpg.value,
+        (publishLocal / gpgWarnOnFailure).value)(streams.value.log.warn(_))
+
     }
   )
 
diff --git a/src/sbt-test/sbt-gpg/simple/build.sbt b/src/sbt-test/sbt-gpg/simple/build.sbt
index 1f5dce9..8901fd5 100644
--- a/src/sbt-test/sbt-gpg/simple/build.sbt
+++ b/src/sbt-test/sbt-gpg/simple/build.sbt
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ lazy val root = project
   .settings(
     TaskKey[Unit]("check") := {
       val artifacts: Map[Artifact, java.io.File] =
-        packagedArtifacts.value
+        (publish / packagedArtifacts).value
 
       // check that every artifact is signed and that the actual signature file
       // exists