diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 2ef0b49..5a6b3bc 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ var (
 )
 
 // Execute is the main entrypoint for this application
-func Execute() {
+func Execute() error {
 	cobra.OnInitialize(initConfig)
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
@@ -52,12 +52,12 @@ func Execute() {
 
 			if err := cfg.Validate(); err != nil {
 				cfg.Logger.Error(err, "invalid configuration")
-				return nil
+				return err
 			}
 
 			if err := cfg.ParseModules(); err != nil {
 				cfg.Logger.Error(err, "invalid module configuration")
-				return nil
+				return err
 			}
 
 			return builder.GenerateAndCompile(cfg)
@@ -83,11 +83,15 @@ func Execute() {
 	// tie Viper to flags
 	if err := viper.BindPFlags(cmd.Flags()); err != nil {
 		cfg.Logger.Error(err, "failed to bind flags")
+		return err
 	}
 
 	if err := cmd.Execute(); err != nil {
 		cfg.Logger.Error(err, "failed to run")
+		return err
 	}
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 func initConfig() {
@@ -113,6 +117,7 @@ func initConfig() {
 	// convert Viper's internal state into our configuration object
 	if err := viper.Unmarshal(&cfg); err != nil {
 		cfg.Logger.Error(err, "failed to parse the config")
+		cobra.CheckErr(err)
 		return
 	}
 }
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 88564c6..3f9b8c4 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ go 1.14
 require (
 	github.com/go-logr/logr v0.2.1
 	github.com/go-logr/zapr v0.2.0
-	github.com/spf13/cobra v1.0.0
+	github.com/spf13/cobra v1.1.3
 	github.com/spf13/viper v1.7.1
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.6.1
 	go.uber.org/zap v1.10.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 32e9164..8d57556 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -280,11 +280,16 @@ github.com/spf13/cast v1.3.0 h1:oget//CVOEoFewqQxwr0Ej5yjygnqGkvggSE/gB35Q8=
 github.com/spf13/cast v1.3.0/go.mod h1:Qx5cxh0v+4UWYiBimWS+eyWzqEqokIECu5etghLkUJE=
 github.com/spf13/cobra v1.0.0 h1:6m/oheQuQ13N9ks4hubMG6BnvwOeaJrqSPLahSnczz8=
 github.com/spf13/cobra v1.0.0/go.mod h1:/6GTrnGXV9HjY+aR4k0oJ5tcvakLuG6EuKReYlHNrgE=
+github.com/spf13/cobra v1.1.3 h1:xghbfqPkxzxP3C/f3n5DdpAbdKLj4ZE4BWQI362l53M=
+github.com/spf13/cobra v1.1.3/go.mod h1:pGADOWyqRD/YMrPZigI/zbliZ2wVD/23d+is3pSWzOo=
 github.com/spf13/jwalterweatherman v1.0.0 h1:XHEdyB+EcvlqZamSM4ZOMGlc93t6AcsBEu9Gc1vn7yk=
 github.com/spf13/jwalterweatherman v1.0.0/go.mod h1:cQK4TGJAtQXfYWX+Ddv3mKDzgVb68N+wFjFa4jdeBTo=
 github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.3 h1:zPAT6CGy6wXeQ7NtTnaTerfKOsV6V6F8agHXFiazDkg=
 github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.3/go.mod h1:DYY7MBk1bdzusC3SYhjObp+wFpr4gzcvqqNjLnInEg4=
+github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5 h1:iy+VFUOCP1a+8yFto/drg2CJ5u0yRoB7fZw3DKv/JXA=
+github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5/go.mod h1:McXfInJRrz4CZXVZOBLb0bTZqETkiAhM9Iw0y3An2Bg=
 github.com/spf13/viper v1.4.0/go.mod h1:PTJ7Z/lr49W6bUbkmS1V3by4uWynFiR9p7+dSq/yZzE=
+github.com/spf13/viper v1.7.0/go.mod h1:8WkrPz2fc9jxqZNCJI/76HCieCp4Q8HaLFoCha5qpdg=
 github.com/spf13/viper v1.7.1 h1:pM5oEahlgWv/WnHXpgbKz7iLIxRf65tye2Ci+XFK5sk=
 github.com/spf13/viper v1.7.1/go.mod h1:8WkrPz2fc9jxqZNCJI/76HCieCp4Q8HaLFoCha5qpdg=
 github.com/stretchr/objx v0.1.0/go.mod h1:HFkY916IF+rwdDfMAkV7OtwuqBVzrE8GR6GFx+wExME=
@@ -455,6 +460,8 @@ gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.2.1/go.mod h1:hI93XBmqTisBFMUTm0b8Fm+jr3Dg1NNxqwp+5A1VGuI=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.2.2/go.mod h1:hI93XBmqTisBFMUTm0b8Fm+jr3Dg1NNxqwp+5A1VGuI=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.2.4 h1:/eiJrUcujPVeJ3xlSWaiNi3uSVmDGBK1pDHUHAnao1I=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.2.4/go.mod h1:hI93XBmqTisBFMUTm0b8Fm+jr3Dg1NNxqwp+5A1VGuI=
+gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.4.0 h1:D8xgwECY7CYvx+Y2n4sBz93Jn9JRvxdiyyo8CTfuKaY=
+gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.4.0/go.mod h1:RDklbk79AGWmwhnvt/jBztapEOGDOx6ZbXqjP6csGnQ=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20200313102051-9f266ea9e77c h1:dUUwHk2QECo/6vqA44rthZ8ie2QXMNeKRTHCNY2nXvo=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20200313102051-9f266ea9e77c/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=
 honnef.co/go/tools v0.0.0-20190102054323-c2f93a96b099/go.mod h1:rf3lG4BRIbNafJWhAfAdb/ePZxsR/4RtNHQocxwk9r4=
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 2399c22..0ef002a 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -15,9 +15,15 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+
 	"github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-builder/cmd"
 )
 
 func main() {
-	cmd.Execute()
+	if err := cmd.Execute(); err != nil {
+		fmt.Println(err.Error())
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
 }