diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6a568359..bd2d5784 100755
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -52,10 +52,10 @@ REQUIREMENTS
 - GStreamer and its python bindings, for encoding
   - gstreamer0.10-base-plugins >= 0.10.22 for appsink
   - gstreamer0.10-good-plugins for wav encoding (it depends on the Linux distro used)
-- python musicbrainz2, for metadata lookup
+- python musicbrainzngs, for metadata lookup
 - python-setuptools, for plugin support
 - python-cddb, for showing but not using disc info if not in MusicBrainz
-- pycdio, for drive identification (optional)
+- pycdio, for drive identification (it can be overridden placing a blank file named `PYCDIO_IGNORE` into whipper's config path)
   - Required for drive offset and caching behavior to be stored in the config file
 
 Additionally, if you're building from a git checkout:
diff --git a/morituri/rip/cd.py b/morituri/rip/cd.py
index b75894cf..0906a351 100644
--- a/morituri/rip/cd.py
+++ b/morituri/rip/cd.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 gobject.threads_init()
 
 from morituri.common import logcommand, common, accurip, gstreamer
-from morituri.common import drive, program, task
+from morituri.common import drive, program, task, directory
 from morituri.result import result
 from morituri.program import cdrdao, cdparanoia
 from morituri.rip import common as rcommon
@@ -168,11 +168,20 @@ def do(self, args):
                 self.program.result.release = \
                 cdio.Device(self.device).get_hwinfo()
         except ImportError:
-            self.stdout.write(
-                'WARNING: pycdio not installed, cannot identify drive\n')
-            self.program.result.vendor = 'Unknown'
-            self.program.result.model = 'Unknown'
-            self.program.result.release = 'Unknown'
+            d = directory.Directory()
+            path = os.path.dirname(d.getConfig())
+            fullPath = os.path.join(path, 'PYCDIO_IGNORE')
+            if os.path.isfile(fullPath):
+                self.stdout.write(
+                    'WARNING: pycdio not installed, cannot identify drive '
+                    '(hard dependency overridden)\n')
+                self.program.result.vendor = 'Unknown'
+                self.program.result.model = 'Unknown'
+                self.program.result.release = 'Unknown'
+            else:
+                raise ImportError("Pycdio module import failed.\n"
+                                  "This is a hard dependency: if not "
+                                  "available please install it")
 
         self.doCommand()
 
@@ -273,11 +282,13 @@ def handleOptions(self, options):
                     pass
 
         if options.offset is None:
-            options.offset = 0
-            self.stdout.write("""WARNING: using default offset %d.
-Install pycdio and run 'rip offset find' to detect your drive's offset.
-""" %
-                        options.offset)
+            raise ValueError("Drive offset is unconfigured.\n"
+                             "Please install pycdio and run 'rip offset "
+                             "find' to detect your drive's offset or set it "
+                             "manually in the configuration file. It can "
+                             "also be specified at runtime using the "
+                             "'--offset=value' argument")
+
         if self.options.output_directory is None:
             self.options.output_directory = os.getcwd()
         else: