diff --git a/alarm/alarm_email.go b/alarm/alarm_email.go
index 2a57b1b..65046e9 100644
--- a/alarm/alarm_email.go
+++ b/alarm/alarm_email.go
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ func (a *AlarmEmail) Parse(tk string) (bool, error) {
 				case "smtp":
 					a.state = TK_SMTP
 				default:
+					if len(a.To) < 1 {
+						return false, fmt.Errorf("email alarm requires to address")
+					}
 					return false, nil
 			}
 
@@ -56,6 +59,9 @@ func (a *AlarmEmail) Parse(tk string) (bool, error) {
 			a.state = TK_NONE
 
 		case TK_TO:
+			if strings.TrimSpace(tk) == "" {
+				return false, fmt.Errorf("to address cannot be empty")
+			}
 			a.To = append(a.To, tk)
 			a.state = TK_NONE
 
diff --git a/config/parser.go b/config/parser.go
index 80fb864..f935cc6 100644
--- a/config/parser.go
+++ b/config/parser.go
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ func (p *Parser) Split(data []byte, atEOF bool) (int, []byte, error) {
 
 	for i := 0; i < len(data); i++ {
 		c := data[i]
-		// fmt.Printf("%c (%t) (%t)\n", c, started, ignoreline)
+		//fmt.Printf("%c (%t) (%t)\n", c, started, ignoreline)
 		switch c {
 		case '\f', '\n', '\r':
 			p.Line++
@@ -292,10 +292,17 @@ func (p *Parser) Split(data []byte, atEOF bool) (int, []byte, error) {
 			}
 
 		case '\'', '"', '`':
-			if started && quote == c {
-				return i + 1, data[startidx:i], nil
+			// When the quote ends
+			if quote == c {
+				// if we've gotten data, return it
+				if started {
+					return i + 1, data[startidx:i], nil
+				}
+				// if we haven't return nothing
+				return i + 1, []byte{}, nil
 			}
 
+			// start a quoted string
 			if !ignoreline && quote == 0 {
 				quote = c
 			}
@@ -314,6 +321,10 @@ func (p *Parser) Split(data []byte, atEOF bool) (int, []byte, error) {
 	}
 
 	if atEOF {
+		if quote != 0 {
+			return 0, nil, fmt.Errorf("unterminated quote")
+		}
+
 		if ignoreline {
 			return len(data), nil, nil
 		}