diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/org/domaindrivenarchitecture/provs/syspec/domain/SyspecService.kt b/src/main/kotlin/org/domaindrivenarchitecture/provs/syspec/domain/SyspecService.kt
index dd9ef83..f394dae 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/org/domaindrivenarchitecture/provs/syspec/domain/SyspecService.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/org/domaindrivenarchitecture/provs/syspec/domain/SyspecService.kt
@@ -9,24 +9,16 @@ import org.domaindrivenarchitecture.provs.syspec.infrastructure.verifySpecConfig
 
 
 fun Prov.verifySpec(configFile: ConfigFileName? = null) = task {
-    val spec = findSpecConfigFromFile(configFile)
-
-    if (spec == null) {
-        ProvResult(false, "Could not read file: ${configFile?.fileName}")
-    } else {
-        verifySpecConfig(spec)
-    }
+    val result = findSpecConfigFromFile(configFile)
+    val spec = result.getOrElse { return@task ProvResult(false, "Could not read file: ${configFile?.fileName} due to: ${result.exceptionOrNull()?.message}") }
+    verifySpecConfig(spec)
 }
 
 
 @Suppress("unused")   // Api
 fun Prov.verifySpecFromResource(resourceName: String) = task {
-    val spec = findSpecConfigFromResource(resourceName)
-
-    if (spec == null) {
-        ProvResult(false, "Could not read resource: ${resourceName}")
-    } else {
-        verifySpecConfig(spec)
-    }
+    val result = findSpecConfigFromResource(resourceName)
+    val spec = result.getOrElse { return@task ProvResult(false, "Could not read resource: $resourceName due to: ${result.exceptionOrNull()?.message}") }
+    verifySpecConfig(spec)
 }
 
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/org/domaindrivenarchitecture/provs/syspec/infrastructure/SyspecConfigRepo.kt b/src/main/kotlin/org/domaindrivenarchitecture/provs/syspec/infrastructure/SyspecConfigRepo.kt
index 9168544..715f1bf 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/org/domaindrivenarchitecture/provs/syspec/infrastructure/SyspecConfigRepo.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/org/domaindrivenarchitecture/provs/syspec/infrastructure/SyspecConfigRepo.kt
@@ -8,10 +8,33 @@ import org.domaindrivenarchitecture.provs.syspec.domain.CommandSpec
 import org.domaindrivenarchitecture.provs.syspec.domain.SpecConfig
 import java.io.File
 import java.io.FileWriter
-import java.io.IOException
 
 private const val DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE = "syspec-config.yaml"
 
+// ---------------------------------  read  ----------------------------------
+internal fun getSpecConfigFromFile(file: ConfigFileName? = null): SpecConfig {
+    val filename = file?.fileName ?: DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE
+
+    if ((filename.substringAfterLast("/") == DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE) && !File(filename).exists()) {
+        // provide default config
+        writeSpecConfigToFile(filename, SpecConfig(listOf(CommandSpec("echo just_for_demo", "just_for_demo"))))
+    }
+    return readFromFile(filename).yamlToType()
+}
+
+internal fun findSpecConfigFromFile(file: ConfigFileName? = null): Result<SpecConfig> = runCatching { getSpecConfigFromFile(file) }
+
+
+internal fun getSpecConfigFromResource(resourcePath: String): SpecConfig {
+    val resource = Thread.currentThread().contextClassLoader.getResource(resourcePath)
+    requireNotNull(resource) { "Resource $resourcePath not found" }
+    return resource.readText().yamlToType()
+}
+
+internal fun findSpecConfigFromResource(resourcePath: String): Result<SpecConfig> = runCatching { getSpecConfigFromResource(resourcePath) }
+
+
+// ---------------------------------   write  ----------------------------------
 internal fun writeSpecConfigToFile(
     fileName: String = DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE,
     config: SpecConfig
@@ -25,39 +48,3 @@ internal fun writeSpecConfigToFile(
         )
     }
 }
-
-internal fun getSpecConfigFromFile(file: ConfigFileName? = null): SpecConfig {
-    val filename = file?.fileName ?: DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE
-
-    if ((filename.substringAfterLast("/") == DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE) && !File(filename).exists()) {
-        // provide default config
-        writeSpecConfigToFile(filename, SpecConfig(listOf(CommandSpec("echo just_for_demo", "just_for_demo"))))
-    }
-    return readFromFile(filename).yamlToType()
-}
-
-internal fun findSpecConfigFromFile(file: ConfigFileName? = null): SpecConfig? {
-    return try {
-        val config = getSpecConfigFromFile(file)
-        config
-    } catch (e: IOException) {
-        println("Error: " + e.message)
-        null
-    }
-}
-
-internal fun getSpecConfigFromResource(resourcePath: String): SpecConfig {
-    val resource = Thread.currentThread().contextClassLoader.getResource(resourcePath)
-    requireNotNull(resource) { "Resource $resourcePath not found" }
-    return resource.readText().yamlToType()
-}
-
-internal fun findSpecConfigFromResource(resourcePath: String): SpecConfig? {
-    return try {
-        val config = getSpecConfigFromResource(resourcePath)
-        config
-    } catch (e: IllegalArgumentException) {
-        println("Error: " + e.message)
-        null
-    }
-}
diff --git a/src/test/kotlin/org/domaindrivenarchitecture/provs/syspec/infrastructure/SyspecConfigRepoKtTest.kt b/src/test/kotlin/org/domaindrivenarchitecture/provs/syspec/infrastructure/SyspecConfigRepoKtTest.kt
index d4f6755..097df7a 100644
--- a/src/test/kotlin/org/domaindrivenarchitecture/provs/syspec/infrastructure/SyspecConfigRepoKtTest.kt
+++ b/src/test/kotlin/org/domaindrivenarchitecture/provs/syspec/infrastructure/SyspecConfigRepoKtTest.kt
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ internal class SyspecConfigRepoKtTest {
         val res = findSpecConfigFromFile(ConfigFileName(filePath))
 
         // then
-        assertEquals(listOf(CommandSpec("echo just_for_test", "just_for_test")), res?.command)
+        assertEquals(listOf(CommandSpec("echo just_for_test", "just_for_test")), res.getOrNull()?.command)
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ internal class SyspecConfigRepoKtTest {
         val res =findSpecConfigFromResource("syspec-config.yaml")
 
         // then
-        assertEquals(listOf(CommandSpec("echo just_for_test", "just_for_test")), res?.command)
+        assertEquals(listOf(CommandSpec("echo just_for_test", "just_for_test")), res.getOrNull()?.command)
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ internal class SyspecConfigRepoKtTest {
         val res = findSpecConfigFromFile(ConfigFileName("dontexist"))
 
         // then
-        assertNull(res)
+        assertNull(res.getOrNull())
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -62,6 +62,6 @@ internal class SyspecConfigRepoKtTest {
         val res = findSpecConfigFromResource("dontexist")
 
         // then
-        assertNull(res)
+        assertNull(res.getOrNull())
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file