diff --git a/src/musredit/PAdmin.cpp b/src/musredit/PAdmin.cpp
index 3db17322..95fe9992 100644
--- a/src/musredit/PAdmin.cpp
+++ b/src/musredit/PAdmin.cpp
@@ -416,6 +416,66 @@ bool PAdminXMLParser::endDocument()
   return true;
 }
 
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+/**
+ * <p>
+ *
+ * \param exception
+ */
+bool PAdminXMLParser::warning( const QXmlParseException & exception )
+{
+  QString msg;
+
+  msg  = QString("**WARNING** while parsing musredit_startup.xml in line no %1\n").arg(exception.lineNumber());
+  msg += QString("**WARNING MESSAGE** ") + exception.message();
+
+  qWarning() << endl << msg << endl;
+
+  QMessageBox::warning(0, "WARNING", msg, QMessageBox::Ok, QMessageBox::NoButton);
+
+  return true;
+}
+
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+/**
+ * <p>
+ *
+ * \param exception
+ */
+bool PAdminXMLParser::error( const QXmlParseException & exception )
+{
+  QString msg;
+
+  msg  = QString("**ERROR** while parsing musredit_startup.xml in line no %1\n").arg(exception.lineNumber());
+  msg += QString("**ERROR MESSAGE** ") + exception.message();
+
+  qWarning() << endl << msg << endl;
+
+  QMessageBox::critical(0, "ERROR", msg, QMessageBox::Ok, QMessageBox::NoButton);
+
+  return true;
+}
+
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+/**
+ * <p>
+ *
+ * \param exception
+ */
+bool PAdminXMLParser::fatalError( const QXmlParseException & exception )
+{
+  QString msg;
+
+  msg  = QString("**FATAL ERROR** while parsing musredit_startup.xml in line no %1\n").arg(exception.lineNumber());
+  msg += QString("**FATAL ERROR MESSAGE** ") + exception.message();
+
+  qWarning() << endl << msg << endl;
+
+  QMessageBox::critical(0, "FATAL ERROR", msg, QMessageBox::Ok, QMessageBox::NoButton);
+
+  return true;
+}
+
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 /**
  * <p>Expands system variables to full path, e.g. <tt>$HOME -> \home\user</tt>
@@ -510,7 +570,12 @@ PAdmin::PAdmin()
     QXmlInputSource source( &xmlFile );
     QXmlSimpleReader reader;
     reader.setContentHandler( &handler );
-    reader.parse( source );
+    reader.setErrorHandler( &handler );
+    if (!reader.parse( source )) {
+      QMessageBox::critical(0, "ERROR",
+                            "Error parsing musredit_startup.xml settings file.\nProbably a few things will not work porperly.\nPlease fix this first.",
+                            QMessageBox::Ok, QMessageBox::NoButton);
+    }
   } else {
     QMessageBox::critical(0, "ERROR",
                           "Couldn't find the musredit_startup.xml settings file.\nProbably a few things will not work porperly.\nPlease fix this first.",
diff --git a/src/musredit/PAdmin.h b/src/musredit/PAdmin.h
index d2d037d2..47c91626 100644
--- a/src/musredit/PAdmin.h
+++ b/src/musredit/PAdmin.h
@@ -86,6 +86,10 @@ class PAdminXMLParser : public QXmlDefaultHandler
     bool characters(const QString&);
     bool endDocument();
 
+    bool warning( const QXmlParseException & exception );
+    bool error( const QXmlParseException & exception );
+    bool fatalError( const QXmlParseException & exception );
+
     QString expandPath(const QString&);
 
     EAdminKeyWords fKeyWord;    ///< key word tag to know how to handle the content
diff --git a/src/musredit/musredit_startup.xml b/src/musredit/musredit_startup.xml
index 49c5ad9d..0c05a8ff 100644
--- a/src/musredit/musredit_startup.xml
+++ b/src/musredit/musredit_startup.xml
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
     <create_msr_file_only>n</create_msr_file_only>
     <fit_only>n</fit_only>
     <global>n</global>
-  </msr2data_default>
+  </msr2data_defaults>
   <func_pixmap_path>$HOME/analysis/musrfit/src/musredit/latex_images</func_pixmap_path>
   <theory_functions>
     <func>
@@ -198,4 +198,3 @@
     </func> 
   </theory_functions>
 </musredit_startup>
-