diff --git a/lib/configParser.js b/lib/configParser.js
index fe8ab2f43..8ff2ed1a1 100644
--- a/lib/configParser.js
+++ b/lib/configParser.js
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ ConfigParser.resolveFilePatterns =
     for (var i = 0; i < patterns.length; ++i) {
       var matches = glob.sync(patterns[i], {cwd: cwd});
       if (!matches.length && !opt_omitWarnings) {
-        log.puts('Warning: pattern ' + patterns[i] + ' did not match any files.');
+        log.warn('pattern ' + patterns[i] + ' did not match any files.');
       }
       for (var j = 0; j < matches.length; ++j) {
         resolvedFiles.push(path.resolve(cwd, matches[j]));
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ ConfigParser.prototype.addConfig_ = function(additionalConfig, relativeTo) {
 
   // chromeOnly is deprecated, use directConnect instead.
   if (additionalConfig.chromeOnly) {
-    log.puts('Warning: chromeOnly is deprecated. Use directConnect');
+    log.warn('chromeOnly is deprecated. Use directConnect');
     additionalConfig.directConnect = true;
   }
   merge_(this.config_, additionalConfig);
@@ -177,13 +177,22 @@ ConfigParser.prototype.addConfig_ = function(additionalConfig, relativeTo) {
  * @param {String} filename
  */
 ConfigParser.prototype.addFileConfig = function(filename) {
-  if (!filename) {
-    return this;
+  try {
+    if (!filename) {
+      return this;
+    }
+    var filePath = path.resolve(process.cwd(), filename);
+    var fileConfig = require(filePath).config;
+    if (!fileConfig) {
+      log.error('configuration file ' + filename + ' did not export a config ' +
+          'object');
+    }
+    fileConfig.configDir = path.dirname(filePath);
+    this.addConfig_(fileConfig, fileConfig.configDir);
+  } catch (e) {
+    log.error('failed loading configuration file ' + filename);
+    throw e;
   }
-  var filePath = path.resolve(process.cwd(), filename);
-  var fileConfig = require(filePath).config;
-  fileConfig.configDir = path.dirname(filePath);
-  this.addConfig_(fileConfig, fileConfig.configDir);
   return this;
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/launcher.js b/lib/launcher.js
index eea55c59c..cd989998d 100644
--- a/lib/launcher.js
+++ b/lib/launcher.js
@@ -111,6 +111,9 @@ var init = function(configFile, additionalConfig) {
   }
   var config = configParser.getConfig();
   log.set(config);
+  log.debug('Running with --troubleshoot');
+  log.debug('Protractor version: ' + require('../package.json').version);
+  log.debug('Your base url for tests is ' + config.baseUrl);
   var scheduler = new TaskScheduler(config);
 
   process.on('exit', function(code) {
diff --git a/lib/logger.js b/lib/logger.js
index ee2cb8e59..9bfca1869 100644
--- a/lib/logger.js
+++ b/lib/logger.js
@@ -23,11 +23,21 @@ var puts = function() {
 
 var debug = function(msg) {
   if (troubleshoot) {
-    puts(msg);
+    puts('DEBUG - ' + msg);
   }
 };
 
+var warn = function(msg) {
+  puts('WARNING - ' + msg);
+}
+
+var error = function(msg) {
+  puts('ERROR - ' + msg);
+}
+
 exports.set = set;
 exports.print = print;
 exports.puts = puts;
 exports.debug = debug;
+exports.warn = warn;
+exports.error = error;
diff --git a/lib/protractor.js b/lib/protractor.js
index 1ec6eb436..67a70594f 100644
--- a/lib/protractor.js
+++ b/lib/protractor.js
@@ -703,9 +703,9 @@ var buildElementHelper = function(ptor) {
                   elementArrayFinder.locator_.toString());
         } else {
           if (webElements.length > 1) {
-            log.puts('warning: more than one element found for locator ' +
+            log.warn('more than one element found for locator ' +
                 elementArrayFinder.locator_.toString() +
-                ' - you may need to be more specific');
+                ' - the first result will be used');
           }
           return [webElements[0]];
         }
diff --git a/lib/runner.js b/lib/runner.js
index 6329d6354..4f075ea38 100644
--- a/lib/runner.js
+++ b/lib/runner.js
@@ -258,6 +258,13 @@ Runner.prototype.run = function() {
   }).then(function() {
     var browser = self.createBrowser();
     self.setupGlobals_(browser);
+    return browser.getSession().then(function(session) {
+      log.debug('WebDriver session successfully started with capabilities ' +
+          util.inspect(session.getCapabilities()));
+    }, function(err) {
+      log.error('Unable to start a WebDriver session.');
+      throw err;
+    });
   // 3) Setup plugins
   }).then(function() {
     plugins = new Plugins(self.config_);
diff --git a/lib/taskScheduler.js b/lib/taskScheduler.js
index c80590f4c..1bc02ed9c 100644
--- a/lib/taskScheduler.js
+++ b/lib/taskScheduler.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /**
- * The taskScheduler keeps track of the specs that needs to run next
+ * The taskScheduler keeps track of the spec files that needs to run next
  * and which task is running what.
  */
 'use strict';
@@ -34,8 +34,9 @@ var TaskScheduler = function(config) {
 
   if (config.capabilities) {
       if (config.multiCapabilities.length) {
-          log.puts('Running using config.multiCapabilities - ' +
-            'config.capabilities will be ignored');
+          log.warn('You have specified both capabilites and ' +
+              'multiCapabilities. This will result in capabilities being ' +
+              'ignored');
       } else {
           // Use capabilities if multiCapabilities is empty.
           config.multiCapabilities = [config.capabilities];