diff --git a/phoned/config.y b/phoned/config.y
index ef39d55..699c847 100644
--- a/phoned/config.y
+++ b/phoned/config.y
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ void yyerror(str)
 {
 	lprintf(fatal, "parser: error: %s at line %d chr %d (near %s)\n", str,
 	 lincnt, chrcnt, yytext);
+	shutd();
 	exit(-1);
 }
 int yywrap(void)
diff --git a/phoned/init.c b/phoned/init.c
index 6474bb0..84baacf 100644
--- a/phoned/init.c
+++ b/phoned/init.c
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ void initialize(void)
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&cfmx);
 	if(init_modem(cf.modemdev) != 1) {
 		lprintf(warn, "warning: modem didn't initialise properly; see previous messages\n");
+		shutd();
+		exit(-1);
 	}
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&cfmx);
 }
diff --git a/phoned/modem.c b/phoned/modem.c
index f2564b0..0a1171a 100644
--- a/phoned/modem.c
+++ b/phoned/modem.c
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ void *modem_io(k)
 	/* struct timeval tv; 
 	short dotm = 0; */
 	char	cbuf[2];
-	if(k == 0) ;
+	if(k == 0) k = 0;
 	*cbuf = '\0'; cbuf[1] = '\0';
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&modemmx);
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&miomx);