diff --git a/dvc/git_wrapper.py b/dvc/git_wrapper.py
index abb077ef8..2e307159e 100644
--- a/dvc/git_wrapper.py
+++ b/dvc/git_wrapper.py
@@ -103,7 +103,16 @@ class GitWrapper(GitWrapperI):
     def __init__(self):
         super(GitWrapper, self).__init__()
 
+    def is_inside_work_tree(self):
+        code, out, err = Executor.exec_cmd(['git', 'rev-parse', '--is-inside-work-tree'])
+        if code != 0:
+            Logger.error('[dvc-git] Not inside git tree');
+        return code == 0
+
     def is_ready_to_go(self):
+        if not self.is_inside_work_tree():
+            return False
+
         statuses = self.git_file_statuses()
         if len(statuses) > 0:
             Logger.error('[dvc-git] Commit all changed files before running '
@@ -112,6 +121,9 @@ class GitWrapper(GitWrapperI):
                 Logger.error("{} {}".format(status, file))
             return False
 
+        return self.check_config()
+
+    def check_config(self):
         # Sanity check to make sure we will be able to commit
         name = self.git_config_get('user.name')
         if name == None:
diff --git a/dvc/main.py b/dvc/main.py
index 11de00049..22f9af212 100644
--- a/dvc/main.py
+++ b/dvc/main.py
@@ -5,19 +5,23 @@ main entry point / argument parsing for dvc
 import sys
 from dvc.settings import Settings
 from dvc.logger import Logger
+from dvc.config import ConfigError
 
 def main():
     try:
         settings = Settings(sys.argv[1:])
         instance = settings._parsed_args.func(settings)
     except Exception as e:
-        Logger.error("Exception caught while parsing settings", exc_info=True)
+        # In case we didn't even manage to parse options
+        exc_info = '-v' in sys.argv or '--verbose' in sys.argv
+        Logger.error("Settings error: {}".format(e), exc_info=exc_info)
         return 255
 
     try:
         ret = instance.run()
     except Exception as e:
-        Logger.error("Exception caught in " + instance.__class__.__name__, exc_info=True)
+        exc_info = settings.parsed_args.verbose
+        Logger.error("{} error: {}".format(instance.__class__.__name__, e), exc_info=exc_info)
         return 254
 
     return ret