diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index bb87f7e..a45ced8 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -10,6 +10,17 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 )
 
+// InputConfig defines options on a asset directory to be convert.
+type InputConfig struct {
+	// Path defines a directory containing asset files to be included
+	// in the generated output.
+	Path string
+
+	// Recusive defines whether subdirectories of Path
+	// should be recursively included in the conversion.
+	Recursive bool
+}
+
 // Config defines a set of options for the asset conversion.
 type Config struct {
 	// Name of the package to use. Defaults to 'main'.
@@ -21,10 +32,9 @@ type Config struct {
 	// and must follow the build tags syntax specified by the go tool.
 	Tags string
 
-	// Input defines the directory path, containing all asset files.
-	// This may contain sub directories, which will be included in the
-	// conversion.
-	Input string
+	// Input defines the directory path, containing all asset files as
+	// well as whether to recursively process assets in any sub directories.
+	Input []InputConfig
 
 	// Output defines the output file for the generated code.
 	// If left empty, this defaults to 'bindata.go' in the current
@@ -130,13 +140,15 @@ func (c *Config) validate() error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Missing package name")
 	}
 
-	stat, err := os.Lstat(c.Input)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Input path: %v", err)
-	}
+	for _, input := range c.Input {
+		stat, err := os.Lstat(input.Path)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to stat input path '%s': %v", input.Path, err)
+		}
 
-	if !stat.IsDir() {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Input path is not a directory.")
+		if !stat.IsDir() {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Input path '%s' is not a directory.", input.Path)
+		}
 	}
 
 	if len(c.Output) == 0 {
@@ -148,7 +160,7 @@ func (c *Config) validate() error {
 		c.Output = filepath.Join(cwd, "bindata.go")
 	}
 
-	stat, err = os.Lstat(c.Output)
+	stat, err := os.Lstat(c.Output)
 	if err != nil {
 		if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
 			return fmt.Errorf("Output path: %v", err)
diff --git a/convert.go b/convert.go
index cc2d495..256cec1 100644
--- a/convert.go
+++ b/convert.go
@@ -26,9 +26,11 @@ func Translate(c *Config) error {
 	}
 
 	// Locate all the assets.
-	err = findFiles(c.Input, c.Prefix, c.Recursive, &toc)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+	for _, input := range c.Input {
+		err = findFiles(input.Path, c.Prefix, input.Recursive, &toc)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Create output file.
diff --git a/debug.go b/debug.go
index 393c311..d53e1a4 100644
--- a/debug.go
+++ b/debug.go
@@ -30,29 +30,18 @@ func writeDebug(w io.Writer, toc []Asset) error {
 // This targets debug builds.
 func writeDebugHeader(w io.Writer) error {
 	_, err := fmt.Fprintf(w, `import (
-	"bytes"
-	"io"
-	"log"
-	"os"
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
 )
 
-// bindata_read reads the given file from disk.
-// It panics if anything went wrong.
-func bindata_read(path, name string) []byte {
-	fd, err := os.Open(path)
+// bindata_read reads the given file from disk. It returns
+// an error on failure.
+func bindata_read(path, name string) ([]byte, error) {
+	buf, err := ioutil.ReadFile(path)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("Read %%s: %%v", name, err)
+		err = fmt.Errorf("Error reading asset %%s at %%s: %%v", name, path, err)
 	}
-
-	defer fd.Close()
-
-	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	_, err = io.Copy(&buf, fd)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("Read %%s: %%v", name, err)
-	}
-
-	return buf.Bytes()
+	return buf, err
 }
 
 `)
@@ -66,7 +55,7 @@ func writeDebugAsset(w io.Writer, asset *Asset) error {
 	_, err := fmt.Fprintf(w, `
 // %s reads file data from disk.
 // It panics if something went wrong in the process.
-func %s() []byte {
+func %s() ([]byte, error) {
 	return bindata_read(
 		%q,
 		%q,
diff --git a/go-bindata/main.go b/go-bindata/main.go
index a9bf79e..77a3185 100644
--- a/go-bindata/main.go
+++ b/go-bindata/main.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/jteeuwen/go-bindata"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 )
 
 func main() {
@@ -41,7 +42,6 @@ func parseArgs() *bindata.Config {
 	flag.StringVar(&c.Tags, "tags", c.Tags, "Optional set of uild tags to include.")
 	flag.StringVar(&c.Prefix, "prefix", c.Prefix, "Optional path prefix to strip off asset names.")
 	flag.StringVar(&c.Package, "pkg", c.Package, "Package name to use in the generated code.")
-	flag.BoolVar(&c.Recursive, "r", c.Recursive, "Recursive processing of the target directory and all its sub-directories.")
 	flag.BoolVar(&c.NoMemCopy, "nomemcopy", c.NoMemCopy, "Use a .rodata hack to get rid of unnecessary memcopies. Refer to the documentation to see what implications this carries.")
 	flag.BoolVar(&c.NoCompress, "nocompress", c.NoCompress, "Assets will *not* be GZIP compressed when this flag is specified.")
 	flag.BoolVar(&version, "version", false, "Displays version information.")
@@ -54,15 +54,32 @@ func parseArgs() *bindata.Config {
 
 	// Make sure we have in/output paths.
 	if flag.NArg() == 0 {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Missing input path.\n")
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Missing <input dir>\n\n")
+		flag.Usage()
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
-	c.Input = filepath.Clean(flag.Arg(0))
+	input := filepath.Clean(flag.Arg(0))
 
+	c.Input = []bindata.InputConfig{parseInput(input)}
 	if flag.NArg() > 1 {
 		c.Output = filepath.Clean(flag.Arg(1))
 	}
 
 	return c
 }
+
+// parseRecursive determines whether the given path has a recrusive indicator and
+// returns a new path with the recursive indicator chopped off if it does.
+//
+//  ex:
+//      /path/to/foo/...    -> (/path/to/foo, true)
+//      /path/to/bar        -> (/path/to/bar, false)
+func parseInput(path string) bindata.InputConfig {
+	if strings.HasSuffix(path, "/...") {
+		return bindata.InputConfig{Path: path[:len(path)-4], Recursive: true}
+	} else {
+		return bindata.InputConfig{Path: path, Recursive: false}
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/release.go b/release.go
index 832824f..2f8e23c 100644
--- a/release.go
+++ b/release.go
@@ -78,13 +78,13 @@ func header_compressed_nomemcopy(w io.Writer) error {
 	_, err := fmt.Fprintf(w, `import (
     "bytes"
     "compress/gzip"
+    "fmt"
     "io"
-    "log"
     "reflect"
     "unsafe"
 )
 
-func bindata_read(data, name string) []byte {
+func bindata_read(data, name string) ([]byte, error) {
 	var empty [0]byte
 	sx := (*reflect.StringHeader)(unsafe.Pointer(&data))
 	b := empty[:]
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func bindata_read(data, name string) []byte {
 
 	gz, err := gzip.NewReader(bytes.NewBuffer(b))
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("Read %%q: %%v", name, err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Read %%q: %%v", name, err)
 	}
 
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
@@ -103,10 +103,10 @@ func bindata_read(data, name string) []byte {
 	gz.Close()
 
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("Read %%q: %%v", name, err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Read %%q: %%v", name, err)
 	}
 
-	return buf.Bytes()
+	return buf.Bytes(), nil
 }
 
 `)
@@ -117,14 +117,14 @@ func header_compressed_memcopy(w io.Writer) error {
 	_, err := fmt.Fprintf(w, `import (
     "bytes"
     "compress/gzip"
+    "fmt"
     "io"
-    "log"
 )
 
-func bindata_read(data []byte, name string) []byte {
+func bindata_read(data []byte, name string) ([]byte, error) {
 	gz, err := gzip.NewReader(bytes.NewBuffer(data))
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("Read %%q: %%v", name, err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Read %%q: %%v", name, err)
 	}
 
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
@@ -132,10 +132,10 @@ func bindata_read(data []byte, name string) []byte {
 	gz.Close()
 
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("Read %%q: %%v", name, err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Read %%q: %%v", name, err)
 	}
 
-	return buf.Bytes()
+	return buf.Bytes(), nil
 }
 
 `)
@@ -144,11 +144,12 @@ func bindata_read(data []byte, name string) []byte {
 
 func header_uncompressed_nomemcopy(w io.Writer) error {
 	_, err := fmt.Fprintf(w, `import (
+    "fmt"
     "reflect"
     "unsafe"
 )
 
-func bindata_read(data, name string) []byte {
+func bindata_read(data, name string) ([]byte, error) {
 	var empty [0]byte
 	sx := (*reflect.StringHeader)(unsafe.Pointer(&data))
 	b := empty[:]
@@ -156,7 +157,7 @@ func bindata_read(data, name string) []byte {
 	bx.Data = sx.Data
 	bx.Len = len(data)
 	bx.Cap = bx.Len
-	return b
+	return b, nil
 }
 
 `)
@@ -164,8 +165,11 @@ func bindata_read(data, name string) []byte {
 }
 
 func header_uncompressed_memcopy(w io.Writer) error {
-	// nop -- We require no imports or helper functions.
-	return nil
+	_, err := fmt.Fprintf(w, `import (
+    "fmt"
+)
+`)
+	return err
 }
 
 func compressed_nomemcopy(w io.Writer, asset *Asset, r io.Reader) error {
@@ -184,7 +188,7 @@ func compressed_nomemcopy(w io.Writer, asset *Asset, r io.Reader) error {
 
 	_, err = fmt.Fprintf(w, `"
 
-func %s() []byte {
+func %s() ([]byte, error) {
 	return bindata_read(
 		_%s,
 		%q,
@@ -196,7 +200,7 @@ func %s() []byte {
 }
 
 func compressed_memcopy(w io.Writer, asset *Asset, r io.Reader) error {
-	_, err := fmt.Fprintf(w, `func %s() []byte {
+	_, err := fmt.Fprintf(w, `func %s() ([]byte, error) {
 	return bindata_read([]byte{`, asset.Func)
 
 	if err != nil {
@@ -234,7 +238,7 @@ func uncompressed_nomemcopy(w io.Writer, asset *Asset, r io.Reader) error {
 
 	_, err = fmt.Fprintf(w, `"
 
-func %s() []byte {
+func %s() ([]byte, error) {
 	return bindata_read(
 		_%s,
 		%q,
@@ -246,7 +250,7 @@ func %s() []byte {
 }
 
 func uncompressed_memcopy(w io.Writer, asset *Asset, r io.Reader) error {
-	_, err := fmt.Fprintf(w, `func %s() []byte {
+	_, err := fmt.Fprintf(w, `func %s() ([]byte, error) {
 	return []byte{`, asset.Func)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -258,7 +262,7 @@ func uncompressed_memcopy(w io.Writer, asset *Asset, r io.Reader) error {
 	}
 
 	_, err = fmt.Fprintf(w, `
-	}
+	}, nil
 }
 
 `)
diff --git a/toc.go b/toc.go
index 475992e..0bd50da 100644
--- a/toc.go
+++ b/toc.go
@@ -30,16 +30,17 @@ func writeTOC(w io.Writer, toc []Asset) error {
 func writeTOCHeader(w io.Writer) error {
 	_, err := fmt.Fprintf(w, `
 // Asset loads and returns the asset for the given name.
-// This returns nil of the asset could not be found.
-func Asset(name string) []byte {
+// It returns an error if the asset could not be found or
+// could not be loaded.
+func Asset(name string) ([]byte, error) {
 	if f, ok := _bindata[name]; ok {
 		return f()
 	}
-	return nil
+	return nil, fmt.Errorf("Asset %%s not found", name)
 }
 
 // _bindata is a table, holding each asset generator, mapped to its name.
-var _bindata = map[string] func() []byte {
+var _bindata = map[string] func() ([]byte, error) {
 `)
 	return err
 }