diff --git a/chip-update-firmware.sh b/chip-update-firmware.sh
index f80f17f..f33da80 100755
--- a/chip-update-firmware.sh
+++ b/chip-update-firmware.sh
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ function require_directory {
 }
 
 function dl_probe {
-	
+
   if [ -z $CACHENUM ]; then
     CACHENUM=$(curl -s $DL_URL/$BRANCH/$FLAVOR/latest)
   fi
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ function dl_probe {
   else
     echo "== Cached probe files located =="
   fi
-	
+
   echo "== Staging for NAND probe =="
   ln -s ../../$DL_DIR/${BRANCH}-${FLAVOR}-b${CACHENUM}/ $IMAGESDIR
   if [[ -f ${IMAGESDIR}/ubi_type ]]; then rm ${IMAGESDIR}/ubi_type; fi
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ function dl_probe {
     ;;
     esac
   fi
-	
+
   if [[ ! -f "$DL_DIR/$BRANCH-$FLAVOR-b${CACHENUM}/$UBI_PREFIX-$UBI_TYPE.$UBI_SUFFIX" ]]; then
     echo "== Downloading new UBI, this will be cached for future flashes. =="
     pushd $DL_DIR/${BRANCH}-${FLAVOR}-b${CACHENUM} > /dev/null
@@ -170,6 +170,14 @@ rm -rf ${IMAGESDIR}
 require_directory "$DL_DIR"
 dl_probe
 
-flash_images
-
-ready_to_roll
+##pass
+flash_images && ready_to_roll || (
+  ##fail
+  echo -e "\n FLASH VERIFICATION FAILED.\n\n"
+  echo -e "\tTROUBLESHOOTING:\n"
+  echo -e "\tIs the FEL pin connected to GND?"
+  echo -e "\tHave you tried turning it off and turning it on again?"
+  echo -e "\tDid you run the setup script in CHIP-SDK?"
+  echo -e "\tDownload could be corrupt, it can be re-downloaded by adding the '-f' flag."
+  echo -e "\n\n"
+)
diff --git a/common.sh b/common.sh
index 9cc80f6..a6b998b 100755
--- a/common.sh
+++ b/common.sh
@@ -109,6 +109,8 @@ reset" > $ubootcmds
 
 #------------------------------------------------------------
 flash_images() {
+  local RC=0
+
   local tmpdir=`mktemp -d -t chip-uboot-script-XXXXXX`
   local ubootcmds=$tmpdir/uboot.cmds
   local ubootscr=$tmpdir/uboot.scr
@@ -122,7 +124,6 @@ flash_images() {
     echo "nand erase.chip" > $ubootcmds
   fi
 
-  ## echo "env default -a" >> $ubootcmds
   echo "nand write.raw.noverify $SPLMEMADDR 0x0 $pagespereb" >> $ubootcmds
   echo "nand write.raw.noverify $SPLMEMADDR 0x400000 $pagespereb" >> $ubootcmds
   echo "nand write $UBOOTMEMADDR 0x800000 $ubootsize" >> $ubootcmds
@@ -173,29 +174,32 @@ flash_images() {
   echo "fastboot 0" >> $ubootcmds
   echo "reset" >> $ubootcmds
 
-  mkimage -A arm -T script -C none -n "flash $FLAVOR" -d $ubootcmds $ubootscr
+  mkimage -A arm -T script -C none -n "flash $FLAVOR" -d $ubootcmds $ubootscr || RC=1
 
   if ! wait_for_fel; then
     echo "ERROR: please make sure CHIP is connected and jumpered in FEL mode"
-    exit 1
+    RC=1
   fi
 
-  $FEL spl $IMAGESDIR/sunxi-spl.bin
+  $FEL spl $IMAGESDIR/sunxi-spl.bin || RC=1
   # wait for DRAM initialization to complete
   sleep 1
 
-  $FEL write $UBOOTMEMADDR $IMAGESDIR/uboot-$nand_erasesize.bin
-  $FEL write $SPLMEMADDR $IMAGESDIR/spl-$nand_erasesize-$nand_writesize-$nand_oobsize.bin
-  $FEL write $UBOOTSCRMEMADDR $ubootscr
-  $FEL exe $UBOOTMEMADDR
+  $FEL write $UBOOTMEMADDR $IMAGESDIR/uboot-$nand_erasesize.bin || RC=1
+  $FEL write $SPLMEMADDR $IMAGESDIR/spl-$nand_erasesize-$nand_writesize-$nand_oobsize.bin || RC=1
+  $FEL write $UBOOTSCRMEMADDR $ubootscr || RC=1
+  $FEL exe $UBOOTMEMADDR || RC=1
 
   if wait_for_fastboot; then
-    fastboot -i 0x1f3a -u flash UBI $IMAGESDIR/chip-$nand_erasesize-$nand_writesize.ubi.sparse
+    fastboot -i 0x1f3a -u flash UBI $IMAGESDIR/chip-$nand_erasesize-$nand_writesize.ubi.sparse || RC=1
   else
     echo "failed to flash the UBI image"
+    RC=1
   fi
 
   rm -rf $tmpdir
+
+  return $RC
 }
 
 #------------------------------------------------------------