diff --git a/hpage.cabal b/hpage.cabal
--- a/hpage.cabal
+++ b/hpage.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name: hpage
-version: 0.5.2
+version: 0.5.3
 cabal-version: >=1.6
 build-type: Custom
 license: BSD3
diff --git a/src/HPage/Control.hs b/src/HPage/Control.hs
--- a/src/HPage/Control.hs
+++ b/src/HPage/Control.hs
@@ -74,8 +74,9 @@
 import qualified Data.List as List
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Char8 as Str
 import qualified Language.Haskell.Exts.Parser as Parser
-import Distribution.Simple.Configure
+import Distribution.Simple.Configure hiding (tryGetConfigStateFile)
 import Distribution.Simple.LocalBuildInfo
+import Distribution.Simple.Utils
 import Distribution.Package
 import Distribution.PackageDescription
 import Distribution.ModuleName
@@ -562,37 +563,45 @@
                                 liftErrorIO $ ("Error setting ghc opts dirs", opts, e)
                         return res
 
-loadPackage :: FilePath -> HPage (Either Hint.InterpreterError PackageIdentifier)
+loadPackage :: FilePath -> HPage (Either String PackageIdentifier)
 loadPackage file = do
                         let dir = dropFileName file
-                        lbinfo <- liftIO $ getPersistBuildConfig dir
-                        let pkgdesc = localPkgDescr lbinfo
-                            pkgname = package pkgdesc
-                            bldinfos= allBuildInfo pkgdesc
-                            dirs = ("dist" </> "build" </> "autogen") : (uniq $ concatMap hsSourceDirs bldinfos)
-                            exts = uniq . map (read . show) $ concatMap extensions bldinfos
-                            opts = uniq $ concatMap (hcOptions GHC) bldinfos
-                            mods = uniq . map (joinWith "." . components) $ exeModules pkgdesc ++ (libModules pkgdesc)
-                            action = do
-                                        liftTraceIO $ "loading package: " ++ show pkgname
-                                        Hint.unsafeSetGhcOption "-i"
-                                        Hint.unsafeSetGhcOption "-i."
-                                        forM_ dirs $ Hint.unsafeSetGhcOption . ("-i" ++)
-                                        Hint.set [Hint.languageExtensions := exts]
-                                        forM_ opts $ \opt -> Hint.unsafeSetGhcOption opt `catchError` (\_ -> return ())
-                                        return pkgname
-                        liftDebugIO mods
-                        res <- syncRun action
+                        res <- liftIO $ tryGetPersistBuildConfig dir
                         case res of
-                            Right _ ->
-                                modify (\ctx -> ctx{activePackage       = Just pkgname,
-                                                    pkgModules          = mods,
-                                                    extraSrcDirs        = dirs,
-                                                    ghcOptions          = (ghcOptions ctx) ++ " " ++ (joinWith " " opts),
-                                                    recoveryLog         = recoveryLog ctx >> action >> return ()})
-                            Left e ->
-                                liftErrorIO $ ("Error loading package", pkgname, e)
-                        return res
+                            Left err ->
+                                return $ Left $ "Couldn't load package: " ++ err
+                            Right lbinfo ->
+                                do
+                                    let pkgdesc = localPkgDescr lbinfo
+                                        pkgname = package pkgdesc
+                                        bldinfos= allBuildInfo pkgdesc
+                                        dirs = ("dist" </> "build" </> "autogen") : (uniq $ concatMap hsSourceDirs bldinfos)
+                                        exts = uniq . map (read . show) $ concatMap extensions bldinfos
+                                        opts = uniq $ concatMap (hcOptions GHC) bldinfos
+                                        mods = uniq . map (joinWith "." . components) $ exeModules pkgdesc ++ (libModules pkgdesc)
+                                        action = do
+                                                    liftTraceIO $ "loading package: " ++ show pkgname
+                                                    Hint.unsafeSetGhcOption "-i"
+                                                    Hint.unsafeSetGhcOption "-i."
+                                                    forM_ dirs $ Hint.unsafeSetGhcOption . ("-i" ++)
+                                                    Hint.set [Hint.languageExtensions := exts]
+                                                    forM_ opts $ \opt -> Hint.unsafeSetGhcOption opt `catchError` (\_ -> return ())
+                                                    return pkgname
+                                    liftDebugIO mods
+                                    res <- syncRun action
+                                    case res of
+                                        Right x ->
+                                            do
+                                                modify (\ctx -> ctx{activePackage       = Just pkgname,
+                                                                    pkgModules          = mods,
+                                                                    extraSrcDirs        = dirs,
+                                                                    ghcOptions          = (ghcOptions ctx) ++ " " ++ (joinWith " " opts),
+                                                                    recoveryLog         = recoveryLog ctx >> action >> return ()})
+                                                return $ Right x
+                                        Left e ->
+                                            do
+                                                liftErrorIO $ ("Error loading package", pkgname, e)
+                                                return . Left $ prettyPrintError e
 
 reset :: HPage (Either Hint.InterpreterError ())
 reset = do
@@ -888,3 +897,24 @@
 uniq :: Eq a => [a] -> [a]
 uniq [] = []
 uniq (x:xs) = x : uniq (filter (/= x) xs)
+
+{- Taken from the source code of Distribution.Simple.Configure -}
+tryGetPersistBuildConfig :: FilePath -> IO (Either String LocalBuildInfo)
+tryGetPersistBuildConfig distPref
+    = tryGetConfigStateFile (localBuildInfoFile distPref)
+
+tryGetConfigStateFile :: (Read a) => FilePath -> IO (Either String a)
+tryGetConfigStateFile filename = do
+  exists <- doesFileExist filename
+  if not exists
+    then return (Left missing)
+    else withFileContents filename $ \str ->
+      case lines str of
+        [headder, rest] -> case reads rest of
+            [(bi,_)] -> return (Right bi)
+            _        -> return (Left cantParse)
+        _            -> return (Left cantParse)
+  where
+    missing   = "Run the 'configure' command first."
+    cantParse = "Saved package config file seems to be corrupt. "
+             ++ "Try re-running the 'configure' command."
diff --git a/src/HPage/GUI/FreeTextWindow.hs b/src/HPage/GUI/FreeTextWindow.hs
--- a/src/HPage/GUI/FreeTextWindow.hs
+++ b/src/HPage/GUI/FreeTextWindow.hs
@@ -503,14 +503,16 @@
                     return ()
                 Just setupConfig ->
                     do
-                        loadres <- tryIn model $ do
+                        loadres <- tryIn' model $ do
                                                     lr <- HP.loadPackage setupConfig
                                                     HP.addPage
                                                     return lr
                         case loadres of
                             Left err ->
                                 warningDialog win "Error" err
-                            Right pkg ->
+                            Right (Left err) ->
+                                warningDialog win "Error" err
+                            Right (Right pkg) ->
                                 do
                                     absPath <- canonicalizePath setupConfig
                                     let dir = joinPath . reverse . drop 2 . reverse $ splitDirectories absPath
@@ -850,9 +852,7 @@
         res <- HPS.runIn model $ catchError (hpacc >>= return . Right)
                                             (\ioerr -> return $ Left ioerr)
         case res of
-            Left err          -> do
-                                    errorIO err
-                                    return . Left  $ ioeGetErrorString err
+            Left err          -> return . Left  $ ioeGetErrorString err
             Right (Left err)  -> return . Left  $ HP.prettyPrintError err
             Right (Right val) -> return . Right $ val