diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+5.11
+  - Vty now raises a VtyConfigurationError exception when the TERM
+    evironment variable is missing (thanks Eric Mertens)
+  - Graphics.Vty.Config got an explicit export list to avoid accidentally
+    exporting internal types (thanks Eric Mertens)
+
 5.10
   - Add absolute cursor positioning mode AbsoluteCursor to Cursor. This
     mode provides greater control over cursor positioning by bypassing
diff --git a/src/Graphics/Vty/Config.hs b/src/Graphics/Vty/Config.hs
--- a/src/Graphics/Vty/Config.hs
+++ b/src/Graphics/Vty/Config.hs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE CPP #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE DeriveDataTypeable #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE FlexibleContexts, FlexibleInstances #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE TypeOperators #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE ScopedTypeVariables #-}
@@ -64,7 +65,16 @@
 -- Set VTY_DEBUG_LOG. Run vty. Check debug log for incorrect mappings. Add corrected mappings to
 -- .vty/config
 --
-module Graphics.Vty.Config where
+module Graphics.Vty.Config
+  ( InputMap
+  , Config(..)
+  , VtyConfigurationError(..)
+  , userConfig
+  , overrideEnvConfig
+  , standardIOConfig
+  , runParseConfig
+  , parseConfigFile
+  ) where
 
 #if __GLASGOW_HASKELL__ > 704
 import Prelude
@@ -74,12 +84,13 @@
 
 import Control.Applicative hiding (many)
 
-import Control.Exception (catch, IOException)
+import Control.Exception (catch, IOException, Exception(..), throwIO)
 import Control.Monad (liftM, guard, void)
 
 import qualified Data.ByteString as BS
 import Data.Default
 import Data.Monoid
+import Data.Typeable (Typeable)
 
 import Graphics.Vty.Input.Events
 
@@ -94,6 +105,16 @@
 import Text.Parsec.Token ( GenLanguageDef(..) )
 import qualified Text.Parsec.Token as P
 
+-- | Type of errors that can be thrown when configuring VTY
+data VtyConfigurationError
+  = VtyMissingTermEnvVar -- ^ TERM environment variable not set
+  deriving (Show, Eq, Typeable)
+
+instance Exception VtyConfigurationError where
+#if MIN_VERSION_base(4,8,0)
+  displayException VtyMissingTermEnvVar = "TERM environment variable not set"
+#endif
+
 -- | Mappings from input bytes to event in the order specified. Later entries take precedence over
 -- earlier in the case multiple entries have the same byte string.
 type InputMap = [(Maybe String, String, Event)]
@@ -165,30 +186,38 @@
     d <- getEnv "VTY_DEBUG_LOG"
     return $ def { debugLog = d }
 
+-- | Configures VTY using defaults suitable for terminals. This action
+-- can raise 'VtyConfigurationError'.
 standardIOConfig :: IO Config
 standardIOConfig = do
-    Just t <- getEnv "TERM"
-    return $ def { vmin = Just 1
-                 , mouseMode = Just False
-                 , bracketedPasteMode = Just False
-                 , vtime = Just 100
-                 , inputFd = Just stdInput
-                 , outputFd = Just stdOutput
-                 , termName = Just t
-                 }
+    mb <- getEnv "TERM"
+    case mb of
+      Nothing -> throwIO VtyMissingTermEnvVar
+      Just t ->
+        return def
+          { vmin               = Just 1
+          , mouseMode          = Just False
+          , bracketedPasteMode = Just False
+          , vtime              = Just 100
+          , inputFd            = Just stdInput
+          , outputFd           = Just stdOutput
+          , termName           = Just t
+          }
 
 parseConfigFile :: FilePath -> IO Config
 parseConfigFile path = do
     catch (runParseConfig path <$> BS.readFile path)
           (\(_ :: IOException) -> return def)
 
-type Parser = Parsec BS.ByteString ()
-
 runParseConfig :: String -> BS.ByteString -> Config
 runParseConfig name cfgTxt =
   case runParser parseConfig () name cfgTxt of
     Right cfg -> cfg
     Left{}    -> def
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+type Parser = Parsec BS.ByteString ()
 
 -- I tried to use the haskellStyle here but that was specialized (without requirement?) to the
 -- String stream type.
diff --git a/vty.cabal b/vty.cabal
--- a/vty.cabal
+++ b/vty.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                vty
-version:             5.10
+version:             5.11
 license:             BSD3
 license-file:        LICENSE
 author:              AUTHORS