diff --git a/src/parse.c b/src/parse.c
index 5e9de99..d1a4b71 100644
--- a/src/parse.c
+++ b/src/parse.c
@@ -26,12 +26,6 @@
 
 #include "parse.h"
 
-/* Variable indicating whether config.emk exists
- * 1 means config.emk exists
- * 0 means config.emk does not exist
- */
-int emkConfigExists;
-
 struct emkfileData {
 	char cc;
 	char prefix;
@@ -61,15 +55,10 @@ char checkForFiles() {
 
 	emkconfig = fopen(EMKCONFIG, "r");
 	if (emkconfig == NULL) {
-		printf(COL_YELLOW "WRN" COL_RESET " | config.emk does not exist\n");
-		printf(COL_YELLOW "WRN" COL_RESET " | it is highly recommended to\n");
-		printf(COL_YELLOW "WRN" COL_RESET " | use a config.emk file, rather\n");
-		printf(COL_YELLOW "WRN" COL_RESET " | than embedding settings directly\n");
-		printf(COL_YELLOW "WRN" COL_RESET " | within the emkfile.\n");
-		int emkConfigExists = 0;
+		printf(COL_RED "ERR" COL_RESET " | config.emk does not exist\n");
+		return 1;
 	} else if (getcwd(cwd, sizeof(cwd)) != NULL) {
 		printf(COL_BLUE "INF" COL_RESET " | using config.emk at %s/config.emk\n", cwd);
-		int emkConfigExists = 1;
 	}
 }
 
@@ -93,10 +82,8 @@ char includeConfig() {
 	FILE *emkconfig, *emkfile, *emkfile_new;
 	char filename[100], contents;
 
-	if (emkConfigExists == 1) {
-		printf(COL_BLUE "INF" COL_RESET " | parsing config.emk\n");
-		emkconfig = fopen(EMKCONFIG, "r");
-	}
+	printf(COL_BLUE "INF" COL_RESET " | parsing config.emk\n");
+	emkconfig = fopen(EMKCONFIG, "r");
 	printf(COL_BLUE "INF" COL_RESET " | parsing emkfile\n");
 	emkfile = fopen(EMKFILE, "r");
 
@@ -105,13 +92,12 @@ char includeConfig() {
 
 	printf(COL_BLUE "INF" COL_RESET " | running preprocessing tasks...\n");
 	/* write emkconfig to new emkfile */
-	if (emkConfigExists == 1) {
+	contents = fgetc(emkconfig);
+	while (contents != EOF) {
+		fputc(contents, emkfile_new);
 		contents = fgetc(emkconfig);
-		while (contents != EOF) {
-			fputc(contents, emkfile_new);
-			contents = fgetc(emkconfig);
-		}
 	}
+	
 
 	/* write emkfile to new emkfile */
 	contents = fgetc(emkfile);
@@ -121,9 +107,7 @@ char includeConfig() {
 	}
 
 	printf(COL_BLUE "INF" COL_RESET " | closing files\n");
-	if (emkConfigExists == 1) {
-		fclose(emkconfig);
-	}
+	fclose(emkconfig);
 	fclose(emkfile);
 	fclose(emkfile_new);
 }