diff --git a/lib/err.c b/lib/err.c
index 3b526f5..1de87d7 100644
--- a/lib/err.c
+++ b/lib/err.c
@@ -297,8 +297,17 @@ const hcl_ooch_t* hcl_backuperrmsg (hcl_t* hcl)
 	return hcl->errmsg.tmpbuf.ooch;
 }
 
+void hcl_seterrnum (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_errnum_t errnum)
+{
+	if (hcl->shuterr) return;
+	hcl->errnum = errnum; 
+	hcl->errmsg.len = 0; 
+}
+
 void hcl_seterrwithsyserr (hcl_t* hcl, int syserr)
 {
+	if (hcl->shuterr) return;
+
 	if (hcl->vmprim.syserrstrb)
 	{
 		hcl->vmprim.syserrstrb (hcl, syserr, hcl->errmsg.tmpbuf.bch, HCL_COUNTOF(hcl->errmsg.tmpbuf.bch));
@@ -323,6 +332,8 @@ void hcl_setsynerrbfmt (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_synerrnum_t num, const hcl_ioloc_t* loc,
 {
 	static hcl_bch_t syntax_error[] = "syntax error - ";
 
+	if (hcl->shuterr) return;
+
 	if (msgfmt) 
 	{
 		va_list ap;
@@ -372,6 +383,8 @@ void hcl_setsynerrufmt (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_synerrnum_t num, const hcl_ioloc_t* loc,
 {
 	static hcl_bch_t syntax_error[] = "syntax error - ";
 
+	if (hcl->shuterr) return;
+
 	if (msgfmt) 
 	{
 		va_list ap;
diff --git a/lib/hcl-prv.h b/lib/hcl-prv.h
index 33b0080..5912c20 100644
--- a/lib/hcl-prv.h
+++ b/lib/hcl-prv.h
@@ -645,6 +645,15 @@ typedef hcl_ooi_t (*hcl_outbfmt_t) (
 );
 
 
+/* i don't want an error raised inside the callback to override 
+ * the existing error number and message. */
+#define vmprim_log_write(hcl,mask,ptr,len) do { \
+		int shuterr = (hcl)->shuterr; \
+		(hcl)->shuterr = 1; \
+		(hcl)->vmprim.log_write (hcl, mask, ptr, len); \
+		(hcl)->shuterr = shuterr; \
+	} while(0)
+
 #if defined(__cplusplus)
 extern "C" {
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/hcl.c b/lib/hcl.c
index 9dcabd4..27f7020 100644
--- a/lib/hcl.c
+++ b/lib/hcl.c
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ void hcl_fini (hcl_t* hcl)
 	{
 		/* flush pending log messages just in case. */
 		HCL_ASSERT (hcl, hcl->log.ptr != HCL_NULL);
-		hcl->vmprim.log_write (hcl, hcl->log.last_mask, hcl->log.ptr, hcl->log.len);
+		vmprim_log_write (hcl, hcl->log.last_mask, hcl->log.ptr, hcl->log.len);
 	}
 
 	for (cb = hcl->cblist; cb; cb = cb->next)
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ void hcl_fini (hcl_t* hcl)
 		 * this point because one of the callbacks could arrange to stop
 		 * logging */
 		HCL_ASSERT (hcl, hcl->log.ptr != HCL_NULL);
-		hcl->vmprim.log_write (hcl, hcl->log.last_mask, hcl->log.ptr, hcl->log.len);
+		vmprim_log_write (hcl, hcl->log.last_mask, hcl->log.ptr, hcl->log.len);
 	}
 
 	/* deregister all callbacks */
diff --git a/lib/hcl.h b/lib/hcl.h
index 07c4324..c8f9a2e 100644
--- a/lib/hcl.h
+++ b/lib/hcl.h
@@ -940,8 +940,8 @@ struct hcl_t
 {
 	hcl_mmgr_t*  mmgr;
 	hcl_cmgr_t*  cmgr;
-	hcl_errnum_t errnum;
 
+	hcl_errnum_t errnum;
 	struct
 	{
 		union
@@ -953,6 +953,7 @@ struct hcl_t
 		hcl_ooch_t buf[2048];
 		hcl_oow_t len;
 	} errmsg;
+	int shuterr;
 
 	struct
 	{
@@ -1342,11 +1343,11 @@ HCL_EXPORT void hcl_fini (
 	static HCL_INLINE hcl_mmgr_t* hcl_getmmgr (hcl_t* hcl) { return hcl->mmgr; }
 	static HCL_INLINE void* hcl_getxtn (hcl_t* hcl) { return (void*)(hcl + 1); }
 
-	/*static HCL_INLINE hcl_cmgr_t* hcl_getcmgr (hcl_t* hcl) { return hcl->cmgr; }
-	static HCL_INLINE void hcl_setcmgr (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_cmgr_t* cmgr) { hcl->cmgr = cmgr; }*/
+	static HCL_INLINE hcl_cmgr_t* hcl_getcmgr (hcl_t* hcl) { return hcl->cmgr; }
+	static HCL_INLINE void hcl_setcmgr (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_cmgr_t* cmgr) { hcl->cmgr = cmgr; }
 
 	static HCL_INLINE hcl_errnum_t hcl_geterrnum (hcl_t* hcl) { return hcl->errnum; }
-	static HCL_INLINE void hcl_seterrnum (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_errnum_t errnum) { hcl->errnum = errnum; hcl->errmsg.len = 0; }
+	
 #else
 #	define hcl_getmmgr(hcl) ((hcl)->mmgr)
 #	define hcl_getxtn(hcl) ((void*)((hcl) + 1))
@@ -1355,9 +1356,18 @@ HCL_EXPORT void hcl_fini (
 #	define hcl_setcmgr(hcl,mgr) ((hcl)->cmgr = (mgr))
 
 #	define hcl_geterrnum(hcl) ((hcl)->errnum)
-#	define hcl_seterrnum(hcl,num) ((hcl)->errmsg.len = 0, (hcl)->errnum = (num))
 #endif
 
+HCL_EXPORT void hcl_seterrnum (
+	hcl_t*       hcl, 
+	hcl_errnum_t errnum
+);
+
+HCL_EXPORT void hcl_seterrwithsyserr (
+	hcl_t* hcl,
+	int    syserr
+);
+
 HCL_EXPORT void hcl_seterrbfmt (
 	hcl_t*           hcl,
 	hcl_errnum_t     errnum,
@@ -1372,11 +1382,6 @@ HCL_EXPORT void hcl_seterrufmt (
 	...
 );
 
-HCL_EXPORT void hcl_seterrwithsyserr (
-	hcl_t* hcl,
-	int    syserr
-);
-
 HCL_EXPORT const hcl_ooch_t* hcl_geterrstr (
 	hcl_t* hcl
 );
diff --git a/lib/logfmt.c b/lib/logfmt.c
index 6ebfd55..1e69801 100644
--- a/lib/logfmt.c
+++ b/lib/logfmt.c
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ static int put_ooch (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_oow_t mask, hcl_ooch_t ch, hcl_oow_t len)
 			/* no line ending - append a line terminator */
 			hcl->log.ptr[hcl->log.len++] = '\n';
 		}
-		hcl->vmprim.log_write (hcl, hcl->log.last_mask, hcl->log.ptr, hcl->log.len);
+		vmprim_log_write (hcl, hcl->log.last_mask, hcl->log.ptr, hcl->log.len);
 		hcl->log.len = 0;
 	}
 
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ redo:
 					/* no line ending - append a line terminator */
 					hcl->log.ptr[hcl->log.len++] = '\n';
 				}
-				hcl->vmprim.log_write (hcl, hcl->log.last_mask, hcl->log.ptr, hcl->log.len);
+				vmprim_log_write (hcl, hcl->log.last_mask, hcl->log.ptr, hcl->log.len);
 				hcl->log.len = 0;
 			}
 
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ static int put_oocs (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_oow_t mask, const hcl_ooch_t* ptr, hcl_oow_
 			hcl->log.ptr[hcl->log.len++] = '\n';
 		}
 
-		hcl->vmprim.log_write (hcl, hcl->log.last_mask, hcl->log.ptr, hcl->log.len);
+		vmprim_log_write (hcl, hcl->log.last_mask, hcl->log.ptr, hcl->log.len);
 		hcl->log.len = 0;
 	}
 
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ redo:
 					/* no line ending - append a line terminator */
 					hcl->log.ptr[hcl->log.len++] = '\n';
 				}
-				hcl->vmprim.log_write (hcl, hcl->log.last_mask, hcl->log.ptr, hcl->log.len);
+				vmprim_log_write (hcl, hcl->log.last_mask, hcl->log.ptr, hcl->log.len);
 				hcl->log.len = 0;
 			}
 
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ hcl_ooi_t hcl_logbfmt (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_oow_t mask, const hcl_bch_t* fmt, ...)
 
 	if (hcl->log.len > 0 && hcl->log.ptr[hcl->log.len - 1] == '\n')
 	{
-		hcl->vmprim.log_write (hcl, hcl->log.last_mask, hcl->log.ptr, hcl->log.len);
+		vmprim_log_write (hcl, hcl->log.last_mask, hcl->log.ptr, hcl->log.len);
 		hcl->log.len = 0;
 	}
 	return (x <= -1)? -1: fo.count;
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ hcl_ooi_t hcl_logufmt (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_oow_t mask, const hcl_uch_t* fmt, ...)
 
 	if (hcl->log.len > 0 && hcl->log.ptr[hcl->log.len - 1] == '\n')
 	{
-		hcl->vmprim.log_write (hcl, hcl->log.last_mask, hcl->log.ptr, hcl->log.len);
+		vmprim_log_write (hcl, hcl->log.last_mask, hcl->log.ptr, hcl->log.len);
 		hcl->log.len = 0;
 	}