diff --git a/Godeps/Godeps.json b/Godeps/Godeps.json
index 53ce7e3c0..bd0524e09 100644
--- a/Godeps/Godeps.json
+++ b/Godeps/Godeps.json
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@
 			"ImportPath": "github.com/coreos/go-semver/semver",
 			"Rev": "6fe83ccda8fb9b7549c9ab4ba47f47858bc950aa"
 		},
+		{
+			"ImportPath": "github.com/facebookgo/stackerr",
+			"Rev": "060fbf9364c89acd41bf710e9e92915a90e7a5b5"
+		},
 		{
 			"ImportPath": "github.com/gonuts/flag",
 			"Rev": "741a6cbd37a30dedc93f817e7de6aaf0ca38a493"
diff --git a/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/facebookgo/stackerr/.travis.yml b/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/facebookgo/stackerr/.travis.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2cc62c5e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/facebookgo/stackerr/.travis.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+language: go
+
+go:
+  - 1.2
+  - 1.3
+
+matrix:
+  fast_finish: true
+
+before_install:
+  - go get -v code.google.com/p/go.tools/cmd/vet
+  - go get -v github.com/golang/lint/golint
+  - go get -v code.google.com/p/go.tools/cmd/cover
+
+install:
+  - go install -race -v std
+  - go get -race -t -v ./...
+  - go install -race -v ./...
+
+script:
+  - go vet ./...
+  - $HOME/gopath/bin/golint .
+  - go test -cpu=2 -race -v ./...
+  - go test -cpu=2 -covermode=atomic ./...
diff --git a/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/facebookgo/stackerr/readme.md b/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/facebookgo/stackerr/readme.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8837ed070
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/facebookgo/stackerr/readme.md
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+stackerr [![Build Status](https://secure.travis-ci.org/facebookgo/stackerr.png)](http://travis-ci.org/facebookgo/stackerr)
+========
+
+Documentation: https://godoc.org/github.com/facebookgo/stackerr
diff --git a/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/facebookgo/stackerr/stackerr.go b/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/facebookgo/stackerr/stackerr.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e0d2e209c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/facebookgo/stackerr/stackerr.go
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+// Package stackerr provides a way to augment errors with one or more stack
+// traces to allow for easier debugging.
+package stackerr
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/facebookgo/stack"
+)
+
+// Error provides the wrapper that adds multiple Stacks to an error. Each Stack
+// represents a location in code thru which this error was wrapped.
+type Error struct {
+	multiStack *stack.Multi
+	underlying error
+}
+
+// Error provides a multi line error string that includes the stack trace.
+func (e *Error) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s\n%s", e.underlying, e.multiStack)
+}
+
+// MultiStack identifies the locations this error was wrapped at.
+func (e *Error) MultiStack() *stack.Multi {
+	return e.multiStack
+}
+
+// Underlying returns the error that is being wrapped.
+func (e *Error) Underlying() error {
+	return e.underlying
+}
+
+type hasMultiStack interface {
+	MultiStack() *stack.Multi
+}
+
+// WrapSkip the error and add the current Stack. The argument skip is the
+// number of stack frames to ascend, with 0 identifying the caller of Wrap. If
+// the error to be wrapped has a MultiStack, the current stack will be added to
+// it.  If the error to be wrapped is nil, a nil error is returned.
+func WrapSkip(err error, skip int) error {
+	// nil errors are returned back as nil.
+	if err == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// we're adding another Stack to an already wrapped error.
+	if se, ok := err.(hasMultiStack); ok {
+		se.MultiStack().AddCallers(skip + 1)
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// we're create a freshly wrapped error.
+	return &Error{
+		multiStack: stack.CallersMulti(skip + 1),
+		underlying: err,
+	}
+}
+
+// Wrap provides a convenience function that calls WrapSkip with skip=0. That
+// is, the Stack starts with the caller of Wrap.
+func Wrap(err error) error {
+	return WrapSkip(err, 1)
+}
+
+// New returns a new error that includes the Stack.
+func New(s string) error {
+	return WrapSkip(errors.New(s), 1)
+}
+
+// Newf formats and returns a new error that includes the Stack.
+func Newf(format string, args ...interface{}) error {
+	return WrapSkip(fmt.Errorf(format, args...), 1)
+}
+
+type hasUnderlying interface {
+	Underlying() error
+}
+
+// Underlying returns all the underlying errors by iteratively checking if the
+// error has an Underlying error. If e is nil, the returned slice will be nil.
+func Underlying(e error) []error {
+	var errs []error
+	for {
+		if e == nil {
+			return errs
+		}
+		errs = append(errs, e)
+
+		if eh, ok := e.(hasUnderlying); ok {
+			e = eh.Underlying()
+		} else {
+			e = nil
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/facebookgo/stackerr/stackerr_test.go b/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/facebookgo/stackerr/stackerr_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a160e675b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/facebookgo/stackerr/stackerr_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+package stackerr_test
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"regexp"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/facebookgo/stackerr"
+)
+
+func TestNew(t *testing.T) {
+	const errStr = "foo bar baz"
+	e := stackerr.New(errStr)
+	matches := []string{
+		errStr,
+		"^github.com/facebookgo/stackerr/stackerr_test.go:15 +TestNew$",
+	}
+	match(t, e.Error(), matches)
+}
+
+func TestNewf(t *testing.T) {
+	const fmtStr = "%s 42"
+	const errStr = "foo bar baz"
+	e := stackerr.Newf(fmtStr, errStr)
+	matches := []string{
+		fmt.Sprintf(fmtStr, errStr),
+		"^github.com/facebookgo/stackerr/stackerr_test.go:26 +TestNewf$",
+	}
+	match(t, e.Error(), matches)
+}
+
+func TestWrap(t *testing.T) {
+	const errStr = "foo bar baz"
+	e := stackerr.Wrap(errors.New(errStr))
+	matches := []string{
+		errStr,
+		"^github.com/facebookgo/stackerr/stackerr_test.go:36 +TestWrap$",
+	}
+	match(t, e.Error(), matches)
+}
+
+func TestNilWrap(t *testing.T) {
+	if stackerr.WrapSkip(nil, 1) != nil {
+		t.Fatal("did not get nil error")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDoubleWrap(t *testing.T) {
+	e := stackerr.New("")
+	if stackerr.WrapSkip(e, 1) != e {
+		t.Fatal("double wrap failure")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLog(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Log(stackerr.New("hello"))
+}
+
+func TestUnderlying(t *testing.T) {
+	e1 := errors.New("")
+	e2 := stackerr.Wrap(e1)
+	errs := stackerr.Underlying(e2)
+	if len(errs) != 2 || errs[0] != e2 || errs[1] != e1 {
+		t.Fatal("failed Underlying")
+	}
+}
+
+func match(t testing.TB, s string, matches []string) {
+	lines := strings.Split(s, "\n")
+	for i, m := range matches {
+		if !regexp.MustCompile(m).MatchString(lines[i]) {
+			t.Fatalf(
+				"did not find expected match \"%s\" on line %d in:\n%s",
+				m,
+				i,
+				s,
+			)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/ipfs2/main.go b/cmd/ipfs2/main.go
index 4bbe1da92..d11127eed 100644
--- a/cmd/ipfs2/main.go
+++ b/cmd/ipfs2/main.go
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ func (i *cmdInvocation) Parse(args []string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	log.Debugf("config path is %s", configPath)
 
 	// this sets up the function that will initialize the config lazily.
 	ctx := i.req.Context()
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index d03a26b11..1416bb139 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -5,11 +5,11 @@ import (
 	"crypto"
 	"crypto/x509"
 	"encoding/base64"
-	"errors"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 
 	u "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/util"
+	"github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/util/debugerror"
 )
 
 var log = u.Logger("config")
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ func (i *Identity) DecodePrivateKey(passphrase string) (crypto.PrivateKey, error
 func Load(filename string) (*Config, error) {
 	// if nothing is there, fail. User must run 'ipfs init'
 	if _, err := os.Stat(filename); os.IsNotExist(err) {
-		return nil, errors.New("ipfs not initialized, please run 'ipfs init'")
+		return nil, debugerror.New("ipfs not initialized, please run 'ipfs init'")
 	}
 
 	var cfg Config
diff --git a/util/debugerror/debugerror.go b/util/debugerror/debugerror.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2b6370f98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/debugerror/debugerror.go
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+// package debugerror provides a way to augment errors with additional
+// information to allow for easier debugging.
+package debugerror
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/facebookgo/stackerr"
+	"github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/util"
+)
+
+func Errorf(format string, a ...interface{}) error {
+	return Wrap(fmt.Errorf(format, a...))
+}
+
+// New returns an error that contains a stack trace (in debug mode)
+func New(s string) error {
+	if util.Debug {
+		return stackerr.New(s)
+	}
+	return errors.New(s)
+}
+
+func Wrap(err error) error {
+	if util.Debug {
+		return stackerr.Wrap(err)
+	}
+	return err
+}