diff --git a/features.js b/features.js
index ea0af02..e742f48 100755
--- a/features.js
+++ b/features.js
@@ -18,6 +18,20 @@ var args2array = function(a){ return [].slice.call(a) }
 
 
 
+/*********************************************************************/
+
+var FeatureLinearizationError =
+module.FeatureLinearizationError = 
+function(data){
+	this.data = data
+	this.message = `Failed to linearise from: ${data.input}`
+	this.toString = function(){
+		return this.message
+	}
+}
+
+
+
 /*********************************************************************/
 //
 // Feature attributes:
@@ -240,16 +254,6 @@ Feature.prototype = FeatureProto
 Feature.prototype.constructor = Feature
 
 
-var FeatureLinearizationError =
-module.FeatureLinearizationError = function(data){
-	this.data = data
-	this.message = `Failed to linearise from: ${data.input}`
-	this.toString = function(){
-		return this.message
-	}
-}
-FeatureLinearizationError.prototype = Error
-
 
 var FeatureSetProto = {
 	__feature__: Feature,
@@ -1331,31 +1335,30 @@ var FeatureSetProto = {
 		// if we have critical errors and set verbose...
 		var fatal = features.error 
 			&& (features.error.loops.length > 0 || features.error.sort_loop_overflow)
-		var verbose = this.__verbose__ || fatal 
 
 		// report stuff...
-		if(verbose){
+		if(this.__verbose__){
+			var error = features.error
 			// report dependency loops...
-			features.error.loops.length > 0
-				&& loops
+			error.loops.length > 0
+				&& error.loops
 					.forEach(function(loop){
 						console.warn('Feature dependency loops detected:\n\t' 
 							+ loop.join('\n\t\t-> ')) })
 			// report conflicts...
-			Object.keys(features.error.conflicts)
+			Object.keys(error.conflicts)
 				.forEach(function(group){
-					console.error('Exclusive "'+ group +'" conflict at:', conflicts[group]) })
+					console.error('Exclusive "'+ group +'" conflict at:', error.conflicts[group]) })
 			// report loop limit...
-			features.error.sort_loop_overflow
+			error.sort_loop_overflow
 				&& console.error('Hit loop limit while sorting dependencies!')
 		}
 
 		obj.features = features
 
 		// fatal error -- can't load...
-		// XXX should we throw an error here???
 		if(fatal){
-			throw FeatureLinearizationError(features)
+			throw new FeatureLinearizationError(features)
 		}
 
 		// do the setup...
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 94b3355..2addb05 100755
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "ig-features",
-  "version": "3.1.0",
+  "version": "3.1.1",
   "description": "",
   "main": "features.js",
   "scripts": {