diff --git a/src/base/_foundation.lua b/src/base/_foundation.lua
index 8bb3d9b9f2..130be76bae 100644
--- a/src/base/_foundation.lua
+++ b/src/base/_foundation.lua
@@ -242,11 +242,17 @@
 		local p5 = path.join(fname, "premake5.lua")
 		local p4 = path.join(fname, "premake4.lua")
 
+		local compiled_chunk
 		local res = os.locate(fname, with_ext, p5, p4)
-		res = res or fname
-		local compiled_chunk = loadfile(res)
-		if compiled_chunk == nil then
-			premake.error("Cannot find either " .. table.implode({fname, with_ext, p5, p4}, "", "", " or "))
+		if res == nil then
+			local caller = filelineinfo(3)
+			premake.error(caller .. ": Cannot find neither " .. table.implode({fname, with_ext, p5, p4}, "", "", " nor "))
+		else
+			compiled_chunk, err = loadfile(res)
+			if err ~= nil then
+				local caller = filelineinfo(3)
+				premake.error(caller .. ": Error loading '" .. fname .. ": " .. err)
+			end
 		end
 		return res, compiled_chunk
 	end
diff --git a/src/base/globals.lua b/src/base/globals.lua
index ee9385182e..d46ca00b68 100644
--- a/src/base/globals.lua
+++ b/src/base/globals.lua
@@ -48,10 +48,18 @@
 	io._includedFiles = {}
 
 	function include(fname)
-		fname, compiled_chunk = premake.findProjectScript(fname)
-		if not io._includedFiles[fname] then
-			io._includedFiles[fname] = true
-			return compiled_chunk()
+		local actualFname, compiled_chunk = premake.findProjectScript(fname)
+		if not io._includedFiles[actualFname] then
+			io._includedFiles[actualFname] = true
+			local success, res = pcall(compiled_chunk)
+			if success then
+				-- res is the return value of the script
+				return res
+			else
+				-- res is the error message
+				local caller = filelineinfo(2)
+				premake.error(caller .. ": Error executing '" .. fname .. ": " .. res)
+			end
 		end
 	end