diff --git a/runtime_data/openalpr.conf b/runtime_data/openalpr.conf
index 4e0645b..953a4c0 100644
--- a/runtime_data/openalpr.conf
+++ b/runtime_data/openalpr.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 [common]
 
+; Specify the path to the runtime data directory
+runtime_dir = /usr/share/openalpr/runtime_data
+
+
 ocr_img_size_percent = 1.33333333
 state_id_img_size_percent = 2.0
 
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 4eb859a..d205966 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ bool measureProcessingTime = false;
 int main( int argc, const char** argv )
 {
   std::string filename;
-  std::string runtimePath = "";
+  std::string configFile = "";
   bool outputJson = false;
   int seektoms = 0;
   bool detectRegion = false;
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ int main( int argc, const char** argv )
   
   TCLAP::ValueArg<std::string> countryCodeArg("c","country","Country code to identify (either us for USA or eu for Europe).  Default=us",false, "us" ,"country_code");
   TCLAP::ValueArg<int> seekToMsArg("","seek","Seek to the specied millisecond in a video file. Default=0",false, 0 ,"integer_ms");
-  TCLAP::ValueArg<std::string> runtimeDirArg("r","runtime_dir","Path to the OpenAlpr runtime data directory",false, "" ,"runtime_dir");
+  TCLAP::ValueArg<std::string> configFileArg("","config","Path to the openalpr.conf file",false, "" ,"config_file");
   TCLAP::ValueArg<std::string> templateRegionArg("t","template_region","Attempt to match the plate number against a region template (e.g., md for Maryland, ca for California)",false, "" ,"region code");
   TCLAP::ValueArg<int> topNArg("n","topn","Max number of possible plate numbers to return.  Default=10",false, 10 ,"topN");
 
@@ -69,12 +69,12 @@ int main( int argc, const char** argv )
 
   try
   {
-    cmd.add( fileArg );
-    cmd.add( countryCodeArg );
+    cmd.add( templateRegionArg );
     cmd.add( seekToMsArg );
     cmd.add( topNArg );
-    cmd.add( runtimeDirArg );
-    cmd.add( templateRegionArg );
+    cmd.add( configFileArg );
+    cmd.add( fileArg );
+    cmd.add( countryCodeArg );
 
     cmd.parse( argc, argv );
 
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ int main( int argc, const char** argv )
     country = countryCodeArg.getValue();
     seektoms = seekToMsArg.getValue();
     outputJson = jsonSwitch.getValue();
-    runtimePath = runtimeDirArg.getValue();
+    configFile = configFileArg.getValue();
     detectRegion = detectRegionSwitch.getValue();
     templateRegion = templateRegionArg.getValue();
     topn = topNArg.getValue();
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ int main( int argc, const char** argv )
   
   cv::Mat frame;
 
-  Alpr alpr(country, runtimePath);
+  Alpr alpr(country, configFile);
   alpr.setTopN(topn);
 
   if (detectRegion)
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ int main( int argc, const char** argv )
 
   if (alpr.isLoaded() == false)
   {
-    std::cerr << "Error loading OpenAlpr" << std::endl;
+    std::cerr << "Error loading OpenALPR" << std::endl;
     return 1;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/openalpr/CMakeLists.txt b/src/openalpr/CMakeLists.txt
index eabd23b..2d7330c 100644
--- a/src/openalpr/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/openalpr/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -48,4 +48,5 @@ install (FILES alpr.h DESTINATION include)
 install (TARGETS openalpr DESTINATION lib)
 
 # Add definition for default runtime dir
-add_definitions(-DDEFAULT_RUNTIME_DIR="/usr/share/openalpr/runtime_data")
\ No newline at end of file
+#add_definitions(-DDEFAULT_RUNTIME_DIR="/usr/share/openalpr/runtime_data")
+add_definitions(-DDEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE="/etc/openalpr/openalpr.conf")
diff --git a/src/openalpr/alpr.cpp b/src/openalpr/alpr.cpp
index 06d8f02..e087352 100644
--- a/src/openalpr/alpr.cpp
+++ b/src/openalpr/alpr.cpp
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@
 
 // ALPR code
 
-Alpr::Alpr(const std::string country, const std::string runtimeDir)
+Alpr::Alpr(const std::string country, const std::string configFile)
 {
-  impl = new AlprImpl(country, runtimeDir);
+  impl = new AlprImpl(country, configFile);
 }
 
 Alpr::~Alpr()
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ void Alpr::setDefaultRegion(std::string region)
 
 bool Alpr::isLoaded()
 {
-  return true;
+  return impl->isLoaded();
 }
 
 std::string Alpr::getVersion()
diff --git a/src/openalpr/alpr.h b/src/openalpr/alpr.h
index 5068d67..97f2e7d 100644
--- a/src/openalpr/alpr.h
+++ b/src/openalpr/alpr.h
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class Alpr
 {
 
   public:
-    Alpr(const std::string country, const std::string runtimeDir = "");
+    Alpr(const std::string country, const std::string configFile = "");
     virtual ~Alpr();
 
     void setDetectRegion(bool detectRegion);
diff --git a/src/openalpr/alpr_impl.cpp b/src/openalpr/alpr_impl.cpp
index c7276fe..8e09f23 100644
--- a/src/openalpr/alpr_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/openalpr/alpr_impl.cpp
@@ -21,9 +21,19 @@
 
 void plateAnalysisThread(void* arg);
 
-AlprImpl::AlprImpl(const std::string country, const std::string runtimeDir)
+AlprImpl::AlprImpl(const std::string country, const std::string configFile)
 {
-  config = new Config(country, runtimeDir);
+  config = new Config(country, configFile);
+  
+  // Config file or runtime dir not found.  Don't process any further.
+  if (config->loaded == false)
+  {
+    plateDetector = ALPR_NULL_PTR;
+    stateIdentifier = ALPR_NULL_PTR;
+    ocr = ALPR_NULL_PTR;
+    return;
+  }
+  
   plateDetector = new RegionDetector(config);
   stateIdentifier = new StateIdentifier(config);
   ocr = new OCR(config);
@@ -37,9 +47,20 @@ AlprImpl::AlprImpl(const std::string country, const std::string runtimeDir)
 AlprImpl::~AlprImpl()
 {
   delete config;
-  delete plateDetector;
-  delete stateIdentifier;
-  delete ocr;
+  
+  if (plateDetector != ALPR_NULL_PTR)
+    delete plateDetector;
+  
+  if (stateIdentifier != ALPR_NULL_PTR)
+    delete stateIdentifier;
+  
+  if (ocr != ALPR_NULL_PTR)
+    delete ocr;
+}
+
+bool AlprImpl::isLoaded()
+{
+  return config->loaded;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/openalpr/alpr_impl.h b/src/openalpr/alpr_impl.h
index a21e5cb..6db7fc6 100644
--- a/src/openalpr/alpr_impl.h
+++ b/src/openalpr/alpr_impl.h
@@ -45,11 +45,13 @@
 #define DEFAULT_TOPN 25
 #define DEFAULT_DETECT_REGION false
 
+#define ALPR_NULL_PTR 0
+
 class AlprImpl
 {
 
   public:
-    AlprImpl(const std::string country, const std::string runtimeDir = "");
+    AlprImpl(const std::string country, const std::string configFile = "");
     virtual ~AlprImpl();
 
     std::vector<AlprResult> recognize(cv::Mat img);
@@ -65,6 +67,8 @@ class AlprImpl
     
     Config* config;
     
+    bool isLoaded();
+    
   private:
     
     RegionDetector* plateDetector;
diff --git a/src/openalpr/config.cpp b/src/openalpr/config.cpp
index 79c66bf..1443220 100644
--- a/src/openalpr/config.cpp
+++ b/src/openalpr/config.cpp
@@ -20,48 +20,83 @@
 #include "config.h"
 
 
-Config::Config(const std::string country, const std::string runtimeBaseDir)
+Config::Config(const std::string country, const std::string config_file)
 {
-  this->runtimeBaseDir = runtimeBaseDir;
+  
+  string debug_message = "";
+  
+  this->loaded = false;
   
   ini = new CSimpleIniA();
   
-  char* envRuntimeDir;
-  envRuntimeDir = getenv (ENV_VARIABLE_RUNTIME_DIR);
-  if (runtimeBaseDir.compare("") != 0)
+  string configFile;
+  
+  char* envConfigFile;
+  envConfigFile = getenv (ENV_VARIABLE_CONFIG_FILE);
+  if (config_file.compare("") != 0)
   {
-      // User has supplied a runtime directory.  Use that.
-    
+      // User has supplied a config file.  Use that.
+    configFile = config_file;
+    debug_message = "Config file location provided via API";
   }
-  else if (envRuntimeDir!=NULL)
+  else if (envConfigFile != NULL)
   {
     // Environment variable is non-empty.  Use that.
-    this->runtimeBaseDir = envRuntimeDir;
+    configFile = envConfigFile;
+    debug_message = "Config file location provided via environment variable: " + string(ENV_VARIABLE_CONFIG_FILE);
   }
   else
   {
     // Use the default
-    this->runtimeBaseDir = DEFAULT_RUNTIME_DIR;
+    configFile = DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE;
+    debug_message = "Config file location provided via default location";
   }
   
-  string configFile = (this->runtimeBaseDir + CONFIG_FILE);
+  //string configFile = (this->runtimeBaseDir + CONFIG_FILE);
+  
+  if (fileExists(configFile.c_str()) == false)
+  {
+    std::cerr << "--(!) Config file '" << configFile << "' does not exist!" << endl;
+    std::cerr << "--(!)             You can specify the configuration file location via the command line " << endl;
+    std::cerr << "--(!)             or by setting the environment variable '" << ENV_VARIABLE_CONFIG_FILE << "'" << endl;
+    return;
+  }
+  else if (DirectoryExists(configFile.c_str()))
+  {
+    std::cerr << "--(!) Config file '" << configFile << "' was specified as a directory, rather than a file!" << endl;
+    std::cerr << "--(!)             Please specify the full path to the 'openalpr.conf file'" << endl;
+    std::cerr << "--(!)             e.g., /etc/openalpr/openalpr.conf" << endl;
+    return;
+  }
+ 
+  ini->LoadFile(configFile.c_str());
+   
+  this->country = country;
+  
+  
+  loadValues(country);
+  
   
   if (DirectoryExists(this->runtimeBaseDir.c_str()) == false)
   {
-    std::cerr << "--(!)Runtime directory '" << this->runtimeBaseDir << "' does not exist!" << endl;
+    std::cerr << "--(!) Runtime directory '" << this->runtimeBaseDir << "' does not exist!" << endl;
+    std::cerr << "--(!)                   Please update the OpenALPR config file: '" << configFile << "'" << endl;
+    std::cerr << "--(!)                   to point to the correct location of your runtime_dir" << endl;
     return;
   }
-  else if (fileExists(configFile.c_str()) == false)
+  else if (fileExists((this->runtimeBaseDir + "/ocr/tessdata/l" + country + ".traineddata").c_str()) == false)
   {
-    std::cerr << "--(!)Runtime directory '" << this->runtimeBaseDir << "' does not contain a config file '" << CONFIG_FILE << "'!" << endl;
+    std::cerr << "--(!) Runtime directory '" << this->runtimeBaseDir << "' is invalid.  Missing OCR data for the country: '" << country<< "'!" << endl;
     return;
   }
   
-  ini->LoadFile(configFile.c_str());
   
-  this->country = country;
+  if (this->debugGeneral)
+  {
+    std::cout << debug_message << endl;
+  }
   
-  loadValues(country);
+  this->loaded = true;
 }
 Config::~Config()
 {
@@ -71,6 +106,8 @@ Config::~Config()
 void Config::loadValues(string country)
 {
   
+  runtimeBaseDir = getString("common", "runtime_dir", "/usr/share/openalpr/runtime_data");
+  
   opencl_enabled = getBoolean("common", "opencl_enabled", false);
   multithreading_cores = getInt("common", "multithreading_cores", 1);
 
diff --git a/src/openalpr/config.h b/src/openalpr/config.h
index ad74e34..f1d083b 100644
--- a/src/openalpr/config.h
+++ b/src/openalpr/config.h
@@ -38,9 +38,11 @@ class Config
 {
 
   public:
-    Config(const std::string country, const std::string runtimeDir = "");
+    Config(const std::string country, const std::string config_file = "");
     virtual ~Config();
 
+    bool loaded;
+    
     string country;
     
     bool opencl_enabled;
diff --git a/src/openalpr/constants.h b/src/openalpr/constants.h
index 0cf137f..53d2524 100644
--- a/src/openalpr/constants.h
+++ b/src/openalpr/constants.h
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@
 #define CASCADE_DIR		"/region/"
 #define POSTPROCESS_DIR		"/postprocess"
 
-#ifndef DEFAULT_RUNTIME_DIR
-#define DEFAULT_RUNTIME_DIR 	"/default_runtime_data_dir/"
+#ifndef DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE
+  #define DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE 	"/etc/openalpr/openalpr.conf"
 #endif
 
-#define ENV_VARIABLE_RUNTIME_DIR "OPENALPR_RUNTIME_DIR"
+#define ENV_VARIABLE_CONFIG_FILE "OPENALPR_CONFIG_FILE"
 
 #endif // OPENALPR_CONSTANTS_H
\ No newline at end of file