diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 01944e4..e2528c1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -45,6 +45,14 @@ hotswap occurs and is passed the name of the file which was swapped.
 lurker.postswap = function(f) print("File " .. f .. " was swapped") end
 ```
 
+### lurker.protected
+Dictates whether lurker should run in protected mode; this is `true` by
+default. If protected mode is disabled then LÖVE's usual error screen is used
+when an error occurs in a LÖVE callback function; if it is enabled then
+lurker's error state (which continues watching for file changes and can resume
+execution) is used. Changes to this variable should be made before any calls to
+lurker.update() are made.
+
 ### lurker.interval
 The interval in seconds for how often the scan of the directory is performed.
 This is `.5` by default.
diff --git a/lurker.lua b/lurker.lua
index 930b6f2..fe08fa5 100644
--- a/lurker.lua
+++ b/lurker.lua
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ local isdir = love.filesystem.isDirectory
 local time = love.timer.getTime or os.time
 local lastmodified = love.filesystem.getLastModified
 
+local lovecallbacknames = { "update", "load", "draw", "mousepressed",
+                            "mousereleased", "keypressed", "keyreleased",
+                            "focus", "quit" }
+
 
 function lurker.init()
   lurker.print("Initing lurker")
@@ -24,8 +28,12 @@ function lurker.init()
   lurker.preswap = function() end
   lurker.postswap = function() end
   lurker.interval = .5
+  lurker.protected = true
   lurker.last = 0
   lurker.files = {}
+  lurker.funcwrappers = {}
+  lurker.lovefuncs = {}
+  lurker.state = "init"
   lume.each(lurker.getchanged(), lurker.resetfile)
   return lurker
 end
@@ -53,7 +61,85 @@ function lurker.listdir(path, recursive, skipdotfiles)
 end
 
 
+function lurker.initwrappers()
+  for _, v in pairs(lovecallbacknames) do
+    lurker.funcwrappers[v] = function(...)
+      args = {...}
+      xpcall(function()
+        return lurker.lovefuncs[v] and lurker.lovefuncs[v](unpack(args))
+      end, lurker.onerror)
+    end
+    lurker.lovefuncs[v] = love[v]
+  end
+  lurker.updatewrappers()
+end
+
+
+function lurker.updatewrappers()
+  for _, v in pairs(lovecallbacknames) do
+    if love[v] ~= lurker.funcwrappers[v] then
+      lurker.lovefuncs[v] = love[v]
+      love[v] = lurker.funcwrappers[v]
+    end
+  end
+end
+
+
+function lurker.onerror(e)
+  lurker.print("An error occurred; switching to error state")
+  lurker.state = "error"
+  for _, v in pairs(lovecallbacknames) do
+    love[v] = function() end
+  end
+  love.update = lurker.update
+
+  local stacktrace = debug.traceback():gsub("\t", "")
+  local msg = lume.format("{1}\n\n{2}", {e, stacktrace})
+  local colors = { 0xFF1E1E2C, 0xFFF0A3A3, 0xFF92B5B0, 0xFF66666A, 0xFFCDCDCD }
+  love.graphics.reset()
+  love.graphics.setFont(love.graphics.newFont(12))
+
+  love.draw = function()
+    local pad = 25
+    local width = love.graphics.getWidth()
+    local function drawhr(pos, color1, color2)
+      local animpos = lume.smooth(pad, width - pad - 8, lume.pingpong(time()))
+      if color1 then love.graphics.setColor(lume.rgba(color1)) end
+      love.graphics.rectangle("fill", pad, pos, width - pad*2, 1)
+      if color2 then love.graphics.setColor(lume.rgba(color2)) end
+      love.graphics.rectangle("fill", animpos, pos, 8, 1)
+    end
+    local function drawtext(str, x, y, color)
+      love.graphics.setColor(lume.rgba(color))
+      love.graphics.print(str, x, y)
+    end
+    love.graphics.setBackgroundColor(lume.rgba(colors[1]))
+    love.graphics.clear()
+    drawtext("An error has occurred", pad, pad, colors[2])
+    drawtext("lurker", width - love.graphics.getFont():getWidth("lurker") - 
+             pad, pad, colors[4])
+    drawhr(pad + 32, colors[4], colors[5])
+    drawtext("If you fix the problem and update the file the program will " ..
+             "resume", pad, pad + 46, colors[3])
+    drawhr(pad + 72, colors[4], colors[5])
+    drawtext(msg, pad, pad + 90, colors[5])
+    love.graphics.reset()
+  end
+end
+
+
+function lurker.onfirstframe()
+  if lurker.protected then
+    lurker.initwrappers()
+  end
+end
+
+
 function lurker.update() 
+  if lurker.state == "init" then
+    lurker.onfirstframe()
+    lurker.state = "normal"
+  end
   local diff = time() - lurker.last 
   if diff > lurker.interval then
     lurker.last = lurker.last + diff
@@ -80,9 +166,20 @@ function lurker.resetfile(f)
 end
 
 
+function lurker.exiterrorstate()
+  lurker.state = "normal"
+  for _, v in pairs(lovecallbacknames) do
+    love[v] = lurker.funcwrappers[v]
+  end
+end
+
+
 function lurker.scan()
   for _, f in pairs(lurker.getchanged()) do
     lurker.print("Hotswapping '{f}'...", {f = f})
+    if lurker.state == "error" then 
+      lurker.exiterrorstate()
+    end
     lurker.preswap(f)
     local modname = lurker.modname(f)
     local t, ok, err = lume.time(lume.hotswap, modname)
@@ -93,6 +190,9 @@ function lurker.scan()
     end
     lurker.resetfile(f)
     lurker.postswap(f)
+    if lurker.protected then
+      lurker.updatewrappers()
+    end
   end
 end