diff --git a/src/CLI.f90 b/src/CLI.f90
index 2774ee855..ed7fbcd5e 100644
--- a/src/CLI.f90
+++ b/src/CLI.f90
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ subroutine CLI_init()
   print'(a)', achar(27)//'[31m'
   print'(1x,a,/)', 'debug version - debug version - debug version - debug version - debug version'
 #else
-  print'(a)', achar(27)//'[94m'
+  print'(a)', achar(27)//'[1;94m'
 #endif
   print'(1x,a)', '    _/_/_/      _/_/    _/      _/    _/_/      _/_/_/  _/    _/    _/_/_/'
   print'(1x,a)', '   _/    _/  _/    _/  _/_/  _/_/  _/    _/  _/        _/  _/            _/'
@@ -158,48 +158,34 @@ subroutine CLI_init()
         print'(1x,a,/)','       Prints this message and exits'
         call quit(0)                                                                                ! normal Termination
       case ('-g', '--geom', '--geometry')
-        if (.not. hasArg) print'(/,1x,a)', 'ERROR: missing argument for --geom'
+        if (.not. hasArg) call IO_error(610,ext_msg='--geom')
         geomArg = getArg(i+1)
       case ('-l', '--load', '--loadcase')
-        if (.not. hasArg) print'(/,1x,a)', 'ERROR: missing argument for --load'
+        if (.not. hasArg) call IO_error(610,ext_msg='--load')
         loadArg = getArg(i+1)
       case ('-m', '--material', '--materialconfig')
-        if (.not. hasArg) print'(/,1x,a)', 'ERROR: missing argument for --material'
+        if (.not. hasArg) call IO_error(610,ext_msg='--material')
         materialArg = getArg(i+1)
       case ('-n', '--numerics', '--numericsconfig')
-        if (.not. hasArg) print'(/,1x,a)', 'ERROR: missing argument for --numerics'
+        if (.not. hasArg) call IO_error(610,ext_msg='--numerics')
         numericsArg = getArg(i+1)
       case ('-j', '--job', '--jobname')
-        if (.not. hasArg) print'(/,1x,a)', 'ERROR: missing argument for --jobname'
+        if (.not. hasArg) call IO_error(610,ext_msg='--jobname')
         solverJobname = getArg(i+1)
       case ('-w', '--wd', '--workingdir', '--workingdirectory')
-        if (.not. hasArg) print'(/,1x,a)', 'ERROR: missing argument for --workingdirectory'
+        if (.not. hasArg) call IO_error(610,ext_msg='--workingdirectory')
         workingDirArg = getArg(i+1)
       case ('-r', '--rs', '--restart')
-        if (.not. hasArg) print'(/,1x,a)', 'ERROR: missing argument for --restart'
+        if (.not. hasArg) call IO_error(610,ext_msg='--jobname')
         arg = getArg(i+1)
         read(arg,*,iostat=stat) CLI_restartInc
-        if (CLI_restartInc < 0 .or. stat /= 0) then
-          print'(/,1x,a)', 'ERROR: could not parse restart increment: '//trim(arg)
-          call quit(1)
-        end if
+        if (CLI_restartInc < 0 .or. stat /= 0) call IO_error(611,ext_msg=arg)
     end select
   end do
 
-  if (.not. allocated(loadArg)) then
-    print'(/,1x,a)', 'Error: no load case specified (-h for help)'
-    call quit(1)
-  end if
-
-  if (.not. allocated(geomArg)) then
-    print'(/,1x,a)', 'Error: no geometry specified (-h for help)'
-    call quit(1)
-  end if
-
-  if (.not. allocated(materialArg)) then
-    print'(/,1x,a)', 'Error: no material configuration specified (-h for help)'
-    call quit(1)
-  end if
+  if (.not. allocated(geomArg))     call IO_error(612,ext_msg='--geom')
+  if (.not. allocated(loadArg))     call IO_error(612,ext_msg='--load')
+  if (.not. allocated(materialArg)) call IO_error(612,ext_msg='--material')
 
   call setWorkingDirectory(trim(workingDirArg))
   CLI_geomFile = getPathRelCWD(geomArg,'geometry')
@@ -211,8 +197,7 @@ subroutine CLI_init()
   if (.not. allocated(solverJobname)) then
     solverJobname = jobname(CLI_geomFile,CLI_loadFile,CLI_materialFile,CLI_numericsFile)
   elseif (scan(solverJobname,'/') > 0) then
-    print'(/,1x,a)', 'ERROR: JOBNAME must not contain any slashes'
-    call quit(1)
+    call IO_error(630)
   endif
 
   commandLine = getArg(-1)
@@ -272,9 +257,6 @@ subroutine setWorkingDirectory(workingDirectoryArg)
   character(len=*), intent(in)  :: workingDirectoryArg                                              !< working directory argument
   character(len=:), allocatable :: workingDirectory
 
-  logical                       :: error
-  external                      :: quit
-
 
   absolutePath: if (workingDirectoryArg(1:1) == '/') then
     workingDirectory = workingDirectoryArg
@@ -284,11 +266,7 @@ subroutine setWorkingDirectory(workingDirectoryArg)
   end if absolutePath
 
   workingDirectory = trim(normpath(workingDirectory))
-  error = setCWD(trim(workingDirectory))
-  if (error) then
-    print'(1x,a)', 'ERROR: invalid working directory: '//trim(workingDirectory)
-    call quit(1)
-  end if
+  if (setCWD(trim(workingDirectory))) call IO_error(640,ext_msg=workingDirectory)
 
 end subroutine setWorkingDirectory
 
@@ -344,7 +322,6 @@ function getPathRelCWD(path,fileType)
   character(len=*),  intent(in) :: fileType
 
   logical                       :: file_exists
-  external                      :: quit
 
 
   getPathRelCWD = trim(path)
@@ -352,10 +329,7 @@ function getPathRelCWD(path,fileType)
   getPathRelCWD = trim(relpath(getPathRelCWD,getCWD()))
 
   inquire(file=getPathRelCWD, exist=file_exists)
-  if (.not. file_exists) then
-    print'(/,1x,a)', 'ERROR: '//fileType//' file does not exist: '//trim(getPathRelCWD)
-    call quit(1)
-  end if
+  if (.not. file_exists) call IO_error(100,ext_msg=fileType//' "'//trim(getPathRelCWD)//'"')
 
 end function getPathRelCWD
 
@@ -438,4 +412,5 @@ function relpath(path,start)
 
 end function relpath
 
+
 end module CLI
diff --git a/src/IO.f90 b/src/IO.f90
index 39a48e1e5..0a8f7b07e 100644
--- a/src/IO.f90
+++ b/src/IO.f90
@@ -555,6 +555,18 @@ subroutine IO_error(error_ID,ext_msg,label1,ID1,label2,ID2)
 ! user errors
     case (603)
       msg = 'invalid data for table'
+    case (610)
+      msg = 'missing argument for option'
+    case (611)
+      msg = 'could not parse restart increment'
+    case (612)
+      msg = 'missing option'
+    case (630)
+      msg = 'JOBNAME must not contain any slashes'
+    case (640)
+      msg = 'invalid working directory'
+
+
 
 !------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ! errors related to YAML data
@@ -622,9 +634,9 @@ subroutine IO_error(error_ID,ext_msg,label1,ID1,label2,ID2)
   end select
 
   call panel('error',error_ID,msg, &
-                 ext_msg=ext_msg, &
-                 label1=label1,ID1=ID1, &
-                 label2=label2,ID2=ID2)
+                     ext_msg=ext_msg, &
+                     label1=label1,ID1=ID1, &
+                     label2=label2,ID2=ID2)
   call quit(9000+error_ID)
 
 end subroutine IO_error
@@ -704,38 +716,43 @@ subroutine panel(paneltype,ID,msg,ext_msg,label1,ID1,label2,ID2)
 
   character(len=pSTRLEN)                 :: formatString
   integer, parameter                     :: panelwidth = 69
+  character(len=:), allocatable          :: msg_,ID_,msg1,msg2
   character(len=*), parameter            :: DIVIDER = repeat('─',panelwidth)
 
 
   if (.not. present(label1) .and.       present(ID1)) error stop 'missing label for value 1'
   if (.not. present(label2) .and.       present(ID2)) error stop 'missing label for value 2'
-  if (      present(label1) .and. .not. present(ID1)) error stop 'missing value for label 1'
-  if (      present(label2) .and. .not. present(ID2)) error stop 'missing value for label 2'
 
+  ID_ = IO_intAsStr(ID)
+  if (present(label1)) msg1 = label1
+  if (present(label2)) msg2 = label2
+  if (present(ID1)) msg1 = msg1//' '//IO_intAsStr(ID1)
+  if (present(ID2)) msg2 = msg2//' '//IO_intAsStr(ID2)
+
+  if (paneltype == 'error')   msg_ = achar(27)//'[31m'//trim(msg)//achar(27)//'[0m'
+  if (paneltype == 'warning') msg_ = achar(27)//'[33m'//trim(msg)//achar(27)//'[0m'
   !$OMP CRITICAL (write2out)
   write(IO_STDERR,'(/,a)')                ' ┌'//DIVIDER//'┐'
-  write(formatString,'(a,i2,a)') '(a,24x,a,',max(1,panelwidth-24-len_trim(paneltype)),'x,a)'
-  write(IO_STDERR,formatString)          ' │',trim(paneltype),                                      '│'
-  write(formatString,'(a,i2,a)') '(a,24x,i3,',max(1,panelwidth-24-3),'x,a)'
-  write(IO_STDERR,formatString)          ' │',ID,                                                   '│'
+  write(formatString,'(a,i2,a)') '(a,24x,a,1x,i0,',max(1,panelwidth-24-len_trim(paneltype)-1-len_trim(ID_)),'x,a)'
+  write(IO_STDERR,formatString)          ' │',trim(paneltype),ID,                                   '│'
   write(IO_STDERR,'(a)')                  ' ├'//DIVIDER//'┤'
-  write(formatString,'(a,i3.3,a,i3.3,a)') '(1x,a4,a',max(1,len_trim(msg)),',',&
+  write(formatString,'(a,i3.3,a,i3.3,a)') '(1x,a4,a',max(1,len_trim(msg_)),',',&
                                                      max(1,panelwidth+3-len_trim(msg)-4),'x,a)'
-  write(IO_STDERR,formatString)            '│ ',trim(msg),                                          '│'
+  write(IO_STDERR,formatString)            '│ ',trim(msg_),                                         '│'
   if (present(ext_msg)) then
     write(formatString,'(a,i3.3,a,i3.3,a)') '(1x,a4,a',max(1,len_trim(ext_msg)),',',&
                                                        max(1,panelwidth+3-len_trim(ext_msg)-4),'x,a)'
     write(IO_STDERR,formatString)          '│ ',trim(ext_msg),                                      '│'
   end if
   if (present(label1)) then
-    write(formatString,'(a,i3.3,a,i3.3,a)') '(1x,a7,a',max(1,len_trim(label1)),',i9,',&
-                                                       max(1,panelwidth+3-len_trim(label1)-9-7),'x,a)'
-    write(IO_STDERR,formatString)          '│ at ',trim(label1),ID1,                                '│'
+    write(formatString,'(a,i3.3,a,i3.3,a)') '(1x,a7,a',max(1,len_trim(msg1)),',',&
+                                                       max(1,panelwidth+3-len_trim(msg1)-7),'x,a)'
+    write(IO_STDERR,formatString)          '│ at ',trim(msg1),                                     '│'
   end if
   if (present(label2)) then
-    write(formatString,'(a,i3.3,a,i3.3,a)') '(1x,a7,a',max(1,len_trim(label2)),',i9,',&
-                                                       max(1,panelwidth+3-len_trim(label2)-9-7),'x,a)'
-    write(IO_STDERR,formatString)          '│ at ',trim(label2),ID2,                                '│'
+    write(formatString,'(a,i3.3,a,i3.3,a)') '(1x,a7,a',max(1,len_trim(msg2)),',',&
+                                                       max(1,panelwidth+3-len_trim(msg2)-7),'x,a)'
+    write(IO_STDERR,formatString)          '│ at ',trim(msg2),                                     '│'
   end if
   write(formatString,'(a,i2.2,a)') '(a,',max(1,panelwidth),'x,a)'
   write(IO_STDERR,formatString)          ' │',                                                     '│'