diff --git a/src/VM/VM.c b/src/VM/VM.c
index 2753c6a..cc9d175 100644
--- a/src/VM/VM.c
+++ b/src/VM/VM.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ void _VM_setError(VM* vm, const char* context, const char* format, ...){
         strcpy(buf, "SPRINTF FAILED");
     }
     vm->error_message = buf;
+    vm->state = VMState_InternalError;
 }
 
 bool VM_loadProgram(VM* vm, u8* data, size_t size){
@@ -43,22 +44,26 @@ i32 VM_executeProgram(VM* vm){
         return -1;
     }
 
+    vm->state = VMState_Executing;
     vm->current_pos = 0;
     while (vm->current_pos < vm->data_size){
         u8 opcode = vm->data[vm->current_pos];
 
         const Instruction* instr = Instruction_getFromOpcode(opcode);
+        // printfe("[at 0x%x] %02X %s\n", (u32)vm->current_pos, opcode, instr->name);
         if(instr == NULL){
             VM_setError(vm, "unknown opcode %02X", opcode);
             return -1;
         }
-
         vm->current_pos++;
+        
         i32 bytes_read = instr->implementation(vm);
+        // internal error occured
         if(bytes_read < 0)
             return -1;
-
-        vm->current_pos += bytes_read;
+        
+        if(vm->state == VMState_Exited)
+            break;
     }
 
     if(vm->state != VMState_Exited){
diff --git a/src/VM/VM.h b/src/VM/VM.h
index 865555b..889e1f8 100644
--- a/src/VM/VM.h
+++ b/src/VM/VM.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ typedef enum VMState {
     VMState_Initialized,
     VMState_Executing,
     VMState_Exited,
+    VMState_InternalError
 } VMState;
 
 typedef struct VM {
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ typedef struct VM {
     };
     
     VMState state;
-    char* NULLABLE(error_message);
+    char* NULLABLE(error_message); // not null on if state == VMState_InternalError
 
     u8* data;
     size_t data_size;
diff --git a/src/instructions/impl/PUSH.c b/src/instructions/impl/PUSH.c
index 91c4241..91bc539 100644
--- a/src/instructions/impl/PUSH.c
+++ b/src/instructions/impl/PUSH.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ i32 PUSH_impl(VM* vm){
     vm->registers[dst_register_i].u32v = 0;
     if(!VM_dataRead(vm, &vm->registers[dst_register_i].u32v, vm->current_pos, value_size))
         return -1;
+    vm->current_pos += value_size;
 
     return sizeof(dst_register_i) + sizeof(value_size) + value_size;
 }
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 01d6411..47adf7d 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -26,37 +26,37 @@ i32 main(const i32 argc, const char** argv){
         }
         else if(arg_is("-i") || arg_is("--image")){
             if(++argi >= argc){
-                printfe("ERROR: no image file specified");
+                printfe("ERROR: no image file specified\n");
                 return 1;
             }
             filename = argv[argi];
         }
         else {
-            printfe("ERROR: unknown argument '%s'", argv[argi]);
+            printfe("ERROR: unknown argument '%s'\n", argv[argi]);
             return 1;
         }
     }
 
     if(filename == NULL){
-        printfe("ERROR: no arguments provided. Use --help to know more.");
+        printfe("ERROR: no arguments provided. Use --help to know more.\n");
         return 1;
     }
 
     FILE* file = fopen(filename, "rb");
     if(file == NULL){
-        printfe("ERROR: can't open file '%s'", filename);
+        printfe("ERROR: can't open file '%s'\n", filename);
         return 1;
     }
 
     const size_t buffer_size = 1024*1024;
-    u8* buffer = malloc(buffer_size);
-    memset(buffer, 0, buffer_size);
+    u8* vm_memory = malloc(buffer_size);
+    memset(vm_memory, 0, buffer_size);
 
-    size_t bytes_read = fread(buffer, 1, buffer_size, file);
+    size_t bytes_read = fread(vm_memory, 1, buffer_size, file);
     fclose(file);
     if(bytes_read == (size_t)EOF){
-        printfe("ERROR: can't read file '%s'", filename);
-        free(buffer);
+        printfe("ERROR: can't read file '%s'\n", filename);
+        free(vm_memory);
         return 1;
     }
 
@@ -64,15 +64,22 @@ i32 main(const i32 argc, const char** argv){
     VM_init(&vm);
 
     i32 exit_code = 1;
-    if(VM_loadProgram(&vm, buffer, bytes_read)){
+    if(VM_loadProgram(&vm, vm_memory, bytes_read)){
         exit_code = VM_executeProgram(&vm);
     }
-    if(vm.error_message != NULL){
-        printfe("VM ERROR: %s", vm.error_message);
-        free(vm.error_message);
+    if(vm.state == VMState_InternalError){
+        if(vm.error_message){
+            printfe("VM ERROR: %s\n", vm.error_message);
+            free(vm.error_message);
+        }
+        else printfe("VM ERROR: unknown error (error_message is null)\n");
     }
     
-    free(buffer);
+    if(exit_code != 0){
+        printfe("program exited with code %i\n", exit_code);
+    }
+
+    free(vm_memory);
     return exit_code;
 }