diff --git a/zola b/zola
index 92883ef..d43167c 100755
--- a/zola
+++ b/zola
@@ -34,8 +34,12 @@ build_to () {
 		exit 2
 	fi
 
-	[ ! -d $DEST ] && mkdir $DEST
+	if [ ! -d $DEST ]; then
+ 		echo "Creating missing directory"
+		mkdir $DEST || echo "FAILED." && exit 3
+	fi
 	cp -R public/* $DEST/
+	[[ $? != 0 ]] && echo "Failed to copy project to $DEST" && exit 4
 	rm -R public
 }
 
@@ -47,9 +51,10 @@ if [ -f $GITBUILDCONF/$1.baseurl ]; then
     base_url="$(url_template $1 $GITBUILDCONF/$1.baseurl)"
 fi
 
-if [ -f $GITBUILDCONF/$1.basedir ]; then
+# Follow the symlink to make sure it's a directory
+if [ -L $GITBUILDCONF/$1.basedir ]; then
+	dest="$(readlink -e $GITBUILDCONF/$1.basedir)"
 	SINGLE=1
-	dest="$(cat $GITBUILDCONF/$1.basedir)"
 fi
 
 if [[ $SINGLE = 1 ]]; then
@@ -64,7 +69,7 @@ if [[ $SINGLE = 1 ]]; then
 		fi
 		base_url="https://$(cat $GITBUILDCONF/hostname)/~$USER/$1"
 	fi
-	[ -z $dest ] && dest=$HOME/public_html/$1
+	[ -z $dest ] && echo "Project has specific base_url but no basedir. Building to ~/public_html/$1" && dest=$HOME/public_html/$1
 	# BUILD
 	build_to $dest -u $base_url
 	exit $?
@@ -96,10 +101,13 @@ fi
 FAILED=0
 for t in $GITBUILDCONF/*.target.baseurl; do
 	t_name="$(basename $t .target.baseurl)"
-	dest=$GITBUILDCONF/$t_name.target.basedir
 	echo "[$1] Found target $t_name"
-	# Check if basedir is symbolic link (hopefully to a real dir)
-	if [ ! -h $dest ]; then
+
+	dest=$GITBUILDCONF/$t_name.target.basedir
+	# Follow symlink
+	[ -L $dest ] && dest="$(readlink -e $dest)"
+
+	if [ ! -d $dest ]; then
 		echo "ERROR: no $dest. Skipping $1:$t_name"
 		continue
 	fi