diff --git a/crates/eww/src/error_handling_ctx.rs b/crates/eww/src/error_handling_ctx.rs
index bf028b4..b965b4a 100644
--- a/crates/eww/src/error_handling_ctx.rs
+++ b/crates/eww/src/error_handling_ctx.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ use yuck::{
     config::{file_provider::YuckFiles, validate::ValidationError},
     error::AstError,
     format_diagnostic::ToDiagnostic,
-    gen_diagnostic,
 };
 
 use crate::error::DiagError;
@@ -26,11 +25,16 @@ pub fn clear_files() {
 }
 
 pub fn print_error(err: anyhow::Error) {
-    match stringify_diagnostic(anyhow_err_to_diagnostic(&err)) {
-        Ok(diag) => {
-            eprintln!("{:?}\n{}", err, diag);
-        }
-        Err(_) => {
+    match anyhow_err_to_diagnostic(&err) {
+        Some(diag) => match stringify_diagnostic(diag) {
+            Ok(diag) => {
+                eprintln!("{}", diag);
+            }
+            Err(_) => {
+                log::error!("{:?}", err);
+            }
+        },
+        None => {
             log::error!("{:?}", err);
         }
     }
@@ -40,23 +44,22 @@ pub fn format_error(err: &anyhow::Error) -> String {
     for err in err.chain() {
         format!("chain: {}", err);
     }
-    let diag = anyhow_err_to_diagnostic(err);
-    stringify_diagnostic(diag).unwrap_or_else(|_| format!("{}", err))
+    anyhow_err_to_diagnostic(err).and_then(|diag| stringify_diagnostic(diag).ok()).unwrap_or_else(|| format!("{:?}", err))
 }
 
-pub fn anyhow_err_to_diagnostic(err: &anyhow::Error) -> Diagnostic<usize> {
+pub fn anyhow_err_to_diagnostic(err: &anyhow::Error) -> Option<Diagnostic<usize>> {
     if let Some(err) = err.downcast_ref::<DiagError>() {
-        err.diag.clone()
+        Some(err.diag.clone())
     } else if let Some(err) = err.downcast_ref::<AstError>() {
-        err.to_diagnostic()
+        Some(err.to_diagnostic())
     } else if let Some(err) = err.downcast_ref::<ConversionError>() {
-        err.to_diagnostic()
+        Some(err.to_diagnostic())
     } else if let Some(err) = err.downcast_ref::<ValidationError>() {
-        err.to_diagnostic()
+        Some(err.to_diagnostic())
     } else if let Some(err) = err.downcast_ref::<EvalError>() {
-        err.to_diagnostic()
+        Some(err.to_diagnostic())
     } else {
-        gen_diagnostic!(format!("{:?}", err))
+        None
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/eww/src/script_var_handler.rs b/crates/eww/src/script_var_handler.rs
index 2ebfc31..0e9cb00 100644
--- a/crates/eww/src/script_var_handler.rs
+++ b/crates/eww/src/script_var_handler.rs
@@ -206,10 +206,11 @@ impl ListenVarHandler {
                 let mut handle = tokio::process::Command::new("sh")
                     .args(&["-c", &var.command])
                     .stdout(std::process::Stdio::piped())
-                    .stderr(std::process::Stdio::inherit())
+                    .stderr(std::process::Stdio::piped())
                     .stdin(std::process::Stdio::null())
                     .spawn()?;
                 let mut stdout_lines = BufReader::new(handle.stdout.take().unwrap()).lines();
+                let mut stderr_lines = BufReader::new(handle.stderr.take().unwrap()).lines();
                 crate::loop_select_exiting! {
                     _ = handle.wait() => break,
                     _ = cancellation_token.cancelled() => break,
@@ -217,6 +218,9 @@ impl ListenVarHandler {
                         let new_value = DynVal::from_string(line.to_owned());
                         evt_send.send(DaemonCommand::UpdateVars(vec![(var.name.to_owned(), new_value)]))?;
                     }
+                    Ok(Some(line)) = stderr_lines.next_line() => {
+                        log::warn!("stderr of `{}`: {}", var.name, line);
+                    }
                     else => break,
                 }
                 let _ = handle.kill().await;
diff --git a/crates/eww/src/widgets/widget_definitions.rs b/crates/eww/src/widgets/widget_definitions.rs
index 2bc4c5f..3be328f 100644
--- a/crates/eww/src/widgets/widget_definitions.rs
+++ b/crates/eww/src/widgets/widget_definitions.rs
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ fn build_gtk_literal(bargs: &mut BuilderArgs) -> Result<gtk::Box> {
                     .map_err(|e| AstError::ErrorContext {
                         label_span: literal_use_span,
                         context: "Error in the literal used here".to_string(),
-                        main_err: Box::new(error_handling_ctx::anyhow_err_to_diagnostic(&e))
+                        main_err: Box::new(error_handling_ctx::anyhow_err_to_diagnostic(&e).unwrap_or_else(|| gen_diagnostic!(e)))
                     })?;
                 gtk_widget.add(&child_widget);
                 child_widget.show();