diff --git a/cinera/cinera.c b/cinera/cinera.c
index a0c73d6..3149c73 100644
--- a/cinera/cinera.c
+++ b/cinera/cinera.c
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ typedef struct
 version CINERA_APP_VERSION = {
     .Major = 0,
     .Minor = 8,
-    .Patch = 17
+    .Patch = 18
 };
 
 #include <stdarg.h> // NOTE(matt): varargs
@@ -6687,17 +6687,26 @@ void
 ErrorRole(string HMMLFilepath, string Role)
 {
     ErrorFilenameAndLineNumber(&HMMLFilepath, 0, S_ERROR, ED_INDEXING);
-    fprintf(stderr, "No such role: %s%.*s%s\n",
-            ColourStrings[CS_YELLOW_BOLD],
-            (int)Role.Length, Role.Base,
-            ColourStrings[CS_END]);
-    fprintf(stderr, "Perhaps you'd like to add a new role to your config file, e.g.:\n"
-            "   role = \"%.*s\"\n"
-            "   {\n"
-            "       name = \"Roller\";\n"
-            "       plural = \"Rollae\";\n"
-            "       position = -1;\n"
-            "   }\n", (int)Role.Length, Role.Base);
+    if(Role.Length == 0)
+    {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Credit lacks a role\n");
+        fprintf(stderr, "    A complete credit takes the form:\n"
+                "       credit = creditable_person:their_role\n");
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        fprintf(stderr, "No such role: %s%.*s%s\n",
+                ColourStrings[CS_YELLOW_BOLD],
+                (int)Role.Length, Role.Base,
+                ColourStrings[CS_END]);
+        fprintf(stderr, "Perhaps you'd like to add a new role to your config file, e.g.:\n"
+                "   role = \"%.*s\"\n"
+                "   {\n"
+                "       name = \"Roller\";\n"
+                "       plural = \"Rollae\";\n"
+                "       position = -1;\n"
+                "   }\n", (int)Role.Length, Role.Base);
+    }
     WaitForInput();
 }
 #endif
@@ -6800,6 +6809,12 @@ Uncredited(HMML_VideoMetaData *Metadata, credit *C)
     return Result;
 }
 
+bool
+IsValidCredit(credit *Credit)
+{
+    return Credit->Person && Credit->Role;
+}
+
 void
 MergeCredits(memory_book *Credits, project *CurrentProject, HMML_VideoMetaData *Metadata)
 {
@@ -6807,7 +6822,7 @@ MergeCredits(memory_book *Credits, project *CurrentProject, HMML_VideoMetaData *
     for(int ProjectCreditIndex = 0; ProjectCreditIndex < CurrentProject->Credit.ItemCount; ++ProjectCreditIndex)
     {
         credit *Credit = GetPlaceInBook(&CurrentProject->Credit, ProjectCreditIndex);
-        if(!Uncredited(Metadata, Credit) && Credit->Role && !GetCredit(Credits, Credit))
+        if(IsValidCredit(Credit) && !Uncredited(Metadata, Credit) && !GetCredit(Credits, Credit))
         {
             credit *New = MakeSpaceInBook(Credits);
             New->Person = Credit->Person;
@@ -6821,7 +6836,7 @@ MergeCredits(memory_book *Credits, project *CurrentProject, HMML_VideoMetaData *
         credit Credit = {};
         Credit.Person = GetPersonFromConfig(Wrap0(This->name));
         Credit.Role = GetRoleByID(Config, Wrap0(This->role));
-        if(!Uncredited(Metadata, &Credit) && Credit.Role && !GetCredit(Credits, &Credit))
+        if(IsValidCredit(&Credit) && !Uncredited(Metadata, &Credit) && !GetCredit(Credits, &Credit))
         {
             credit *New = MakeSpaceInBook(Credits);
             New->Person = Credit.Person;
@@ -6840,7 +6855,7 @@ MergeCredits(memory_book *Credits, project *CurrentProject, HMML_VideoMetaData *
             credit Credit = {};
             Credit.Person = GetPersonFromConfig(Wrap0(This->value));
             Credit.Role = GetRoleByID(Config, Wrap0(RoleIDStrings[ThisAttribute->RoleID]));
-            if(!Uncredited(Metadata, &Credit) && Credit.Role && !GetCredit(Credits, &Credit))
+            if(IsValidCredit(&Credit) && !Uncredited(Metadata, &Credit) && !GetCredit(Credits, &Credit))
             {
                 credit *New = MakeSpaceInBook(Credits);
                 New->Person = Credit.Person;