diff --git a/sway/commands.c b/sway/commands.c
index 14192c441..cb24f7961 100644
--- a/sway/commands.c
+++ b/sway/commands.c
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
@@ -5,16 +6,36 @@
 #include "commands.h"
 
 int cmd_set(struct sway_config *config, int argc, char **argv) {
+	if (argc != 2) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Invalid set command (expected 2 arguments, got %d)\n", argc);
+		return 1;
+	}
+	struct sway_variable *var = malloc(sizeof(struct sway_variable));
+	var->name = malloc(strlen(argv[0]) + 1);
+	strcpy(var->name, argv[0]);
+	var->value = malloc(strlen(argv[1]) + 1);
+	strcpy(var->value, argv[1]);
+	list_add(config->symbols, var);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int cmd_bindsym(struct sway_config *config, int argc, char **argv) {
+	if (argc != 2) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Invalid bindsym command (expected 2 arguments, got %d)\n", argc);
+		return 1;
+	}
+	// TODO: parse out keybindings
 	return 0;
 }
 
 /* Keep alphabetized */
 struct cmd_handler handlers[] = {
+	{ "bindsym", cmd_bindsym }
 	{ "set", cmd_set }
 };
 
 char **split_directive(char *line, int *argc) {
-	const char *delimiters = ",";
+	const char *delimiters = " ";
 	*argc = 0;
 	while (isspace(*line) && *line) ++line;
 
@@ -94,5 +115,11 @@ int handle_command(struct sway_config *config, char *exec) {
 	}
 	int argc;
 	char **argv = split_directive(exec + strlen(handler->command), &argc);
-	return handler->handle(config, argc, argv);
+	int ret = handler->handle(config, argc, argv);
+	int i;
+	for (i = 0; i < argc; ++i) {
+		free(argv[i]);
+	}
+	free(argv);
+	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/sway/config.c b/sway/config.c
index bb6533c28..7242be8d1 100644
--- a/sway/config.c
+++ b/sway/config.c
@@ -11,8 +11,14 @@ struct sway_config *read_config(FILE *file) {
 	struct sway_config *config = malloc(sizeof(struct sway_config));
 	config->symbols = create_list();
 	config->modes = create_list();
+	config->current_mode = malloc(sizeof(struct sway_mode));
+	config->current_mode->name = NULL;
+	config->current_mode->bindings = create_list();
+	list_add(config->modes, config->current_mode);
 
-	int temp_braces = 0; // Temporary: skip all config sections with braces
+	bool success = true;
+
+	int temp_depth = 0; // Temporary: skip all config sections with depth
 
 	while (!feof(file)) {
 		int _;
@@ -22,19 +28,25 @@ struct sway_config *read_config(FILE *file) {
 		if (!line[0]) {
 			goto _continue;
 		}
-		if (temp_braces && line[0] == '}') {
-			temp_braces--;
+		if (temp_depth && line[0] == '}') {
+			temp_depth--;
 			goto _continue;
 		}
 
-		handle_command(config, line);
+		if (!handle_command(config, line)) {
+			success = false;
+		}
 		
 _continue:
 		if (line && line[strlen(line) - 1] == '{') {
-			temp_braces++;
+			temp_depth++;
 		}
 		free(line);
 	}
 
+	if (!success) {
+		exit(1);
+	}
+
 	return config;
 }
diff --git a/sway/config.h b/sway/config.h
index 2fe566f06..b24758719 100644
--- a/sway/config.h
+++ b/sway/config.h
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@
 #include <wlc/wlc.h>
 #include "list.h"
 
+struct sway_variable {
+    char *name;
+    char *value;
+};
+
 struct sway_binding {
     list_t *keys;
     struct wlc_modifiers modifiers;
@@ -19,6 +24,7 @@ struct sway_mode {
 struct sway_config {
     list_t *symbols;
     list_t *modes;
+    struct sway_mode *current_mode;
 };
 
 struct sway_config *read_config(FILE *file);
diff --git a/sway/stringop.c b/sway/stringop.c
index 0e7ad6a91..4b05e6571 100644
--- a/sway/stringop.c
+++ b/sway/stringop.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ char *strip_comments(char *str) {
 		} else if (str[i] == '\'' && !in_string) {
 			in_character = !in_character;
 		} else if (!in_character && !in_string) {
-			if (str[i] == '#') {
+			if (str[i] == '#' && i == 0) {
 				str[i] = '\0';
 				break;
 			}