diff --git a/lib/src/main/groovy/com/jessebrault/ssg/part/PartFilePartsProvider.groovy b/lib/src/main/groovy/com/jessebrault/ssg/part/PartFilePartsProvider.groovy
index 7b28f01..72e7cc8 100644
--- a/lib/src/main/groovy/com/jessebrault/ssg/part/PartFilePartsProvider.groovy
+++ b/lib/src/main/groovy/com/jessebrault/ssg/part/PartFilePartsProvider.groovy
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class PartFilePartsProvider implements PartsProvider, WithWatchableDir {
     }
 
     private PartType getPartType(File file) {
-        partTypes.find {
+        this.partTypes.find {
             it.ids.contains(new FileNameHandler(file).getExtension())
         }
     }
@@ -32,21 +32,22 @@ class PartFilePartsProvider implements PartsProvider, WithWatchableDir {
     @Override
     Collection<Part> provide() {
         if (!partsDir.isDirectory()) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException('partsDir must be a directory')
-        }
-
-        def parts = []
-        partsDir.eachFileRecurse(FileType.FILES) {
-            def type = this.getPartType(it)
-            if (type != null) {
-                def relativePath = this.partsDir.relativePath(it)
-                logger.debug('found part {}', relativePath)
-                parts << new Part(relativePath, type, it.text)
-            } else {
-                logger.warn('ignoring {} since there is no partType for it', it)
+            logger.warn('partsDir {} does not exist or is not a directory; skipping and providing no Parts', this.partsDir)
+            []
+        } else {
+            def parts = []
+            this.partsDir.eachFileRecurse(FileType.FILES) {
+                def type = this.getPartType(it)
+                if (type != null) {
+                    def relativePath = this.partsDir.relativePath(it)
+                    logger.debug('found part {}', relativePath)
+                    parts << new Part(relativePath, type, it.text)
+                } else {
+                    logger.warn('ignoring {} since there is no partType for it', it)
+                }
             }
+            parts
         }
-        parts
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/lib/src/main/groovy/com/jessebrault/ssg/specialpage/SpecialPageFileSpecialPagesProvider.groovy b/lib/src/main/groovy/com/jessebrault/ssg/specialpage/SpecialPageFileSpecialPagesProvider.groovy
index 9df8982..a2ef1e3 100644
--- a/lib/src/main/groovy/com/jessebrault/ssg/specialpage/SpecialPageFileSpecialPagesProvider.groovy
+++ b/lib/src/main/groovy/com/jessebrault/ssg/specialpage/SpecialPageFileSpecialPagesProvider.groovy
@@ -33,22 +33,23 @@ class SpecialPageFileSpecialPagesProvider implements SpecialPagesProvider, WithW
     @Override
     Collection<SpecialPage> provide() {
         if (!this.specialPagesDir.isDirectory()) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException('specialPagesDir must be a directory')
-        }
-
-        def specialPages = []
-        this.specialPagesDir.eachFileRecurse(FileType.FILES) {
-            def type = this.getSpecialPageType(it)
-            if (type != null) {
-                def relativePath = this.specialPagesDir.relativePath(it)
-                def path = new RelativePathHandler(relativePath).getWithoutExtension()
-                logger.info('found specialPage {} with type {}', path, type)
-                specialPages << new SpecialPage(it.text, path, type)
-            } else {
-                logger.warn('ignoring {} since there is no specialPageType for it', it)
+            logger.warn('specialPagesDir {} does not exist or is not a directory; skipping and providing no SpecialPages', this.specialPagesDir)
+            []
+        } else {
+            def specialPages = []
+            this.specialPagesDir.eachFileRecurse(FileType.FILES) {
+                def type = this.getSpecialPageType(it)
+                if (type != null) {
+                    def relativePath = this.specialPagesDir.relativePath(it)
+                    def path = new RelativePathHandler(relativePath).getWithoutExtension()
+                    logger.info('found specialPage {} with type {}', path, type)
+                    specialPages << new SpecialPage(it.text, path, type)
+                } else {
+                    logger.warn('ignoring {} since there is no specialPageType for it', it)
+                }
             }
+            specialPages
         }
-        specialPages
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/lib/src/main/groovy/com/jessebrault/ssg/template/TemplateFileTemplatesProvider.groovy b/lib/src/main/groovy/com/jessebrault/ssg/template/TemplateFileTemplatesProvider.groovy
index b0d318d..a656c1e 100644
--- a/lib/src/main/groovy/com/jessebrault/ssg/template/TemplateFileTemplatesProvider.groovy
+++ b/lib/src/main/groovy/com/jessebrault/ssg/template/TemplateFileTemplatesProvider.groovy
@@ -32,20 +32,22 @@ class TemplateFileTemplatesProvider implements TemplatesProvider, WithWatchableD
     @Override
     Collection<Template> provide() {
         if (!this.templatesDir.isDirectory()) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException('templatesDir must be a directory')
-        }
-        def templates = []
-        this.templatesDir.eachFileRecurse(FileType.FILES) {
-            def type = this.getType(it)
-            if (type != null) {
-                def relativePath = this.templatesDir.relativePath(it)
-                logger.debug('found template {}', relativePath)
-                templates << new Template(it.text, relativePath, type)
-            } else {
-                logger.warn('ignoring {} because there is no templateType for it', it)
+            logger.warn('templatesDir {} does not exist or is not a directory; skipping and providing no Templates', this.templatesDir)
+            []
+        } else {
+            def templates = []
+            this.templatesDir.eachFileRecurse(FileType.FILES) {
+                def type = this.getType(it)
+                if (type != null) {
+                    def relativePath = this.templatesDir.relativePath(it)
+                    logger.debug('found template {}', relativePath)
+                    templates << new Template(it.text, relativePath, type)
+                } else {
+                    logger.warn('ignoring {} because there is no templateType for it', it)
+                }
             }
+            templates
         }
-        templates
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/lib/src/main/groovy/com/jessebrault/ssg/text/TextFileTextsProvider.groovy b/lib/src/main/groovy/com/jessebrault/ssg/text/TextFileTextsProvider.groovy
index 8f55bbd..1eacbf9 100644
--- a/lib/src/main/groovy/com/jessebrault/ssg/text/TextFileTextsProvider.groovy
+++ b/lib/src/main/groovy/com/jessebrault/ssg/text/TextFileTextsProvider.groovy
@@ -21,9 +21,6 @@ class TextFileTextsProvider implements TextsProvider, WithWatchableDir {
     TextFileTextsProvider(Collection<TextType> textTypes, File textsDir) {
         this.textTypes = textTypes
         this.textsDir = textsDir
-        if (!this.textsDir.isDirectory()) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException('textsDir must be a directory, given: ' + this.textsDir)
-        }
         this.watchableDir = this.textsDir
     }
 
@@ -35,19 +32,24 @@ class TextFileTextsProvider implements TextsProvider, WithWatchableDir {
 
     @Override
     Collection<Text> provide() {
-        def textFiles = []
-        this.textsDir.eachFileRecurse(FileType.FILES) {
-            def type = this.getTextType(it)
-            if (type != null) {
-                def relativePath = this.textsDir.relativePath(it)
-                def path = new RelativePathHandler(relativePath).getWithoutExtension()
-                logger.debug('found textFile {} with type {}', path, type)
-                textFiles << new Text(it.text, path, type)
-            } else {
-                logger.warn('ignoring {} because there is no textType for it', it)
+        if (!this.textsDir.isDirectory()) {
+            logger.warn('textsDir {} does not exist or is not a directory; skipping and providing no Texts', this.textsDir)
+            []
+        } else {
+            def textFiles = []
+            this.textsDir.eachFileRecurse(FileType.FILES) {
+                def type = this.getTextType(it)
+                if (type != null) {
+                    def relativePath = this.textsDir.relativePath(it)
+                    def path = new RelativePathHandler(relativePath).getWithoutExtension()
+                    logger.debug('found textFile {} with type {}', path, type)
+                    textFiles << new Text(it.text, path, type)
+                } else {
+                    logger.warn('ignoring {} because there is no textType for it', it)
+                }
             }
+            textFiles
         }
-        textFiles
     }
 
     @Override