diff --git a/bin/svgo b/bin/svgo
index 14b21b8e4..0c2945204 100755
--- a/bin/svgo
+++ b/bin/svgo
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env node
 
+const { red } = require('chalk');
 const { program } = require('commander');
 const makeProgram = require('../lib/svgo/coa');
 makeProgram(program);
-program.parseAsync(process.argv);
+program.parseAsync(process.argv).catch(error => {
+  console.error(red(error.stack));
+  process.exit(1);
+});
diff --git a/lib/svgo-node.js b/lib/svgo-node.js
index ae9935719..6a5057221 100644
--- a/lib/svgo-node.js
+++ b/lib/svgo-node.js
@@ -33,13 +33,11 @@ const loadConfig = async (configFile, cwd = process.cwd()) => {
   }
   let dir = cwd;
   while (true) {
-    try {
-      const file = path.join(dir, "svgo.config.js");
-      const stats = await fs.promises.stat(file);
-      if (stats.isFile()) {
-        return await importConfig(file);
-      }
-    } catch {}
+    const file = path.join(dir, "svgo.config.js");
+    const stats = await fs.promises.stat(file);
+    if (stats.isFile()) {
+      return await importConfig(file);
+    }
     const parent = path.dirname(dir);
     if (dir === parent) {
       return null;
diff --git a/lib/svgo/coa.js b/lib/svgo/coa.js
index de7e17a96..4163540ec 100644
--- a/lib/svgo/coa.js
+++ b/lib/svgo/coa.js
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ const pluginsMap = require('../../plugins/plugins.js');
 const PKG = require('../../package.json');
 const { encodeSVGDatauri, decodeSVGDatauri } = require('./tools.js');
 const regSVGFile = /\.svg$/i;
-const noop = () => {};
 
 /**
  * Synchronously check if path is a directory. Tolerant to errors like ENOENT.
@@ -97,18 +96,14 @@ async function action(args, opts) {
     if (typeof process == 'object' && process.versions && process.versions.node && PKG && PKG.engines.node) {
         var nodeVersion = String(PKG.engines.node).match(/\d*(\.\d+)*/)[0];
         if (parseFloat(process.versions.node) < parseFloat(nodeVersion)) {
-            return printErrorAndExit(`Error: ${PKG.name} requires Node.js version ${nodeVersion} or higher.`);
+            throw Error(`${PKG.name} requires Node.js version ${nodeVersion} or higher.`);
         }
     }
 
     // --config
-    try {
-      const loadedConfig = await loadConfig(opts.config);
-      if (loadedConfig != null) {
-        config = loadedConfig;
-      }
-    } catch (error) {
-      return printErrorAndExit(error.message);
+    const loadedConfig = await loadConfig(opts.config);
+    if (loadedConfig != null) {
+      config = loadedConfig;
     }
 
     // --quiet
@@ -166,7 +161,7 @@ async function action(args, opts) {
     // --folder
     if (opts.folder) {
         var ouputFolder = output && output[0] || opts.folder;
-        return optimizeFolder(config, opts.folder, ouputFolder).then(noop, printErrorAndExit);
+        await optimizeFolder(config, opts.folder, ouputFolder);
     }
 
     // --input
@@ -183,8 +178,9 @@ async function action(args, opts) {
             });
         // file
         } else {
-            return Promise.all(input.map((file, n) => optimizeFile(config, file, output[n])))
-                .then(noop, printErrorAndExit);
+            await Promise.all(
+              input.map((file, n) => optimizeFile(config, file, output[n]))
+            );
         }
 
     // --string
@@ -390,15 +386,4 @@ function showAvailablePlugins() {
     console.log('Currently available plugins:\n' + list);
 }
 
-/**
- * Write an error and exit.
- * @param {Error} error
- * @return {Promise} a promise for running tests
- */
-function printErrorAndExit(error) {
-    console.error(chalk.red(error));
-    process.exit(1);
-    return Promise.reject(error); // for tests
-}
-
 module.exports.checkIsDir = checkIsDir;