diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 53e0abf..e462392 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -80,6 +80,22 @@ Install the pip dependency packages by using the Pipfile by running:
 
 `pipenv install`
 
+#### SSH (optional)
+
+Once the build is done, NASG will attempt to sync the output folder to a remote server. It needs an entry in the `~/.ssh/config` file:
+
+```
+Host liveserver
+    HostName your.ssh.host
+    User your.ssh.user
+    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/your.ssh.identity.file
+    IdentitiesOnly yes
+    ServerAliveInterval 30
+
+```
+
+Note: if you don't have this, there will be no auto upload, but the build will still succeed.
+
 ### Prepare
 
 Create a local base directory where your contents will be put into. Eg:
diff --git a/nasg.py b/nasg.py
index daaff3b..b1dd720 100644
--- a/nasg.py
+++ b/nasg.py
@@ -2342,15 +2342,18 @@ def make():
 
     if not settings.args.get('nosync'):
         # upload site
-        logger.info('starting syncing')
-        os.system(
-            "rsync -avuhH --delete-after %s/ %s/" % (
-                settings.paths.get('build'),
-                '%s/%s' % (settings.syncserver,
-                           settings.paths.get('remotewww'))
+        try:
+            logger.info('starting syncing')
+            os.system(
+                "rsync -avuhH --delete-after %s/ %s/" % (
+                    settings.paths.get('build'),
+                    '%s/%s' % (settings.syncserver,
+                            settings.paths.get('remotewww'))
+                )
             )
-        )
-        logger.info('syncing finished')
+            logger.info('syncing finished')
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.error('syncing failed: %s', e)
 
     if not settings.args.get('nosync'):
         logger.info('sending webmentions')
diff --git a/run b/run
index 7439674..52dd871 100755
--- a/run
+++ b/run
@@ -3,4 +3,9 @@
 set -euo pipefail
 IFS=$'\n\t'
 
+if [ ! -f 'keys.py' ]; then
+    echo "missing keys.py file; please copy keys.dist.py to keys.py and fill in the needed values inside"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 python3 nasg.py "$@"