diff --git a/doc/ca65.sgml b/doc/ca65.sgml
index cc00fdf9b..c04328105 100644
--- a/doc/ca65.sgml
+++ b/doc/ca65.sgml
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ Here is a description of all the command line options:
 
   Set the default for the CPU type. The option takes a parameter, which
   may be one of
-                                           
+
        	6502, 65SC02, 65C02, 65816, sunplus, sweet16, HuC6280
 
   The sunplus cpu is not available in the freeware version, because the
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ Here is a description of all the command line options:
   will take place. The assembler supports the same target systems as the
   compiler, see there for a list.
 
-  Depending on the target, the default CPU type is also set. This can be 
+  Depending on the target, the default CPU type is also set. This can be
   overriden by using the <tt/<ref id="option--cpu" name="--cpu">/ option.
 
 
@@ -2290,7 +2290,8 @@ Here's a list of all control commands and a description, what they do:
 <sect1><tt>.ERROR</tt><label id=".ERROR"><p>
 
   Force an assembly error. The assembler will output an error message
-  preceded by "User error" and will <em/not/ produce an object file.
+  preceded by "User error". Assembly is continued but no object file will
+  generated.
 
   This command may be used to check for initial conditions that must be
   set before assembling a source file.
@@ -2307,8 +2308,9 @@ Here's a list of all control commands and a description, what they do:
 	.endif
   </verb></tscreen>
 
-  See also the <tt><ref id=".WARNING" name=".WARNING"></tt> and <tt><ref
-  id=".OUT" name=".OUT"></tt> directives.
+  See also: <tt><ref id=".FATAL" name=".FATAL"></tt>,
+            <tt><ref id=".OUT" name=".OUT"></tt>,
+            <tt><ref id=".WARNING" name=".WARNING"></tt>
 
 
 <sect1><tt>.EXITMAC, .EXITMACRO</tt><label id=".EXITMACRO"><p>
@@ -2374,6 +2376,32 @@ Here's a list of all control commands and a description, what they do:
   See: <tt><ref id=".ADDR" name=".ADDR"></tt>
 
 
+<sect1><tt>.FATAL</tt><label id=".FATAL"><p>
+
+  Force an assembly error and terminate assembly. The assembler will output an
+  error message preceded by "User error" and will terminate assembly
+  immediately.
+
+  This command may be used to check for initial conditions that must be
+  set before assembling a source file.
+
+  Example:
+
+  <tscreen><verb>
+	.if    	foo = 1
+	...
+	.elseif	bar = 1
+	...
+	.else
+       	.fatal  "Must define foo or bar!"               
+	.endif
+  </verb></tscreen>
+
+  See also: <tt><ref id=".ERROR" name=".ERROR"></tt>,
+            <tt><ref id=".OUT" name=".OUT"></tt>,
+            <tt><ref id=".WARNING" name=".WARNING"></tt>
+
+
 <sect1><tt>.FEATURE</tt><label id=".FEATURE"><p>
 
   This directive may be used to enable one or more compatibility features
@@ -3097,8 +3125,9 @@ Here's a list of all control commands and a description, what they do:
   	.out	"This code was written by the codebuster(tm)"
   </verb></tscreen>
 
-  See also the <tt><ref id=".WARNING" name=".WARNING"></tt> and <tt><ref
-  id=".ERROR" name=".ERROR"></tt> directives.
+  See also: <tt><ref id=".ERROR" name=".ERROR"></tt>,
+            <tt><ref id=".FATAL" name=".FATAL"></tt>,
+            <tt><ref id=".WARNING" name=".WARNING"></tt>
 
 
 <sect1><tt>.P02</tt><label id=".P02"><p>
@@ -3505,20 +3534,21 @@ Here's a list of all control commands and a description, what they do:
 
   <tscreen><verb>
 	.macro	jne	target
-		.local L1
-		.ifndef	target
-		.warning "Forward jump in jne, cannot optimize!"
-		beq	L1
-		jmp	target
+	   	.local L1
+	   	.ifndef	target
+	   	.warning "Forward jump in jne, cannot optimize!"
+	   	beq	L1
+	   	jmp	target
 	L1:
 	   	.else
-		...
-		.endif
+	   	...
+	   	.endif
 	.endmacro
   </verb></tscreen>
 
-  See also the <tt><ref id=".ERROR" name=".ERROR"></tt> and <tt><ref id=".OUT"
-  name=".OUT"></tt> directives.
+  See also: <tt><ref id=".ERROR" name=".ERROR"></tt>
+            <tt><ref id=".FATAL" name=".FATAL"></tt>,
+            <tt><ref id=".OUT" name=".OUT"></tt>
 
 
 <sect1><tt>.WORD</tt><label id=".WORD"><p>
diff --git a/src/ca65/pseudo.c b/src/ca65/pseudo.c
index 239075f1b..a5f127eec 100644
--- a/src/ca65/pseudo.c
+++ b/src/ca65/pseudo.c
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 /*                                                                           */
 /*                                                                           */
 /*                                                                           */
-/* (C) 1998-2010, Ullrich von Bassewitz                                      */
+/* (C) 1998-2011, Ullrich von Bassewitz                                      */
 /*                Roemerstrasse 52                                           */
 /*                D-70794 Filderstadt                                        */
 /* EMail:         uz@cc65.org                                                */
@@ -882,6 +882,19 @@ static void DoFarAddr (void)
 
 
 
+static void DoFatal (void)
+/* Fatal user error */
+{
+    if (Tok != TOK_STRCON) {
+ 	ErrorSkip ("String constant expected");
+    } else {
+       	Fatal ("User error: %m%p", &SVal);
+	SkipUntilSep ();
+    }
+}
+
+
+
 static void DoFeature (void)
 /* Switch the Feature option */
 {
@@ -1874,6 +1887,7 @@ static CtrlDesc CtrlCmdTab [] = {
     { ccNone,		DoExport  	},
     { ccNone,       	DoExportZP	},
     { ccNone,        	DoFarAddr	},
+    { ccNone,  	       	DoFatal         },
     { ccNone,		DoFeature	},
     { ccNone,		DoFileOpt	},
     { ccNone,           DoForceImport   },
diff --git a/src/ca65/scanner.c b/src/ca65/scanner.c
index 40c3e0b07..2c4b2292e 100644
--- a/src/ca65/scanner.c
+++ b/src/ca65/scanner.c
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 /*                                                                           */
 /*                                                                           */
 /*                                                                           */
-/* (C) 1998-2010, Ullrich von Bassewitz                                      */
+/* (C) 1998-2011, Ullrich von Bassewitz                                      */
 /*                Roemerstrasse 52                                           */
 /*                D-70794 Filderstadt                                        */
 /* EMail:         uz@cc65.org                                                */
@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ struct DotKeyword {
     { ".EXPORT",	TOK_EXPORT	},
     { ".EXPORTZP",	TOK_EXPORTZP	},
     { ".FARADDR",	TOK_FARADDR	},
+    { ".FATAL",         TOK_FATAL       },
     { ".FEATURE",	TOK_FEATURE	},
     { ".FILEOPT",	TOK_FILEOPT	},
     { ".FOPT",  	TOK_FILEOPT	},
diff --git a/src/ca65/token.h b/src/ca65/token.h
index 51bab2d68..7a85fe4af 100644
--- a/src/ca65/token.h
+++ b/src/ca65/token.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 /*                                                                           */
 /*                                                                           */
 /*                                                                           */
-/* (C) 2007-2010, Ullrich von Bassewitz                                      */
+/* (C) 2007-2011, Ullrich von Bassewitz                                      */
 /*                Roemerstrasse 52                                           */
 /*                D-70794 Filderstadt                                        */
 /* EMail:         uz@cc65.org                                                */
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ typedef enum Token {
     TOK_EXPORT,
     TOK_EXPORTZP,
     TOK_FARADDR,
+    TOK_FATAL,
     TOK_FEATURE,
     TOK_FILEOPT,
     TOK_FORCEIMPORT,
@@ -220,7 +221,7 @@ typedef enum Token {
     TOK_POPCPU,
     TOK_POPSEG,
     TOK_PROC,
-    TOK_PSC02, 
+    TOK_PSC02,
     TOK_PUSHCPU,
     TOK_PUSHSEG,
     TOK_REFERENCED,