diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 1032d1fd..3493db77 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ if (WIN32)
 
 	if (MSVC)
 		# request 8MB stack for all .exe's
-		set(STACKSIZE 8388608)
+		set(STACKSIZE 16388608)
 		set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "/STACK:${STACKSIZE}")
 
 		add_definitions("/wd4244") # disable "conversion from .. to .., possible loss of data" warning
diff --git a/bsputil/bsputil.cc b/bsputil/bsputil.cc
index 243ec6e9..c1c14529 100644
--- a/bsputil/bsputil.cc
+++ b/bsputil/bsputil.cc
@@ -825,7 +825,7 @@ int bsputil_main(int _argc, const char **_argv)
     logging::init(std::nullopt, bsputil_options);
 
     if (bsputil_options.remainder.size() != 1 || bsputil_options.operations.empty()) {
-        bsputil_options.print_help();
+        bsputil_options.print_help(true);
         return 1;
     }
 
diff --git a/common/entdata.cc b/common/entdata.cc
index cbc72e50..a38f05b6 100644
--- a/common/entdata.cc
+++ b/common/entdata.cc
@@ -169,10 +169,10 @@ void entdict_t::parse(parser_base_t &parser)
             FError("closing brace without data");
 
         // trim whitespace from start/end
-        while (std::isspace(keystr.front())) {
+        while (!keystr.empty() && std::isspace(keystr.front())) {
             keystr.erase(keystr.begin());
         }
-        while (std::isspace(keystr.back())) {
+        while (!keystr.empty() && std::isspace(keystr.back())) {
             keystr.erase(keystr.cbegin());
         }
 
diff --git a/common/settings.cc b/common/settings.cc
index d769fddf..dd3be518 100644
--- a/common/settings.cc
+++ b/common/settings.cc
@@ -533,7 +533,7 @@ void setting_container::set_settings(const entdict_t &epairs, source source)
     }
 }
 
-void setting_container::print_help()
+void setting_container::print_help(bool fatal)
 {
     fmt::print("{}usage: {} [-help/-h/-?] [-options] {}\n\n", program_description, program_name, remainder_name);
 
@@ -543,7 +543,7 @@ void setting_container::print_help()
         }
 
         for (auto setting : grouped.second) {
-            size_t numPadding = std::max(static_cast<size_t>(0), 28 - (setting->primary_name().size() + 4));
+            size_t numPadding = std::max(static_cast<size_t>(0), 28 - std::min((size_t) 28, (setting->primary_name().size() + 4)));
             fmt::print(
                 "  -{} {:{}}    {}\n", setting->primary_name(), setting->format(), numPadding, setting->description());
 
@@ -555,7 +555,10 @@ void setting_container::print_help()
         printf("\n");
     }
 
-    throw quit_after_help_exception();
+    if (fatal)
+    {
+        throw quit_after_help_exception();
+    }
 }
 
 void setting_container::print_summary()
@@ -679,7 +682,7 @@ std::vector<std::string> setting_container::parse(parser_base_t &parser)
         }
 
         if (parser.token == "help" || parser.token == "h" || parser.token == "?") {
-            print_help();
+            print_help(true);
         } else if (parser.token == "rst") {
             print_rst_documentation();
         }
diff --git a/include/common/settings.hh b/include/common/settings.hh
index b6a46023..f2b709f2 100644
--- a/include/common/settings.hh
+++ b/include/common/settings.hh
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ public:
 
     inline auto grouped() const { return _grouped_settings; }
 
-    void print_help();
+    void print_help(bool fatal);
     void print_summary();
     void print_rst_documentation();
 
diff --git a/light/light.cc b/light/light.cc
index ff7e3575..ea96b0f2 100644
--- a/light/light.cc
+++ b/light/light.cc
@@ -447,13 +447,16 @@ void light_settings::initialize(int argc, const char **argv)
         common_settings::initialize(argc - 1, argv + 1);
 
         if (remainder.size() <= 0 || remainder.size() > 1) {
-            print_help();
+            print_help(true);
         }
 
         sourceMap = remainder[0];
     } catch (parse_exception &ex) {
+        print_help(false);
+        logging::print("ERROR OCCURRED WHEN TRYING TO PARSE ARGUMENTS:\n");
         logging::print(ex.what());
-        print_help();
+        logging::print("\n\n");
+        throw settings::quit_after_help_exception();
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/maputil/maputil.cc b/maputil/maputil.cc
index ed637006..65dc3fd6 100644
--- a/maputil/maputil.cc
+++ b/maputil/maputil.cc
@@ -956,7 +956,7 @@ int maputil_main(int argc, const char **argv)
     logging::init(std::nullopt, maputil_options);
 
     if (maputil_options.operations.empty()) {
-        maputil_options.print_help();
+        maputil_options.print_help(true);
         return 1;
     }
 
diff --git a/qbsp/qbsp.cc b/qbsp/qbsp.cc
index 4ec0949d..a21dbd53 100644
--- a/qbsp/qbsp.cc
+++ b/qbsp/qbsp.cc
@@ -587,7 +587,7 @@ void qbsp_settings::initialize(int argc, const char **argv)
         common_settings::initialize(argc - 1, argv + 1);
 
         if (remainder.size() <= 0 || remainder.size() > 2) {
-            print_help();
+            print_help(true);
         }
 
         qbsp_options.map_path = remainder[0];
@@ -596,8 +596,11 @@ void qbsp_settings::initialize(int argc, const char **argv)
             qbsp_options.bsp_path = remainder[1];
         }
     } catch (parse_exception &ex) {
+        print_help(false);
+        logging::print("ERROR OCCURRED WHEN TRYING TO PARSE ARGUMENTS:\n");
         logging::print(ex.what());
-        print_help();
+        logging::print("\n\n");
+        throw settings::quit_after_help_exception();
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/vis/vis.cc b/vis/vis.cc
index eca2114a..9b01cb04 100644
--- a/vis/vis.cc
+++ b/vis/vis.cc
@@ -46,13 +46,16 @@ void vis_settings::initialize(int argc, const char **argv)
         common_settings::initialize(argc - 1, argv + 1);
 
         if (remainder.size() <= 0 || remainder.size() > 2) {
-            print_help();
+            print_help(true);
         }
 
         sourceMap = DefaultExtension(remainder[0], "bsp");
     } catch (parse_exception &ex) {
+        print_help(false);
+        logging::print("ERROR OCCURRED WHEN TRYING TO PARSE ARGUMENTS:\n");
         logging::print(ex.what());
-        print_help();
+        logging::print("\n\n");
+        throw settings::quit_after_help_exception();
     }
 }
 } // namespace settings