diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 3e0b431..f5e8caf 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -11,26 +11,30 @@ import runPreParseHook from './runPreParseHook';
  */
 export default function parseArguments(
     spec: { [key: string]: IOption },
-    preParseHook?: (args: string[], fail: (message: string) => void) => (string[] | undefined),
+    preParseHook?: (args: string[]) => (string[] | undefined),
   ): { fail: (errorMessage: string) => never, args: { [key: string]: string } } {
   //Initialize state
   const { outputArgs, shortToLongLookup, requiredOptions, fail } = initState(spec);
-  const args = runPreParseHook({ args: process.argv.slice(2), preParseHook, fail });
+  try {
+    const args = runPreParseHook({ args: process.argv.slice(2), preParseHook });
 
-  //Iterate through all command line arguments. When we have read both name and value, verify the argument for correctness.
-  //Show error if a name has no value afterwards, or a value has no name in front of it.
-  const lastOption = args.reduce(parseArgument.bind(null, { spec, fail, outputArgs, requiredOptions, shortToLongLookup }));
+    //Iterate through all command line arguments. When we have read both name and value, verify the argument for correctness.
+    //Show error if a name has no value afterwards, or a value has no name in front of it.
+    const lastOption = args.reduce(parseArgument.bind(null, { spec, outputArgs, requiredOptions, shortToLongLookup }));
 
-  // argumentName must be cleared to '' after the value is read, so if it is not an empty string, the value was missing
-  if (lastOption !== '') {
-    return fail(`Option "${lastOption}" was not followed by a value.`);
-  }
-
-  //check if any entry in requiredArguments was not set
-  for (const optName in requiredOptions) {
-    if (spec.hasOwnProperty(optName) && requiredOptions[optName] === false) {
-      return fail(`Missing option "${optName}" even though it is required.`);
+    // argumentName must be cleared to '' after the value is read, so if it is not an empty string, the value was missing
+    if (lastOption !== '') {
+      throw new Error(`Option "${lastOption}" was not followed by a value.`);
     }
+
+    //check if any entry in requiredArguments was not set
+    for (const optName in requiredOptions) {
+      if (spec.hasOwnProperty(optName) && requiredOptions[optName] === false) {
+        throw new Error(`Missing option "${optName}" even though it is required.`);
+      }
+    }
+  } catch (error) {
+    fail((error as Error).message);
   }
 
   return {
diff --git a/src/parseArgument.ts b/src/parseArgument.ts
index 963c64f..4c07c0b 100644
--- a/src/parseArgument.ts
+++ b/src/parseArgument.ts
@@ -2,9 +2,8 @@ import IOption from './IOption';
 import verifyAndStoreOptionValue from './verifyAndStoreOptionValue';
 
 export default function parseArgument(
-  { spec, fail, outputArgs, requiredOptions, shortToLongLookup }: {
+  { spec, outputArgs, requiredOptions, shortToLongLookup }: {
     spec: { [key: string]: IOption },
-    fail: (errorMessage: string) => never,
     outputArgs: { [key: string]: string },
     requiredOptions: { [key: string]: boolean },
     shortToLongLookup: { [key: string]: string },
@@ -20,7 +19,7 @@ export default function parseArgument(
      * - `-o=value`
      */
     if (arg === '-' || arg === '--') {
-      return fail(`Empty option "-" or "--" is not supported.`);
+      throw new Error(`Empty option "-" or "--" is not supported.`);
     } else if (arg.startsWith('--')) { //long argument
       let option = arg.substr(2);
       let value;
@@ -30,11 +29,11 @@ export default function parseArgument(
       }
       //Check that argument name is valid
       if (spec[option] === undefined) {
-        return fail(`Unknown option "--${option}".`);
+        throw new Error(`Unknown option "--${option}".`);
       }
       //If value was provided, check that value is correct and remove name for next loop iteration
       if (value !== undefined) {
-        verifyAndStoreOptionValue({option, value, verify: spec[option].verify, message: spec[option].message, fail, outputArgs, requiredOptions});
+        verifyAndStoreOptionValue({option, value, verify: spec[option].verify, message: spec[option].message, outputArgs, requiredOptions});
         return '';
       }
       return option;
@@ -47,20 +46,20 @@ export default function parseArgument(
       }
       //Check that argument name is valid
       if (shortToLongLookup[option] === undefined) {
-        return fail(`Unknown short option "-${option}".`);
+        throw new Error(`Unknown short option "-${option}".`);
       }
       option = shortToLongLookup[option];
       //If value was provided, check that value is correct and remove name for next loop iteration
       if (value !== undefined) {
-        verifyAndStoreOptionValue({option, value, verify: spec[option].verify, message: spec[option].message, fail, outputArgs, requiredOptions});
+        verifyAndStoreOptionValue({option, value, verify: spec[option].verify, message: spec[option].message, outputArgs, requiredOptions});
         return '';
       }
       return option;
     } else {
-      return fail(`Arguments must be preceded by an option but there was no option in front of "${arg}".`);
+      throw new Error(`Arguments must be preceded by an option but there was no option in front of "${arg}".`);
     }
   } else { //We expect a value, can be anything
-    verifyAndStoreOptionValue({option: previousOption, value: arg, verify: spec[previousOption].verify, message: spec[previousOption].message, fail, outputArgs, requiredOptions});
+    verifyAndStoreOptionValue({option: previousOption, value: arg, verify: spec[previousOption].verify, message: spec[previousOption].message, outputArgs, requiredOptions});
     return '';
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/runPreParseHook.ts b/src/runPreParseHook.ts
index d2542a2..cb61181 100644
--- a/src/runPreParseHook.ts
+++ b/src/runPreParseHook.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,16 @@
 /** Runs the given pre-parse hook, if defined, to modify the command line arguments. Returns the modified command line arguments. */
-export default function runPreParseHook({ args, preParseHook, fail }: {
+export default function runPreParseHook({ args, preParseHook }: {
   args: string[],
-  preParseHook?: (args: string[], fail: (message: string) => void) => (string[] | undefined),
-  fail: (errorMessage: string) => never,
+  preParseHook?: (args: string[]) => (string[] | undefined),
 }): string[] {
   if (preParseHook === undefined) {
     return args;
   }
 
   try {
-    const modifiedArgs = preParseHook(args, fail);
+    const modifiedArgs = preParseHook(args);
     return modifiedArgs !== undefined ? modifiedArgs : args;
   } catch (error) {
-    return fail(`Could not run pre-parse hook, encountered error: ${String(error)}.`);
+    throw new Error(`Could not run pre-parse hook, encountered error: ${String(error)}.`);
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/verifyAndStoreOptionValue.ts b/src/verifyAndStoreOptionValue.ts
index ef41238..3b64317 100644
--- a/src/verifyAndStoreOptionValue.ts
+++ b/src/verifyAndStoreOptionValue.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ export default function verifyAndStoreOptionValue({
   value,
   verify,
   message,
-  fail,
   outputArgs,
   requiredOptions,
 }: {
@@ -13,7 +12,6 @@ export default function verifyAndStoreOptionValue({
   value: string,
   verify: IOption['verify'],
   message: IOption['message'],
-  fail: (errorMessage: string) => never,
   outputArgs: { [key: string]: string },
   requiredOptions: { [key: string]: boolean },
 }) {
@@ -24,16 +22,16 @@ export default function verifyAndStoreOptionValue({
         try {
           const customMessage = message(value);
           if (customMessage !== undefined && customMessage !== '') {
-            return fail(customMessage);
+            throw new Error(customMessage);
           }
         } catch (error) {
-          return fail(`Invalid value set for option "${option}": "${value}". Could not show custom error message: ${String(error)}`);
+          throw new Error(`Invalid value set for option "${option}": "${value}". Could not show custom error message: ${String(error)}`);
         }
       }
-      return fail(`Invalid value set for option "${option}": "${value}".`);
+      throw new Error(`Invalid value set for option "${option}": "${value}".`);
     }
   } catch (error) {
-    return fail(`Invalid value set for option "${option}", the validation of "${value}" failed: ${String(error)}`);
+    throw new Error(`Invalid value set for option "${option}", the validation of "${value}" failed: ${String(error)}`);
   }
 
   //Remember the value, and if it is a required argument, mark that we have encountered it