diff --git a/scripts/xAH_config.py b/scripts/xAH_config.py
index 8276d72a08..4ef8205edb 100644
--- a/scripts/xAH_config.py
+++ b/scripts/xAH_config.py
@@ -66,7 +66,12 @@ def setalg(self, className, options):
       if not hasattr(alg_obj, k) and k not in ['m_msgLevel', 'm_name']:
         raise AttributeError(k)
       self._log.append((alg, k, v))
-      setattr(alg_obj, k, v)
+      try:
+        setattr(alg_obj, k, v)
+      except:
+        logger.error("There was a problem setting {0:s} to {1} for {2:s}::{3:s}".format(k, v, className, algName))
+        raise
+
     #print
 
     #
diff --git a/scripts/xAH_run.py b/scripts/xAH_run.py
index 9284153efa..70969c914a 100755
--- a/scripts/xAH_run.py
+++ b/scripts/xAH_run.py
@@ -558,7 +558,11 @@ def parse_json(filename):
           if isinstance(config_val, unicode):
             config_val = config_val.encode('utf-8')
 
-          setattr(alg, config_name, config_val)
+          try:
+            setattr(alg, config_name, config_val)
+          except:
+            xAH_logger.error("There was a problem setting {0:s} to {1} for {2:s}::{3:s}".format(config_name, config_val, className, algName))
+            raise
 
         xAH_logger.debug("adding algorithm %s to job", className)
         algorithmConfiguration_string.append("\n")