diff --git a/scalafmt-cli/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/cli/ScalafmtCoreRunner.scala b/scalafmt-cli/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/cli/ScalafmtCoreRunner.scala
index 11e4f7511b..834fa397fa 100644
--- a/scalafmt-cli/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/cli/ScalafmtCoreRunner.scala
+++ b/scalafmt-cli/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/cli/ScalafmtCoreRunner.scala
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import util.control.Breaks
 import org.scalafmt.Error
 import org.scalafmt.{Formatted, Scalafmt, Versions}
 import org.scalafmt.config.{ProjectFiles, ScalafmtConfig}
+import org.scalafmt.config.ScalafmtConfigException
 import org.scalafmt.CompatCollections.ParConverters._
 
 import scala.meta.parsers.ParseException
@@ -21,10 +22,18 @@ object ScalafmtCoreRunner extends ScalafmtRunner {
       ExitCode.UnexpectedError
     } { scalafmtConf =>
       options.common.debug.println(s"parsed config (v${Versions.version})")
-      val filterMatcher = ProjectFiles.FileMatcher(
-        scalafmtConf.project,
-        options.customExcludes
-      )
+      val filterMatcher =
+        try {
+          ProjectFiles.FileMatcher(
+            scalafmtConf.project,
+            options.customExcludes
+          )
+        } catch {
+          case e: ScalafmtConfigException =>
+            options.common.err.println(e.getMessage())
+            return ExitCode.UnexpectedError // RETURNING EARLY!
+        }
+
       val inputMethods = getInputMethods(options, filterMatcher.matchesPath)
 
       val termDisplay =
diff --git a/scalafmt-core/shared/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/config/ProjectFiles.scala b/scalafmt-core/shared/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/config/ProjectFiles.scala
index 666c29358f..a7f18cf0d3 100644
--- a/scalafmt-core/shared/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/config/ProjectFiles.scala
+++ b/scalafmt-core/shared/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/config/ProjectFiles.scala
@@ -70,11 +70,27 @@ object ProjectFiles {
     private def regex(seq: Seq[String]) = create(seq, new Regex(_))
 
     private final class Nio(pattern: String) extends PathMatcher {
-      private val matcher = fs.getPathMatcher(pattern)
+      private val matcher =
+        try { fs.getPathMatcher(pattern) }
+        catch {
+          case _: IllegalArgumentException =>
+            throw new ScalafmtConfigException(
+              s"Illegal pattern in configuration: $pattern"
+            )
+        }
       def matches(path: file.Path): Boolean = matcher.matches(path)
     }
     private final class Regex(regex: String) extends PathMatcher {
-      private val pattern = java.util.regex.Pattern.compile(regex)
+      private val pattern =
+        try { java.util.regex.Pattern.compile(regex) }
+        catch {
+          case e: java.util.regex.PatternSyntaxException =>
+            throw new ScalafmtConfigException(
+              s"""|Illegal regex in configuration: $regex
+                |reason: ${e.getMessage()}""".stripMargin
+            )
+        }
+
       def matches(path: file.Path): Boolean =
         pattern.matcher(path.toString).find()
     }
diff --git a/scalafmt-dynamic/src/test/scala/org/scalafmt/dynamic/DynamicSuite.scala b/scalafmt-dynamic/src/test/scala/org/scalafmt/dynamic/DynamicSuite.scala
index c38d0b505b..c80e22c0f8 100644
--- a/scalafmt-dynamic/src/test/scala/org/scalafmt/dynamic/DynamicSuite.scala
+++ b/scalafmt-dynamic/src/test/scala/org/scalafmt/dynamic/DynamicSuite.scala
@@ -286,6 +286,37 @@ class DynamicSuite extends FunSuite {
     )
   }
 
+  check("regex-error") { f =>
+    f.setConfig(s"""|version = "$nightly"
+      |runner.dialect = "scala212"
+      |project.excludeFilters = [
+      |    ".*foo("
+      |]
+      |""".stripMargin)
+    val err = f.assertThrows[ScalafmtDynamicError.ConfigParseError]().getMessage
+    assertNoDiff(
+      err.takeRight(120),
+      """|Invalid config: Illegal regex in configuration: .*foo(
+        |reason: Unclosed group near index 6
+        |.*foo(
+        |""".stripMargin
+    )
+  }
+
+  check("path-error") { f =>
+    f.setConfig(s"""|version = "$nightly"
+      |runner.dialect = "scala212"
+      |project.excludePaths = [
+      |    "foo.scala"
+      |]
+      |""".stripMargin)
+    val err = f.assertThrows[ScalafmtDynamicError.ConfigParseError]().getMessage
+    assertNoDiff(
+      err.takeRight(120),
+      "Invalid config: Illegal pattern in configuration: foo.scala"
+    )
+  }
+
   check("config-cache") { f =>
     f.setVersion(latest, "scala211")
     f.assertFormat()
diff --git a/scalafmt-tests/src/test/scala/org/scalafmt/cli/CliTest.scala b/scalafmt-tests/src/test/scala/org/scalafmt/cli/CliTest.scala
index aebd34f6b7..85775ec359 100644
--- a/scalafmt-tests/src/test/scala/org/scalafmt/cli/CliTest.scala
+++ b/scalafmt-tests/src/test/scala/org/scalafmt/cli/CliTest.scala
@@ -798,6 +798,64 @@ class CliTest extends AbstractCliTest with CliTestBehavior {
   testCli("1.6.0-RC4") // test for runDynamic
   testCli(stableVersion) // test for runScalafmt
 
+  test(s"path-error") {
+    val input =
+      s"""|/.scalafmt.conf
+        |version = "${stableVersion}"
+        |project.excludePaths = [
+        |    "glob:**/src/main/scala/besom/rpc/**.scala",
+        |    "foo.scala"
+        |]
+        |/foo.scala
+        |object    A { foo( }
+        |""".stripMargin
+
+    noArgTest(
+      string2dir(input),
+      input,
+      Seq(Array("--test")),
+      ExitCode.UnexpectedError,
+      assertOut = out => {
+        assertContains(
+          out,
+          s"""Illegal pattern in configuration: foo.scala""".stripMargin
+        )
+      },
+      Some(ExitCode.UnexpectedError)
+    )
+
+  }
+
+  test(s"regex-error") {
+    val input =
+      s"""|/.scalafmt.conf
+        |version = "${stableVersion}"
+        |project.excludeFilters = [
+        |    ".*foo("
+        |]
+        |/foo.scala
+        |object    A { foo( }
+        |""".stripMargin
+
+    noArgTest(
+      string2dir(input),
+      input,
+      Seq(Array("--test")),
+      ExitCode.UnexpectedError,
+      assertOut = out => {
+        assertContains(
+          out,
+          """|Illegal regex in configuration: .*foo(
+            |reason: Unclosed group near index 6
+            |.*foo(
+            |""".stripMargin
+        )
+      },
+      Some(ExitCode.UnexpectedError)
+    )
+
+  }
+
   test("Fail if .scalafmt.conf is missing.") {
     val input =
       s"""|/foo.scala