diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fcf7a08..e75390b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -21,4 +21,6 @@ Optional charset format
     * Example: lower alpha, upper alpha, and digits: `lud` ex. `bash bd_crack.sh c8ea28d3285e468961a76b5de75871fbe539808a passp lud`
     * Example: upper alpha and symbols+space: `us` ex. `bash bd_crack.sh c8ea28d3285e468961a76b5de75871fbe539808a passp us`
 * Example: `bash bd_crack.sh c8ea28d3285e468961a76b5de75871fbe539808a passp lud`
-* Example: `bash bd_crack.sh c8ea28d3285e468961a76b5de75871fbe539808a passp`
\ No newline at end of file
+* Example: `bash bd_crack.sh c8ea28d3285e468961a76b5de75871fbe539808a passp`
+
+Thanks to [Tak](https://taksshack.com/members/thumbtak/) for some bug fixes!
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bd_crack.sh b/bd_crack.sh
index 323ffed..2f03625 100644
--- a/bd_crack.sh
+++ b/bd_crack.sh
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 #!/bin/bash
+# set -e # Exit immediately if a command exits with a non-zero status.
 # Cracking helper for breachdirectory.org
 # Usage: ./bd_crack.sh <hash> <known 5 chars> <optional charset>
 # Optional charset format:
-#     Default charset is luds meaning lower alpha, upper alpha, digits, and symbols+space
-#     Mix and match any of the following:
+#       Default charset is luds meaning lower alpha, upper alpha, digits, and symbols+space
+#       Mix and match any of the following:
 #           l = lower case alpha (a-z)
 #           u = upper case alpha (A-Z)
 #           d = digit (0-9)
@@ -11,63 +12,77 @@
 #           h = lower case hex (0-9a-f)
 #           H = upper case hex (0-9A-F)
 #           b = bytes (0x00-0xFF)
-#         Example: lower alpha, upper alpha, and digits: lud ex. bash bd_crack.sh c8ea28d3285e468961a76b5de75871fbe539808a passp lud
-#         Example: upper alpha and symbols+space: us ex. bash bd_crack.sh c8ea28d3285e468961a76b5de75871fbe539808a passp us
+#       Example: lower alpha, upper alpha, and digits: lud ex. bash bd_crack.sh c8ea28d3285e468961a76b5de75871fbe539808a passp lud
+#       Example: upper alpha and symbols+space: us ex. bash bd_crack.sh c8ea28d3285e468961a76b5de75871fbe539808a passp us
 # Example: bash bd_crack.sh c8ea28d3285e468961a76b5de75871fbe539808a passp lud
 # Example: bash bd_crack.sh c8ea28d3285e468961a76b5de75871fbe539808a passp
 
-if [ -z $1 -o -z $2 ]; then # check to maek sure both required args are present
+if [ -z "$1" ] || [ -z "$2" ]; then # check to make sure both required args are present
     echo -e "Mandatory arguments missing!\nPlease see README for more details\nUsage:\n\tbd_crack.sh <hash> <known five characters> <optional charset>\nexiting"
-    exit # die on fail after printing usage bullshit :lmao:
+    exit 1 # die on fail after printing usage bullshit :lmao:
 fi
 
 if [ ${#1} -ne 40 ]; then # check da length of da hashie boi
     echo -e "First arguement should be the SHA1 hash, exactly 40 hex characters long!\nPlease see README for more details\nUsage:\n\tbd_crack.sh <hash> <known five characters> <optional charset>\nexiting"
-    exit
+    exit 1
 fi
 
-if [ ${#2} -ne 5 ]; then # maek sure da known chars are precisely 5 chars otherwise fail
+if [ ${#2} -ne 5 ]; then # make sure da known chars are precisely 5 chars otherwise fail
     echo -e "Second argument should be exactly five characters!\nPlease see README for more details\nUsage:\n\tbd_crack.sh <hash> <known five characters> <optional charset>\nexiting"
-    exit
+    exit 1
 fi
 
-if [ ! -z $3 ]; then # if charset is specified
+# Initialize charset_formatted early
+charset_formatted=""
+
+if [ -n "$3" ]; then # if charset is specified (using -n for non-empty string)
     charset="$3" # just rename $3 for whatever reason lmfao im so high
-    charset_formatted="?" # start with da ? at the start frong
     valid_charsets="ludhHsb" # regex bit of valid charsssssss
 
     if [[ "$charset" =~ ^["$valid_charsets"]+$ ]]; then # sanity checkan da stupid chars :wheeze: just some shitty regex bullsh8it
+        # Unique and sorted characters, removed newline (as original script did)
         charset=$(grep -o . <<< "$charset" | sort -u | tr -d '\n')
+        
+        # Construct hashcat's custom charset string (e.g., "?l?u?d")
+        for (( i=0; i<${#charset}; i++ )); do
+            if [ $i -eq 0 ]; then
+                charset_formatted+="?" # Start with '?'
+            fi
+            charset_formatted+="${charset:$i:1}" # Add current char
+            if [ $i -lt $((${#charset}-1)) ]; then
+                charset_formatted+="?" # Add '?' between chars
+            fi
+        done
     else
         echo -e "INVALID CHARSET, DEFAULTING TO DEFAULT CHARSET"
         charset_formatted="?l?u?d?s" # just replicate da default charset here because lazy as fucxk lmafao
     fi
-
-    for (( i=0; i<${#charset}; i++ )); do
-        charset_formatted+="${charset:$i:1}"  # add current char to charset_formatted
-        
-        # add ? after each character except da last char in da string
-        if [ $i -lt $((${#charset}-1)) ]; then
-            charset_formatted+="?"
-        fi
-
-    done
 else # if charset is not specified default to digit, upper alpha, lower alpha, and symbols+space
     charset_formatted="?l?u?d?s"
 fi
 
 outfile="$2-$1-$(date +"%d-%m-%Y-%H%M")-cracked.txt" # using a fookin outfile because da hashcat.potsmoke or whatever the fuck is stupid
 
-hashcat -a3 -m100 $1 -1 $charset_formatted "$2?1?1?1?1?1?1?1?1" --increment --increment-min=5 -O -o "$outfile"
+hashcat -a3 -m100 "$1" -1 "$charset_formatted" "$2?1?1?1?1?1?1?1?1" --increment --increment-min=5 -O -o "$outfile"
 retcode=$? # jus gettin da return code from hashcat rq
 
-if [ $retcode -eq 0 ]; then # check if hashcat exited with a 0 meaning successful crack\
-    # real_user="${SUDO_USER:-$USER}" # stupid hack to get the real current user regardless of any sudo usage
-    # sudo chown $real_user:$real_user "$outfile" # fix da fuckin perms jfc lmao
+if [ $retcode -eq 0 ]; then # check if hashcat exited with a 0 meaning successful crack
+    # THIS IS THE CRITICAL ADDITION: Check if the file ACTUALLY exists
+    if [ -f "$outfile" ]; then # Explicitly check if the file was created
+        # real_user="${SUDO_USER:-$USER}" # stupid hack to get the real current user regardless of any sudo usage
+        # sudo chown "$real_user":"$real_user" "$outfile" # fix da fuckin perms jfc lmao
 
-    echo -e "\nCracked! Result:\n\t$(cat "$outfile")\n" # show da contents of da outfile for helpfuls
+        echo -e "\nCracked! Result:\n\t$(cat "$outfile")\n" # show da contents of da outfile for helpfuls
 
-    echo "Cracked Successfully! Password will be in ./${outfile}!"
-else # otherwise inform of failure
-    echo "Stopped or Ended! Password not found!"
+        echo "Cracked Successfully! Password will be in ./${outfile}!"
+    else
+        # Hashcat returned 0, but no file. This means no crack was found.
+        echo "Stopped or Ended! Password not found within the specified mask/charset. Hashcat completed without errors."
+        echo "Output file '$outfile' was not created because no crack was found."
+        exit 1 # Exit with an error
+    fi
+else # otherwise inform of failure (hashcat returned a non-zero error code)
+    echo "Hashcat encountered an error or was stopped unexpectedly (exit code: $retcode)."
+    echo "Please review hashcat's output above for details."
+    exit 1 # Exit with an error
 fi
\ No newline at end of file