diff --git a/src/TDB.cpp b/src/TDB.cpp
index 30000c6ce..4971a5c97 100644
--- a/src/TDB.cpp
+++ b/src/TDB.cpp
@@ -380,7 +380,9 @@ int TDB::commit ()
     // Write out all pending.
     if (fseek (mLocations[0].pending, 0, SEEK_SET) == 0)
     {
-      (void)ftruncate (fileno (mLocations[0].pending), 0);
+      if (ftruncate (fileno (mLocations[0].pending), 0))
+        throw std::string ("Failed to truncate pending.data file ");
+
       foreach (task, allPending)
         fputs (task->composeF4 ().c_str (), mLocations[0].pending);
     }
@@ -464,14 +466,18 @@ int TDB::gc ()
   {
     if (fseek (tdb.mLocations[0].pending, 0, SEEK_SET) == 0)
     {
-      (void)ftruncate (fileno (tdb.mLocations[0].pending), 0);
+      if (ftruncate (fileno (tdb.mLocations[0].pending), 0))
+        throw std::string ("Failed to truncate pending.data file ");
+
       foreach (task, pending)
         fputs (task->composeF4 ().c_str (), tdb.mLocations[0].pending);
     }
 
     if (fseek (tdb.mLocations[0].completed, 0, SEEK_SET) == 0)
     {
-      (void)ftruncate (fileno (tdb.mLocations[0].completed), 0);
+      if (ftruncate (fileno (tdb.mLocations[0].completed), 0))
+        throw std::string ("Failed to truncate completed.data file ");
+
       foreach (task, completed)
         fputs (task->composeF4 ().c_str (), tdb.mLocations[0].completed);
     }
diff --git a/src/edit.cpp b/src/edit.cpp
index 41e353b58..ae977f5a3 100644
--- a/src/edit.cpp
+++ b/src/edit.cpp
@@ -557,8 +557,10 @@ std::string handleEdit ()
 ARE_THESE_REALLY_HARMFUL:
     // Launch the editor.
     std::cout << "Launching '" << editor << "' now..." << std::endl;
-    (void)system (editor.c_str ());
-    std::cout << "Editing complete." << std::endl;
+    if (-1 == system (editor.c_str ()))
+      std::cout << "No editing performed." << std::endl;
+    else
+      std::cout << "Editing complete." << std::endl;
 
     // Slurp file.
     std::string after;