diff --git a/layout-helpers.sh b/layout-helpers.sh
index 573ae70..0cbc3b8 100644
--- a/layout-helpers.sh
+++ b/layout-helpers.sh
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ load_window() {
     if [[ "$window_root" != "$session_root" ]]; then
       window_root "$session_root"
     fi
+  else
+    echo "No such window layout found '$1' in '$TMUXIFIER_LAYOUT_PATH'."
   fi
 }
 
@@ -39,6 +41,8 @@ load_session() {
     if [[ "$session_root" != "$HOME" ]]; then
       session_root="$HOME"
     fi
+  else
+    echo "No such session layout found '$1' in '$TMUXIFIER_LAYOUT_PATH'."
   fi
 }
 
diff --git a/libexec/tmuxifier-new-session b/libexec/tmuxifier-new-session
index a8c4170..33fef9d 100755
--- a/libexec/tmuxifier-new-session
+++ b/libexec/tmuxifier-new-session
@@ -26,4 +26,12 @@ fi
 
 content="$(cat "$template")"
 echo "${content/\{\{SESSION_NAME\}\}/$layout_name}" > "$layout_file"
-exec "$EDITOR" "$layout_file"
+
+if [ ! -z "$EDITOR" ]; then
+  exec "$EDITOR" "$layout_file"
+else
+  echo "Layout file has been created, but '\$EDITOR' is not set. Please "
+  echo "manually open the layout for editing:"
+  echo "$layout_file"
+  echo
+fi
diff --git a/libexec/tmuxifier-new-window b/libexec/tmuxifier-new-window
index 1c227e1..741a592 100755
--- a/libexec/tmuxifier-new-window
+++ b/libexec/tmuxifier-new-window
@@ -26,4 +26,12 @@ fi
 
 content="$(cat "$template")"
 echo "${content/\{\{WINDOW_NAME\}\}/$layout_name}" > "$layout_file"
-exec "$EDITOR" "$layout_file"
+
+if [ ! -z "$EDITOR" ]; then
+  exec "$EDITOR" "$layout_file"
+else
+  echo "Layout file has been created, but '\$EDITOR' is not set. Please "
+  echo "manually open the layout for editing:"
+  echo "$layout_file"
+  echo
+fi