diff --git a/include/system4/ini.h b/include/system4/ini.h
index 6726cd7..ea61f20 100644
--- a/include/system4/ini.h
+++ b/include/system4/ini.h
@@ -61,7 +61,12 @@ struct ini_entry {
 	struct ini_value value;
 };
 
-struct ini_entry *ini_parse(const char *path, size_t *nr_entries);
+enum ini_error {
+	INI_FILE_ERROR = -1,
+	INI_DATA_ERROR = -2,
+};
+
+struct ini_entry *ini_parse(const char *path, int *nr_entries);
 struct ini_entry *ini_make_entry(struct string *name, struct ini_value value);
 void ini_free_entry(struct ini_entry *entry);
 
diff --git a/src/ini.c b/src/ini.c
index 9661f2c..bcb6f13 100644
--- a/src/ini.c
+++ b/src/ini.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "ini_parser.tab.h"
 
 extern FILE *yini_in;
+extern unsigned long yini_line;
 
 static void list_assign(struct ini_value *list, size_t i, struct ini_value *item)
 {
@@ -39,12 +40,15 @@ static void list_assign(struct ini_value *list, size_t i, struct ini_value *item
 	list->list[i] = *item;
 }
 
-struct ini_entry *ini_parse(const char *path, size_t *nr_entries)
+struct ini_entry *ini_parse(const char *path, int *nr_entries)
 {
 	struct ini_entry _e;
 
-	if (!(yini_in = fopen(path, "rb")))
-		ERROR("failed to open '%s': %s", path, strerror(errno));
+	if (!(yini_in = fopen(path, "rb"))) {
+		*nr_entries = INI_FILE_ERROR;
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	yini_line = 1;
 	yini_parse();
 
 	kvec_t(struct ini_entry) entries;
@@ -65,8 +69,10 @@ struct ini_entry *ini_parse(const char *path, size_t *nr_entries)
 			struct ini_entry *other = &kv_A(entries, i);
 			if (strcmp(e->name->text, other->name->text))
 				continue;
-			if (other->value.type != INI_LIST)
-				ERROR("list assignment to non-list: %s[%" SIZE_T_FMT "]", e->name, e->value._list_pos);
+			if (other->value.type != INI_LIST) {
+				WARNING("ignoring list assignment to non-list: %s[%" SIZE_T_FMT "]", e->name, e->value._list_pos);
+				goto end_list_assign;
+			}
 			free_string(e->name);
 			list = other;
 			break;
@@ -87,6 +93,7 @@ struct ini_entry *ini_parse(const char *path, size_t *nr_entries)
 		}
 
 		list_assign(&list->value, e->value._list_pos, e->value._list_value);
+	end_list_assign:
 		free(e->value._list_value);
 		free(e);
 	}
diff --git a/src/ini_lexer.l b/src/ini_lexer.l
index 71ebd9e..cac2850 100644
--- a/src/ini_lexer.l
+++ b/src/ini_lexer.l
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ true                      return TRUE;
 false                     return FALSE;
 Formation                 return FORMATION;
 [0-9]+                    yini_lval.i = atoi(yini_text); return INTEGER;
-[a-zA-Z]+[a-zA-Z0-9]*     yini_lval.s = make_string(yini_text, yini_leng); return IDENTIFIER;
+[a-zA-Z]+[a-zA-Z0-9_-]*   yini_lval.s = make_string(yini_text, yini_leng); return IDENTIFIER;
 
 \"      string_buf_ptr = string_buf; BEGIN(str);
 
diff --git a/src/system4.c b/src/system4.c
index 6ef392a..1db07cc 100644
--- a/src/system4.c
+++ b/src/system4.c
@@ -95,10 +95,12 @@ static int ini_integer(struct ini_entry *entry)
 
 static void read_config(const char *path)
 {
-	size_t ini_size;
+	int ini_size;
 	struct ini_entry *ini = ini_parse(path, &ini_size);
+	if (!ini)
+		ERROR("Failed to read %s", path);
 
-	for (size_t i = 0; i < ini_size; i++) {
+	for (int i = 0; i < ini_size; i++) {
 		if (!strcmp(ini[i].name->text, "GameName")) {
 			config.game_name = strdup(ini_string(&ini[i])->text);
 		} else if (!strcmp(ini[i].name->text, "CodeName")) {
@@ -115,6 +117,40 @@ static void read_config(const char *path)
 	free(ini);
 }
 
+static void read_user_config_file(const char *path)
+{
+	int ini_size;
+	struct ini_entry *ini = ini_parse(path, &ini_size);
+	if (!ini)
+		return;
+
+	for (int i = 0; i < ini_size; i++) {
+		if (!strcmp(ini[i].name->text, "font-mincho")) {
+			font_paths[FONT_MINCHO] = xstrdup(ini_string(&ini[i])->text);
+		} else if (!strcmp(ini[i].name->text, "font-gothic")) {
+			font_paths[FONT_GOTHIC] = xstrdup(ini_string(&ini[i])->text);
+		}
+		ini_free_entry(&ini[i]);
+	}
+	free(ini);
+}
+
+static void read_user_config(void)
+{
+	char *path;
+
+	// global config
+	path = xmalloc(PATH_MAX);
+	snprintf(path, PATH_MAX-1, "%s/.xsys4rc", config.home_dir);
+	read_user_config_file(path);
+	free(path);
+
+	// game-specific config
+	path = gamedir_path(".xsys4rc");
+	read_user_config_file(path);
+	free(path);
+}
+
 static char *ald_filenames[ALDFILETYPE_MAX][ALD_FILEMAX];
 static int ald_count[ALDFILETYPE_MAX];
 
@@ -329,6 +365,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	int err = AIN_SUCCESS;
 	bool audit = false;
 
+	char *font_mincho = NULL;
+	char *font_gothic = NULL;
+
 	while (1) {
 		static struct option long_options[] = {
 			{ "help",        no_argument,       0, LOPT_HELP },
@@ -357,10 +396,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 #endif
 			break;
 		case LOPT_FONT_MINCHO:
-			font_paths[FONT_MINCHO] = optarg;
+			font_mincho = optarg;
 			break;
 		case LOPT_FONT_GOTHIC:
-			font_paths[FONT_GOTHIC] = optarg;
+			font_gothic = optarg;
 			break;
 		}
 	}
@@ -394,6 +433,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 #endif
 
 	config_init();
+	read_user_config();
+
+	// NOTE: some command line options are handled here so that they
+	//       will override settings from .xsys4rc files
+	if (font_mincho)
+		font_paths[FONT_MINCHO] = font_mincho;
+	if (font_gothic)
+		font_paths[FONT_GOTHIC] = font_gothic;
 
 	if (!(ain = ain_open(ainfile, &err))) {
 		ERROR("%s", ain_strerror(err));
diff --git a/src/tools/ainedit/pje.c b/src/tools/ainedit/pje.c
index dbc1d3e..a6fe301 100644
--- a/src/tools/ainedit/pje.c
+++ b/src/tools/ainedit/pje.c
@@ -142,10 +142,10 @@ static void pje_string_list(struct ini_entry *entry, struct string_list *out)
 
 static void pje_parse(const char *path, struct pje_config *config)
 {
-	size_t ini_size;
+	int ini_size;
 	struct ini_entry *ini = ini_parse(path, &ini_size);
 
-	for (size_t i = 0; i < ini_size; i++) {
+	for (int i = 0; i < ini_size; i++) {
 		if (!strcmp(ini[i].name->text, "ProjectName")) {
 			config->project_name = pje_string(&ini[i]);
 		} else if (!strcmp(ini[i].name->text, "CodeName")) {
@@ -200,10 +200,10 @@ static void pje_parse(const char *path, struct pje_config *config)
 
 static void pje_parse_inc(const char *path, struct inc_config *config)
 {
-	size_t ini_size;
+	int ini_size;
 	struct ini_entry *ini = ini_parse(path, &ini_size);
 
-	for (size_t i = 0; i < ini_size; i++) {
+	for (int i = 0; i < ini_size; i++) {
 		if (!strcmp(ini[i].name->text, "Source")) {
 			pje_string_list(&ini[i], &config->source);
 		} else if (!strcmp(ini[i].name->text, "SystemSource")) {