diff --git a/src/widgets/cpu.go b/src/widgets/cpu.go
index 91419cb..988e8a8 100644
--- a/src/widgets/cpu.go
+++ b/src/widgets/cpu.go
@@ -76,9 +76,10 @@ func (self *CPU) update() {
 			percent, err := psCPU.Percent(self.interval, false)
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Printf("failed to get average CPU usage percent from gopsutil: %v. self.interval: %v. percpu: %v", err, self.interval, false)
+			} else {
+				self.Data["AVRG"] = append(self.Data["AVRG"], percent[0])
+				self.Labels["AVRG"] = fmt.Sprintf("%3.0f%%", percent[0])
 			}
-			self.Data["AVRG"] = append(self.Data["AVRG"], percent[0])
-			self.Labels["AVRG"] = fmt.Sprintf("%3.0f%%", percent[0])
 		}()
 	}
 
@@ -87,15 +88,16 @@ func (self *CPU) update() {
 			percents, err := psCPU.Percent(self.interval, true)
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Printf("failed to get CPU usage percents from gopsutil: %v. self.interval: %v. percpu: %v", err, self.interval, true)
-			}
-			if len(percents) == self.Count {
-				for i, percent := range percents {
-					k := fmt.Sprintf(self.formatString, i)
-					self.Data[k] = append(self.Data[k], percent)
-					self.Labels[k] = fmt.Sprintf("%3.0f%%", percent)
-				}
 			} else {
-				log.Printf("error: number of CPU usage percents from gopsutil doesn't match CPU count. percents: %v. self.Count: %v", percents, self.Count)
+				if len(percents) != self.Count {
+					log.Printf("error: number of CPU usage percents from gopsutil doesn't match CPU count. percents: %v. self.Count: %v", percents, self.Count)
+				} else {
+					for i, percent := range percents {
+						k := fmt.Sprintf(self.formatString, i)
+						self.Data[k] = append(self.Data[k], percent)
+						self.Labels[k] = fmt.Sprintf("%3.0f%%", percent)
+					}
+				}
 			}
 		}()
 	}
diff --git a/src/widgets/disk.go b/src/widgets/disk.go
index 4950c87..e8d8f68 100644
--- a/src/widgets/disk.go
+++ b/src/widgets/disk.go
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ func (self *Disk) update() {
 	Partitions, err := psDisk.Partitions(false)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("failed to get disk partitions from gopsutil: %v", err)
+		return
 	}
 
 	// add partition if it's new
diff --git a/src/widgets/net.go b/src/widgets/net.go
index 6902c0f..c47ae25 100644
--- a/src/widgets/net.go
+++ b/src/widgets/net.go
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ func (self *Net) update() {
 	interfaces, err := psNet.IOCounters(true)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("failed to get network activity from gopsutil: %v", err)
+		return
 	}
 	var curRecvTotal uint64
 	var curSentTotal uint64
diff --git a/src/widgets/proc_linux.go b/src/widgets/proc_linux.go
index dd3cae5..4163391 100644
--- a/src/widgets/proc_linux.go
+++ b/src/widgets/proc_linux.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package widgets
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"os/exec"
 	"strconv"
@@ -8,7 +9,12 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (self *Proc) update() {
-	processes := Processes()
+	processes, err := Processes()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("failed to retrieve processes: %v", err)
+		return
+	}
+
 	// have to iterate like this in order to actually change the value
 	for i := range processes {
 		processes[i].CPU /= self.cpuCount
@@ -20,10 +26,10 @@ func (self *Proc) update() {
 	self.Sort()
 }
 
-func Processes() []Process {
+func Processes() ([]Process, error) {
 	output, err := exec.Command("ps", "-axo", "pid:10,comm:50,pcpu:5,pmem:5,args").Output()
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Printf("failed to execute 'ps' command: %v", err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to execute 'ps' command: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	// converts to []string, removing trailing newline and header
@@ -52,5 +58,5 @@ func Processes() []Process {
 		}
 		processes = append(processes, process)
 	}
-	return processes
+	return processes, nil
 }
diff --git a/src/widgets/proc_other.go b/src/widgets/proc_other.go
index 6f66dfa..7bb834b 100644
--- a/src/widgets/proc_other.go
+++ b/src/widgets/proc_other.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 package widgets
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"os/exec"
 	"strconv"
@@ -10,7 +11,12 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (self *Proc) update() {
-	processes := Processes()
+	processes, err := Processes()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("failed to retrieve processes: %v", err)
+		return
+	}
+
 	// have to iterate like this in order to actually change the value
 	for i := range processes {
 		processes[i].CPU /= self.cpuCount
@@ -22,10 +28,10 @@ func (self *Proc) update() {
 	self.Sort()
 }
 
-func Processes() []Process {
+func Processes() ([]Process, error) {
 	output, err := exec.Command("ps", "-axo", "pid,comm,pcpu,pmem,args").Output()
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Printf("failed to execute 'ps' command: %v", err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to execute 'ps' command: %v", err)
 	}
 	// converts to []string and removes the header
 	strOutput := strings.Split(strings.TrimSpace(string(output)), "\n")[1:]
@@ -53,5 +59,5 @@ func Processes() []Process {
 		}
 		processes = append(processes, process)
 	}
-	return processes
+	return processes, nil
 }
diff --git a/src/widgets/proc_windows.go b/src/widgets/proc_windows.go
index aef97af..f486244 100644
--- a/src/widgets/proc_windows.go
+++ b/src/widgets/proc_windows.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ func (self *Proc) update() {
 	psProcesses, err := psProc.Processes()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("failed to get processes from gopsutil: %v", err)
+		return
 	}
 	processes := make([]Process, len(psProcesses))
 	for i, psProcess := range psProcesses {
diff --git a/src/widgets/temp_darwin.go b/src/widgets/temp_darwin.go
index 9343deb..c1ef665 100644
--- a/src/widgets/temp_darwin.go
+++ b/src/widgets/temp_darwin.go
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ func (self *Temp) update() {
 	sensors, err := SensorsTemperatures()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("failed to get sensors from CGO: %v", err)
+		return
 	}
 	for _, sensor := range sensors {
 		if sensor.Temperature != 0 {
diff --git a/src/widgets/temp_other.go b/src/widgets/temp_other.go
index fa33383..0e5de36 100644
--- a/src/widgets/temp_other.go
+++ b/src/widgets/temp_other.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ func (self *Temp) update() {
 	sensors, err := psHost.SensorsTemperatures()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("failed to get sensors from gopsutil: %v", err)
+		return
 	}
 	for _, sensor := range sensors {
 		// only sensors with input in their name are giving us live temp info
diff --git a/src/widgets/temp_windows.go b/src/widgets/temp_windows.go
index c217552..8fabb19 100644
--- a/src/widgets/temp_windows.go
+++ b/src/widgets/temp_windows.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ func (self *Temp) update() {
 	sensors, err := psHost.SensorsTemperatures()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("failed to get sensors from gopsutil: %v", err)
+		return
 	}
 	for _, sensor := range sensors {
 		if sensor.Temperature != 0 {