diff --git a/build-config/yaml-cpp/meson.build b/build-config/yaml-cpp/meson.build
index 27c9332..8a81a82 100644
--- a/build-config/yaml-cpp/meson.build
+++ b/build-config/yaml-cpp/meson.build
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 yaml_cpp_cmake_options = cmake.subproject_options()
 yaml_cpp_cmake_options.add_cmake_defines({
- 'CMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM': '3.5'
+ 'CMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM': '3.5',
+ 'BUILD_SHARED_LIBS': 'ON',
+ 'CMAKE_SKIP_INSTALL_RULES': 'ON'
 })
 yaml_cpp_sp = cmake.subproject(
     'yaml-cpp',
     options: yaml_cpp_cmake_options,
 )
-yaml_cpp_dep = yaml_cpp_sp.dependency('yaml-cpp')
-add_project_arguments('-I' + meson.current_build_dir() + '/subprojects/yaml-cpp/__CMake_build', language: 'cpp')
\ No newline at end of file
+yaml_cpp_dep = yaml_cpp_sp.dependency('yaml-cpp')
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/config/meson.build b/src/config/meson.build
index 289b086..f51e06c 100644
--- a/src/config/meson.build
+++ b/src/config/meson.build
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ config_headers = files(
 )
 
 # Define the libconfig library so it can be linked against by other parts of the build system
-libconfig = static_library('config',
+libconfig = library('config',
     config_sources, 
     include_directories: include_directories('public'),
     cpp_args: ['-fvisibility=default'],
diff --git a/src/config/public/config.h b/src/config/public/config.h
index 0e73436..ed2f5b1 100644
--- a/src/config/public/config.h
+++ b/src/config/public/config.h
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@
 //   Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
 //
 // *********************************************************************** */
-#ifndef CONFIG_H
-#define CONFIG_H
+#pragma once
 
 #include <string>
 #include <iostream>
@@ -28,7 +27,6 @@
 #include <map>
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <stdexcept>
-#include <stdexcept>
 
 // Required for YAML parsing
 #include "yaml-cpp/yaml.h"
@@ -162,7 +160,12 @@ public:
    template <typename T>
    T get(const std::string &key, T defaultValue) {
       if (!m_loaded) {
-         throw std::runtime_error("Configuration file not loaded! This should be done at the very start of whatever main function you are using (and only done once!)");
+// ONLY THROW ERROR IF HARSH OR WARN CONFIGURATION
+#if defined(CONFIG_HARSH)
+         throw std::runtime_error("Error! Config file not loaded. To disable this error, recompile with CONFIG_HARSH=0");
+#elif defined(CONFIG_WARN)
+         std::cerr << "Warning! Config file not loaded. This instance of 4DSSE was compiled with CONFIG_WARN so the code will continue using only default values" << std::endl;
+#endif
       }
       // --- Check if the key has already been checked for existence 
       if (std::find(unknownKeys.begin(), unknownKeys.end(), key) != unknownKeys.end()) {
@@ -241,5 +244,3 @@ public:
 
 } // namespace config
 } // namespace serif
-
-#endif