diff --git a/usr/lib/security-misc/permission-hardening b/usr/lib/security-misc/permission-hardening
index 8ae7344..d89444e 100755
--- a/usr/lib/security-misc/permission-hardening
+++ b/usr/lib/security-misc/permission-hardening
@@ -247,7 +247,9 @@ set_file_perms() {
       else
          exit_code=200
          echo "ERROR: cannot parse line with invalid character. line: '$line'" >&2
-         continue
+         ## Safer to exit with error in this case.
+         ## https://forums.whonix.org/t/disable-suid-binaries/7706/59
+         exit "$exit_code"
       fi
 
       #global fso
@@ -255,7 +257,9 @@ set_file_perms() {
       if ! read -r fso mode_from_config owner_from_config group_from_config capability_from_config <<< "$line" ; then
          exit_code=201
          echo "ERROR: cannot parse. line: '$line'" >&2
-         continue
+         ## Safer to exit with error in this case.
+         ## https://forums.whonix.org/t/disable-suid-binaries/7706/59
+         exit "$exit_code"
       fi
 
       local fso_without_trailing_slash