diff --git a/loaders.cpp b/loaders.cpp
index 74fadf8..9f618b3 100644
--- a/loaders.cpp
+++ b/loaders.cpp
@@ -137,12 +137,12 @@ void setBootLoader(bus *const b, const bootloader_t which)
 	c -> setRegister(7, start);
 }
 
-uint16_t loadTape(bus *const b, const std::string & file)
+std::optional<uint16_t> loadTape(bus *const b, const std::string & file)
 {
 	FILE *fh = fopen(file.c_str(), "rb");
 	if (!fh) {
 		DOLOG(ll_error, true, "Cannot open %s", file.c_str());
-		return -1;
+		return { };
 	}
 
 	uint16_t start = 0, end = 0;
@@ -154,12 +154,15 @@ uint16_t loadTape(bus *const b, const std::string & file)
 			break;
 
 		int count = (buffer[3] << 8) | buffer[2];
-		int p = (buffer[5] << 8) | buffer[4];
+		int p     = (buffer[5] << 8) | buffer[4];
 
 		uint8_t csum = 0;
 		for(int i=2; i<6; i++)
 			csum += buffer[i];
 
+		if (count == 0 || p == 1)
+			break;
+
 		if (count == 6) { // eg no data
 			if (p != 1) {
 				DOLOG(info, true, "Setting start address to %o", p);
diff --git a/loaders.h b/loaders.h
index 89241ad..d14ba86 100644
--- a/loaders.h
+++ b/loaders.h
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include <optional>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <string>
 
@@ -6,7 +7,7 @@
 
 typedef enum { BL_NONE, BL_RK05, BL_RL02 } bootloader_t;
 
-void loadbin(bus *const b, uint16_t base, const char *const file);
-void setBootLoader(bus *const b, const bootloader_t which);
-uint16_t loadTape(bus *const b, const std::string & file);
-void load_p11_x11(bus *const b, const std::string & file);
+void                    loadbin(bus *const b, uint16_t base, const char *const file);
+void                    setBootLoader(bus *const b, const bootloader_t which);
+std::optional<uint16_t> loadTape(bus *const b, const std::string & file);
+void                    load_p11_x11(bus *const b, const std::string & file);
diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index bc3fc00..a93c8dc 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -206,8 +206,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	std::atomic_bool interrupt_emulation { false };
 
-	if (tape.empty() == false)
-		c->setRegister(7, loadTape(b, tape));
+	if (tape.empty() == false) {
+		auto addr = loadTape(b, tape);
+
+		if (addr.has_value() == false)
+			return 1;  // fail
+
+		c->setRegister(7, addr.value());
+	}
 
 	if (sa_set)
 		c->setRegister(7, start_addr);