diff --git a/openfpga/src/base/openfpga_build_fabric_template.h b/openfpga/src/base/openfpga_build_fabric_template.h
index 6898c1de2..6795af4e8 100644
--- a/openfpga/src/base/openfpga_build_fabric_template.h
+++ b/openfpga/src/base/openfpga_build_fabric_template.h
@@ -501,6 +501,7 @@ int read_unique_blocks_template(T& openfpga_ctx, const Command& cmd,
                                   cmd_context.option_enable(cmd, opt_verbose));
   } else {
     VTR_LOG_ERROR("file type %s not supported", file_type.c_str());
+    return CMD_EXEC_FATAL_ERROR;
   }
 }
 
@@ -528,6 +529,7 @@ int write_unique_blocks_template(T& openfpga_ctx, const Command& cmd,
                                    cmd_context.option_enable(cmd, opt_verbose));
   } else {
     VTR_LOG_ERROR("file type %s not supported", file_type.c_str());
+    return CMD_EXEC_FATAL_ERROR;
   }
 }
 } /* end namespace openfpga */
diff --git a/openfpga/src/base/openfpga_setup_command_template.h b/openfpga/src/base/openfpga_setup_command_template.h
index bfcb88b1e..f73e3e01d 100644
--- a/openfpga/src/base/openfpga_setup_command_template.h
+++ b/openfpga/src/base/openfpga_setup_command_template.h
@@ -947,13 +947,15 @@ ShellCommandId add_read_unique_blocks_command_template(
   Command shell_cmd("read_unique_blocks");
 
   /* Add an option '--file' */
-  CommandOptionId opt_file =
-    shell_cmd.add_option("file", true, "specify the unique blocks xml file");
+  CommandOptionId opt_file = shell_cmd.add_option(
+    "file", true, "specify the file which contains unique block information");
   shell_cmd.set_option_require_value(opt_file, openfpga::OPT_STRING);
 
   /* Add an option '--type' */
-  CommandOptionId opt_type = shell_cmd.add_option(
-    "type", true, "specify the type of the unique blocks xml file");
+  CommandOptionId opt_type =
+    shell_cmd.add_option("type", true,
+                         "Specify the type of the unique blocks file "
+                         "[xml|bin]. If not specified, by default it is XML.");
   shell_cmd.set_option_require_value(opt_type, openfpga::OPT_STRING);
 
   /* Add an option '--verbose' */
@@ -984,13 +986,16 @@ ShellCommandId add_write_unique_blocks_command_template(
   Command shell_cmd("write_unique_blocks");
 
   /* Add an option '--file' */
-  CommandOptionId opt_file =
-    shell_cmd.add_option("file", true, "specify the unique blocks xml file");
+  CommandOptionId opt_file = shell_cmd.add_option(
+    "file", true,
+    "specify the file which we will write unique block information to");
   shell_cmd.set_option_require_value(opt_file, openfpga::OPT_STRING);
 
   /* Add an option '--type' */
-  CommandOptionId opt_type = shell_cmd.add_option(
-    "type", true, "specify the type of the unique blocks xml file");
+  CommandOptionId opt_type =
+    shell_cmd.add_option("type", true,
+                         "Specify the type of the unique blocks file "
+                         "[xml|bin]. If not specified, by default it is XML.");
   shell_cmd.set_option_require_value(opt_type, openfpga::OPT_STRING);
 
   /* Add an option '--verbose' */
diff --git a/openfpga/src/fabric/read_write_xml_unique_blocks.h b/openfpga/src/fabric/read_write_xml_unique_blocks.h
index e50e0b243..f7c3091ef 100644
--- a/openfpga/src/fabric/read_write_xml_unique_blocks.h
+++ b/openfpga/src/fabric/read_write_xml_unique_blocks.h
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@
  * Parse XML codes of a <instance> to an object of device_rr_gsb
  * instance is the mirror of unique module.
  *******************************************************************/
+namespace openfpga {
+vtr::Point<size_t> read_xml_unique_instance_info;
+int write_xml_block;
 vtr::Point<size_t> read_xml_unique_instance_info(
   pugi::xml_node& xml_instance_info, const pugiutil::loc_data& loc_data) {
   int instance_x = get_attribute(xml_instance_info, "x", loc_data).as_int();
@@ -190,7 +193,9 @@ int read_xml_unique_blocks(T& openfpga_ctx, const char* file_name,
           device_rr_gsb.preload_unique_cbx_module(block_coordinate,
                                                   instance_coords);
         } else {
-          VTR_LOG_ERROR("Unexpected type!");
+          archfpga_throw(loc_data.filename_c_str(),
+                         loc_data.line(xml_block_info),
+                         "Invalid block type '%s'\n", type);
         }
       } else {
         bad_tag(xml_block_info, loc_data, xml_root, {"block"});
@@ -202,6 +207,7 @@ int read_xml_unique_blocks(T& openfpga_ctx, const char* file_name,
     device_rr_gsb.build_gsb_unique_module();
     if (verbose_output) {
       report_unique_module_status_read(openfpga_ctx, true);
+      return 0;
     }
   } catch (pugiutil::XmlError& e) {
     archfpga_throw(file_name, e.line(), "%s", e.what());
@@ -294,8 +300,10 @@ int write_xml_unique_blocks(const T& openfpga_ctx, const char* fname,
   fp.close();
   if (verbose_output) {
     report_unique_module_status_write(openfpga_ctx, true);
+    return err_code;
   }
   return err_code;
 }
+}  // namespace openfpga
 
 #endif