diff --git a/include/commands.h b/include/commands.h
index 714d2db0..808e64eb 100644
--- a/include/commands.h
+++ b/include/commands.h
@@ -6,8 +6,14 @@
 struct cmd_handler {
 	char *command;
 	bool (*handle)(struct sway_config *config, int argc, char **argv);
+	enum {
+		CMD_COMPOSITOR_READY,
+		CMD_KEYBIND,
+		CMD_ANYTIME
+	} config_type;
 };
 
+struct cmd_handler *find_handler(char *line);
 bool handle_command(struct sway_config *config, char *command);
 
 void remove_view_from_scratchpad();
diff --git a/sway/commands.c b/sway/commands.c
index cf3d5b3f..0fc98538 100644
--- a/sway/commands.c
+++ b/sway/commands.c
@@ -860,31 +860,31 @@ static bool cmd_ws_auto_back_and_forth(struct sway_config *config, int argc, cha
 
 /* Keep alphabetized */
 static struct cmd_handler handlers[] = {
-	{ "bindsym", cmd_bindsym },
-	{ "default_orientation", cmd_orientation },
-	{ "exec", cmd_exec },
-	{ "exec_always", cmd_exec_always },
-	{ "exit", cmd_exit },
-	{ "floating", cmd_floating },
-	{ "floating_modifier", cmd_floating_mod },
-	{ "focus", cmd_focus },
-	{ "focus_follows_mouse", cmd_focus_follows_mouse },
-	{ "fullscreen", cmd_fullscreen },
-	{ "gaps", cmd_gaps },
-	{ "kill", cmd_kill },
-	{ "layout", cmd_layout },
-	{ "log_colors", cmd_log_colors },
-	{ "move", cmd_move},
-	{ "output", cmd_output},
-	{ "reload", cmd_reload },
-	{ "resize", cmd_resize },
-	{ "scratchpad", cmd_scratchpad },
-	{ "set", cmd_set },
-	{ "split", cmd_split },
-	{ "splith", cmd_splith },
-	{ "splitv", cmd_splitv },
-	{ "workspace", cmd_workspace },
-	{ "workspace_auto_back_and_forth", cmd_ws_auto_back_and_forth }
+	{ "bindsym", cmd_bindsym, CMD_ANYTIME },
+	{ "default_orientation", cmd_orientation, CMD_ANYTIME},
+	{ "exec", cmd_exec, CMD_COMPOSITOR_READY },
+	{ "exec_always", cmd_exec_always, CMD_COMPOSITOR_READY },
+	{ "exit", cmd_exit, CMD_KEYBIND },
+	{ "floating", cmd_floating, CMD_KEYBIND },
+	{ "floating_modifier", cmd_floating_mod, CMD_ANYTIME },
+	{ "focus", cmd_focus, CMD_KEYBIND },
+	{ "focus_follows_mouse", cmd_focus_follows_mouse, CMD_ANYTIME },
+	{ "fullscreen", cmd_fullscreen, CMD_KEYBIND },
+	{ "gaps", cmd_gaps, CMD_ANYTIME },
+	{ "kill", cmd_kill, CMD_KEYBIND },
+	{ "layout", cmd_layout, CMD_KEYBIND },
+	{ "log_colors", cmd_log_colors, CMD_ANYTIME },
+	{ "move", cmd_move, CMD_KEYBIND },
+	{ "output", cmd_output, CMD_ANYTIME },
+	{ "reload", cmd_reload, CMD_KEYBIND },
+	{ "resize", cmd_resize, CMD_KEYBIND },
+	{ "scratchpad", cmd_scratchpad, CMD_KEYBIND },
+	{ "set", cmd_set, CMD_ANYTIME },
+	{ "split", cmd_split, CMD_KEYBIND },
+	{ "splith", cmd_splith, CMD_KEYBIND },
+	{ "splitv", cmd_splitv, CMD_KEYBIND },
+	{ "workspace", cmd_workspace, CMD_COMPOSITOR_READY },
+	{ "workspace_auto_back_and_forth", cmd_ws_auto_back_and_forth, CMD_ANYTIME },
 };
 
 static char **split_directive(char *line, int *argc) {
@@ -945,9 +945,11 @@ static int handler_compare(const void *_a, const void *_b) {
 	return strcasecmp(a->command, b->command);
 }
 
-static struct cmd_handler *find_handler(struct cmd_handler handlers[], int l, char *line) {
+struct cmd_handler *find_handler(char *line) {
 	struct cmd_handler d = { .command=line };
-	struct cmd_handler *res = bsearch(&d, handlers, l, sizeof(struct cmd_handler), handler_compare);
+	struct cmd_handler *res = bsearch(&d, handlers,
+			sizeof(handlers) / sizeof(struct cmd_handler),
+			sizeof(struct cmd_handler), handler_compare);
 	return res;
 }
 
@@ -964,7 +966,7 @@ bool handle_command(struct sway_config *config, char *exec) {
 		strncpy(cmd, exec, index);
 		cmd[index] = '\0';
 	}
-	struct cmd_handler *handler = find_handler(handlers, sizeof(handlers) / sizeof(struct cmd_handler), cmd);
+	struct cmd_handler *handler = find_handler(cmd);
 	if (handler == NULL) {
 		sway_log(L_ERROR, "Unknown command '%s'", cmd);
 		exec_success = false; // TODO: return error, probably
diff --git a/sway/config.c b/sway/config.c
index 2d7e241d..90f6529a 100644
--- a/sway/config.c
+++ b/sway/config.c
@@ -218,18 +218,22 @@ bool read_config(FILE *file, bool is_active) {
 		// Any command which would require wlc to be initialized
 		// should be queued for later execution
 		list_t *args = split_string(line, " ");
-		if (!is_active && (
-			strcmp("exec", args->items[0]) == 0 ||
-			strcmp("exec_always", args->items[0]) == 0 )) {
-			sway_log(L_DEBUG, "Deferring command %s", line);
-
-			char *cmd = malloc(strlen(line) + 1);
-			strcpy(cmd, line);
-			list_add(temp_config->cmd_queue, cmd);
-		} else if (!temp_depth && !handle_command(temp_config, line)) {
-			sway_log(L_DEBUG, "Config load failed for line %s", line);
-			success = false;
-			temp_config->failed = true;
+		struct cmd_handler *handler;
+		if ((handler = find_handler(args->items[0]))) {
+			if (handler->config_type == CMD_KEYBIND) {
+				sway_log(L_ERROR, "Invalid command during config ``%s''", line);
+			} else if (handler->config_type == CMD_COMPOSITOR_READY && !is_active) {
+				sway_log(L_DEBUG, "Deferring command ``%s''", line);
+				char *cmd = malloc(strlen(line) + 1);
+				strcpy(cmd, line);
+				list_add(temp_config->cmd_queue, cmd);
+			} else if (!temp_depth && !handle_command(temp_config, line)) {
+				sway_log(L_DEBUG, "Config load failed for line ``%s''", line);
+				success = false;
+				temp_config->failed = true;
+			}
+		} else {
+			sway_log(L_ERROR, "Invalid command ``%s''", line);
 		}
 		free_flat_list(args);