diff --git a/DynamicMeter.c b/DynamicMeter.c
index 605bbc3d..0b4063f2 100644
--- a/DynamicMeter.c
+++ b/DynamicMeter.c
@@ -48,16 +48,16 @@ static void DynamicMeter_compare(ht_key_t key, void* value, void* data) {
    }
 }
 
-bool DynamicMeter_search(const ProcessList* pl, const char* name, unsigned int* key) {
+bool DynamicMeter_search(Hashtable* dynamics, const char* name, unsigned int* key) {
    DynamicIterator iter = { .key = 0, .name = name, .found = false };
-   if (pl->dynamicMeters)
-      Hashtable_foreach(pl->dynamicMeters, DynamicMeter_compare, &iter);
+   if (dynamics)
+      Hashtable_foreach(dynamics, DynamicMeter_compare, &iter);
    *key = iter.key;
    return iter.found;
 }
 
-const char* DynamicMeter_lookup(const ProcessList* pl, unsigned int key) {
-   const DynamicMeter* meter = Hashtable_get(pl->dynamicMeters, key);
+const char* DynamicMeter_lookup(Hashtable* dynamics, unsigned int key) {
+   const DynamicMeter* meter = Hashtable_get(dynamics, key);
    return meter ? meter->name : NULL;
 }
 
diff --git a/DynamicMeter.h b/DynamicMeter.h
index e723503b..27364d88 100644
--- a/DynamicMeter.h
+++ b/DynamicMeter.h
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ typedef struct DynamicMeter_ {
 
 Hashtable* DynamicMeters_new(void);
 
-const char* DynamicMeter_lookup(const ProcessList* pl, unsigned int param);
+const char* DynamicMeter_lookup(Hashtable* dynamics, unsigned int param);
 
-bool DynamicMeter_search(const ProcessList* pl, const char* name, unsigned int* key);
+bool DynamicMeter_search(Hashtable* dynamics, const char* name, unsigned int* key);
 
 extern const MeterClass DynamicMeter_class;
 
diff --git a/Header.c b/Header.c
index 3b576a73..8903fc33 100644
--- a/Header.c
+++ b/Header.c
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ void Header_writeBackToSettings(const Header* this) {
          const Meter* meter = (Meter*) Vector_get(vec, i);
          char* name;
          if (meter->param && As_Meter(meter) == &DynamicMeter_class) {
-            const char* dynamic = DynamicMeter_lookup(this->pl, meter->param);
+            const char* dynamic = DynamicMeter_lookup(this->pl->dynamicMeters, meter->param);
             xAsprintf(&name, "%s(%s)", As_Meter(meter)->name, dynamic);
          } else if (meter->param && As_Meter(meter) == &CPUMeter_class) {
             xAsprintf(&name, "%s(%u)", As_Meter(meter)->name, meter->param);
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ bool Header_addMeterByName(Header* this, const char* name, int column) {
             if ((end = strrchr(dynamic, ')')) == NULL)
                return false;    // indicate htoprc parse failure
             *end = '\0';
-            if (!DynamicMeter_search(this->pl, dynamic, &param))
+            if (!DynamicMeter_search(this->pl->dynamicMeters, dynamic, &param))
                return false;    // indicates name lookup failure
          }
       }
diff --git a/pcp/PCPDynamicMeter.c b/pcp/PCPDynamicMeter.c
index a89c1328..ac69d5a7 100644
--- a/pcp/PCPDynamicMeter.c
+++ b/pcp/PCPDynamicMeter.c
@@ -65,8 +65,8 @@ static void PCPDynamicMeter_parseMetric(PCPDynamicMeters* meters, PCPDynamicMete
       if (pmRegisterDerivedMetric(metric->name, value, &error) < 0) {
          char* note;
          xAsprintf(&note,
-                   "%s: failed to parse expression in %s at line %u\n%s\n",
-                   pmGetProgname(), path, line, error);
+                   "%s: failed to parse expression in %s at line %u\n%s\n%s",
+                   pmGetProgname(), path, line, error, pmGetProgname());
          free(error);
          errno = EINVAL;
          CRT_fatalError(note);
@@ -106,20 +106,17 @@ static void PCPDynamicMeter_parseMetric(PCPDynamicMeters* meters, PCPDynamicMete
 }
 
 // Ensure a valid name for use in a PCP metric name and in htoprc
-static void PCPDynamicMeter_validateMeterName(char* key, const char* path, unsigned int line) {
+static bool PCPDynamicMeter_validateMeterName(char* key, const char* path, unsigned int line) {
    char* p = key;
    char* end = strrchr(key, ']');
 
    if (end) {
       *end = '\0';
    } else {
-      char* note;
-      xAsprintf(&note,
-                "%s: no closing brace on meter name at %s line %u\n\"%s\"",
+      fprintf(stderr,
+                "%s: no closing brace on meter name at %s line %u\n\"%s\"\n",
                 pmGetProgname(), path, line, key);
-      errno = EINVAL;
-      CRT_fatalError(note);
-      free(note);
+      return false;
    }
 
    while (*p) {
@@ -133,16 +130,23 @@ static void PCPDynamicMeter_validateMeterName(char* key, const char* path, unsig
       p++;
    }
    if (*p != '\0') { /* badness */
-      char* note;
-      xAsprintf(&note,
-                "%s: invalid meter name at %s line %u\n\"%s\"",
+      fprintf(stderr,
+                "%s: invalid meter name at %s line %u\n\"%s\"\n",
                 pmGetProgname(), path, line, key);
-      errno = EINVAL;
-      CRT_fatalError(note);
-      free(note);
-   } else { /* overwrite closing brace */
-      *p = '\0';
+      return false;
    }
+   return true;
+}
+
+// Ensure a meter name has not been defined previously
+static bool PCPDynamicMeter_uniqueName(char* key, const char* path, unsigned int line, PCPDynamicMeters* meters) {
+   unsigned int param = 0;
+   if (DynamicMeter_search(meters->table, key, &param) == false)
+      return true;
+
+   fprintf(stderr, "%s: duplicate name at %s line %u: \"%s\", ignored\n",
+           pmGetProgname(), path, line, key);
+   return false;
 }
 
 static PCPDynamicMeter* PCPDynamicMeter_new(PCPDynamicMeters* meters, const char* name) {
@@ -159,6 +163,7 @@ static void PCPDynamicMeter_parseFile(PCPDynamicMeters* meters, const char* path
 
    PCPDynamicMeter* meter = NULL;
    unsigned int lineno = 0;
+   bool ok = true;
    for (;;) {
       char* line = String_readLine(file);
       if (!line)
@@ -182,8 +187,13 @@ static void PCPDynamicMeter_parseFile(PCPDynamicMeters* meters, const char* path
       char* key = String_trim(config[0]);
       char* value = n > 1 ? String_trim(config[1]) : NULL;
       if (key[0] == '[') {  /* new section heading - i.e. new meter */
-         PCPDynamicMeter_validateMeterName(key+1, path, lineno);
-         meter = PCPDynamicMeter_new(meters, key+1);
+         ok = PCPDynamicMeter_validateMeterName(key+1, path, lineno);
+         if (ok)
+            ok = PCPDynamicMeter_uniqueName(key+1, path, lineno, meters);
+         if (ok)
+            meter = PCPDynamicMeter_new(meters, key+1);
+      } else if (!ok) {
+         ;  /* skip this one, we're looking for a new header */
       } else if (value && String_eq(key, "caption")) {
          char* caption = String_cat(value, ": ");
          free_and_xStrdup(&meter->super.caption, caption);