diff --git a/src/awk/new.awk b/src/awk/new.awk
index 635b633..d1e52c1 100644
--- a/src/awk/new.awk
+++ b/src/awk/new.awk
@@ -2,36 +2,26 @@
 
 BEGIN { 
   FS=":"; 
-  type = "VJOURNAL"; 
   zulu = strftime("%Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ", systime(), 1);
 }
-desc { desc = desc "\\n" escape($0); next; }
-{
-  if (substr($0, 1, 6) == "::: |>")
-  {
-    start = substr(zulu, 1, 8);
-    getline;
-  }
-  if (substr($0, 1, 6) == "::: <|")
-  {
-    type = "VTODO"
-    due = substr($0, 8);
-    getline;
-  }
-  summary = substr($0, 1, 2) != "# " ? "" : escape(substr($0, 3));
-  getline;
-  categories = substr($0, 1, 1) != ">" ? "" : escape_but_commas(substr($0, 3));
-  getline; # This line should be empty
-  getline; # First line of description
-  desc = "D" escape($0);
-  next;
-}
+desc                 { desc = desc "\\n" escape($0);                  next; }
+/^::: \|>/ && !start { gsub("\"", ""); start = substr(zulu, 1, 8);    next; }
+/^::: <\| / && !due  { gsub("\"", ""); due = substr($0, 8);           next; }
+/^# / && !summary    { summary = escape(substr($0, 3));               next; }
+/^> / && !categories { categories = escape_but_commas(substr($0, 3)); next; }
+!$0 && !el           { el = 1;                                        next; }
+!el                  { print "Unrecognized header on line "NR": " $0 > "/dev/stderr"; exit 1; }
+                     { desc = "D" escape($0);                         next; }
 END {
   # Sanitize input
+  type = due ? "VTODO" : "VJOURNAL"
   if (due) {
     # Use command line `date` for parsing
     cmd = "date -d \"" due "\" +\"%Y%m%d\"";
-    cmd | getline res
+    suc = cmd | getline res
+    close(cmd)
+    if (suc != 1)
+      exit 1
     due = res ? res : ""
   }
 
diff --git a/src/awk/update.awk b/src/awk/update.awk
index 69fb846..97b5ae5 100644
--- a/src/awk/update.awk
+++ b/src/awk/update.awk
@@ -6,39 +6,30 @@ BEGIN {
 }
 
 ENDFILE { 
-  if (NR == FNR)
-  {
-    # Sanitize input
-    if (due) {
-      # Use command line `date` for parsing
-      cmd = "date -d \"" due "\" +\"%Y%m%d\"";
-      cmd | getline res
-      due = res ? res : ""
-    }
+  if (NR == FNR && due) {
+    # Use command line `date` for parsing
+    cmd = "date -d \"" due "\" +\"%Y%m%d\"";
+    suc = cmd | getline res
+    close(cmd)
+    if (suc != 1)
+      exit 1
+    due = res ? res : ""
   }
 }
 
-NR == FNR && desc { desc = desc "\\n" escape($0); next; }
-NR == FNR {
-  if (substr($0, 1, 6) == "::: <|")
-  {
-    due = substr($0, 8);
-    getline;
-  }
-  summary = substr($0, 1, 2) != "# " ? "" : escape(substr($0, 3));
-  getline;
-  categories = substr($0, 1, 1) != ">" ? "" : escape_but_commas(substr($0, 3));
-  getline; # This line should be empty
-  getline; # First line of description
-  desc = "D" escape($0);
-  next;
-}
-
-/^BEGIN:(VJOURNAL|VTODO)/                                     { type = $2; print; next }
-/^X-ALT-DESC/ && type                                         { next } # drop this alternative description
-/^ / && type                                                  { next } # drop this folded line (the only content with folded lines will be updated)
-/^(DUE|SUMMARY|CATEGORIES|DESCRIPTION|LAST-MODIFIED)/ && type { next } # skip for now, we will write updated fields at the end
-/^SEQUENCE/ && type                                           { seq = $2; next } # store sequence number and skip
+NR == FNR && desc                 { desc = desc "\\n" escape($0);                  next; }
+NR == FNR && /^::: <\| / && !due  { gsub("\"",""); due = substr($0, 8);            next; }
+NR == FNR && /^# / && !summary    { summary = escape(substr($0, 3));               next; }
+NR == FNR && /^> / && !categories { categories = escape_but_commas(substr($0, 3)); next; }
+NR == FNR && !$0 && !el           { el = 1;                                        next; }
+NR == FNR && !el                  { print "Unrecognized header on line "NR": " $0 > "/dev/stderr"; exit 1; }
+NR == FNR                         { desc = "D" escape($0);                         next; }
+due && type == "VJOURNAL"         { print "Notes and journal entries do not have due dates." > "/dev/stderr"; exit 1; }
+/^BEGIN:(VJOURNAL|VTODO)/         { type = $2; print;                              next; }
+/^X-ALT-DESC/ && type             {                                                next; } # drop this alternative description
+/^ / && type                      {                                                next; } # drop this folded line (the only content with folded lines will be updated)
+/^(DUE|SUMMARY|CATEGORIES|DESCRIPTION|LAST-MODIFIED)/ && type {                    next; } # skip for now, we will write updated fields at the end
+/^SEQUENCE/ && type               { seq = $2;                                      next; } # store sequence number and skip
 /^END:/ && type == $2 {
   seq = seq ? seq + 1 : 1;
   print "SEQUENCE:" seq;
diff --git a/src/sh/icalendar.sh b/src/sh/icalendar.sh
index ecd6c5f..27a4b9d 100644
--- a/src/sh/icalendar.sh
+++ b/src/sh/icalendar.sh
@@ -41,24 +41,32 @@ __change_priority() {
 __edit() {
   file="$1"
   shift
-  filetmp=$(mktemp --suffix='.md')
-  awk "$AWK_EXPORT" "$file" >"$filetmp"
-  checksum=$(cksum "$filetmp")
+  tmpmd=$(mktemp --suffix='.md')
+  awk "$AWK_EXPORT" "$file" >"$tmpmd"
+  checksum=$(cksum "$tmpmd")
 
   # Open in editor
-  $EDITOR "$filetmp" >/dev/tty
+  $EDITOR "$tmpmd" >/dev/tty
 
   # Update only if changes are detected
-  if [ "$checksum" != "$(cksum "$filetmp")" ]; then
-    file_new="$filetmp.ics"
-    awk "$AWK_UPDATE" "$filetmp" "$file" >"$file_new"
-    mv "$file_new" "$file"
-    if [ -n "${GIT:-}" ]; then
-      $GIT add "$file"
-      $GIT commit -q -m "File modified" -- "$file"
+  while [ "$checksum" != "$(cksum "$tmpmd")" ]; do
+    tmpfile="$tmpmd.ics"
+    if awk "$AWK_UPDATE" "$tmpmd" "$file" >"$tmpfile"; then
+      mv "$tmpfile" "$file"
+      if [ -n "${GIT:-}" ]; then
+        $GIT add "$file"
+        $GIT commit -q -m "File modified" -- "$file"
+      fi
+      break
+    else
+      rm -f "$tmpfile"
+      err "Failed to update entry. Press <enter> to continue."
+      read -r tmp
+      # Re-open in editor
+      $EDITOR "$tmpmd" >/dev/tty
     fi
-  fi
-  rm "$filetmp"
+  done
+  rm "$tmpmd"
 }
 
 # Delete file
@@ -112,14 +120,22 @@ __new() {
   $EDITOR "$tmpmd" >/dev/tty
 
   # Update if changes are detected
-  if [ "$checksum" != "$(cksum "$tmpmd")" ]; then
+  while [ "$checksum" != "$(cksum "$tmpmd")" ]; do
     tmpfile="$tmpmd.ics"
-    awk -v uid="$uuid" "$AWK_NEW" "$tmpmd" >"$tmpfile"
-    mv "$tmpfile" "$file"
-    if [ -n "${GIT:-}" ]; then
-      $GIT add "$file"
-      $GIT commit -q -m "File added" -- "$file"
+    if awk -v uid="$uuid" "$AWK_NEW" "$tmpmd" >"$tmpfile"; then
+      mv "$tmpfile" "$file"
+      if [ -n "${GIT:-}" ]; then
+        $GIT add "$file"
+        $GIT commit -q -m "File added" -- "$file"
+      fi
+      break
+    else
+      rm -f "$tmpfile"
+      err "Failed to create new entry. Press <enter> to continue."
+      read -r tmp
+      # Re-open in editor
+      $EDITOR "$tmpmd" >/dev/tty
     fi
-  fi
+  done
   rm "$tmpmd"
 }