diff --git a/syn/README.md b/syn/README.md
index f919a3f1..cfb248c0 100644
--- a/syn/README.md
+++ b/syn/README.md
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ The environment variables that must be set in `syn_setup.sh` are
 
 # Running the synthesis flow
 
-Once `syn_setup.sh` has been created the `syn_yosys.sh` will run the entire
+Once `syn_setup.sh` has been created, call `syn_yosys.sh` to run the entire
 flow. All outputs are placed under the `syn/syn_out` directory with the prefix
 `ibex_` with the current date/time forming the rest of the name, e.g.
 `syn/syn_out/ibex_06_01_2020_11_19_15`
diff --git a/syn/syn_yosys.sh b/syn/syn_yosys.sh
index 24326fa7..9156a486 100755
--- a/syn/syn_yosys.sh
+++ b/syn/syn_yosys.sh
@@ -7,10 +7,20 @@
 # This script drives the experimental Ibex synthesis flow. More details can be
 # found in README.md
 
+set -e
+set -o pipefail
+
+error () {
+    echo >&2 "$@"
+    exit 1
+}
+
+teelog () {
+    tee "$LR_SYNTH_OUT_DIR/log/$1.log"
+}
+
 if [ ! -f syn_setup.sh ]; then
-  echo "Must provide syn_setup.sh file"
-  echo "See example in syn_setup.example.sh and README.md for instructions"
-  exit 1
+    error "No syn_setup.sh file: see README.md for instructions"
 fi
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -28,6 +38,12 @@ mkdir -p "$LR_SYNTH_OUT_DIR/reports/timing"
 
 for file in ../rtl/*.sv; do
   module=`basename -s .sv $file`
+
+  # Skip packages
+  if echo "$module" | grep -q '_pkg$'; then
+      continue
+  fi
+
   sv2v \
     --define=SYNTHESIS \
     ../rtl/*_pkg.sv \
@@ -37,9 +53,6 @@ for file in ../rtl/*.sv; do
     > $LR_SYNTH_OUT_DIR/generated/${module}.v
 done
 
-# remove generated *pkg.v files (they are empty files and not needed)
-rm -f $LR_SYNTH_OUT_DIR/generated/*_pkg.v
-
 # remove tracer (not needed for synthesis)
 rm -f $LR_SYNTH_OUT_DIR/generated/ibex_tracer.v
 
@@ -48,9 +61,13 @@ rm -f $LR_SYNTH_OUT_DIR/generated/ibex_tracer.v
 rm -f $LR_SYNTH_OUT_DIR/generated/ibex_register_file_ff.v
 rm -f $LR_SYNTH_OUT_DIR/generated/ibex_register_file_fpga.v
 
-yosys -c ./tcl/yosys_run_synth.tcl | tee ./$LR_SYNTH_OUT_DIR/log/syn.log
+yosys -c ./tcl/yosys_run_synth.tcl |& teelog syn || {
+    error "Failed to synthesize RTL with Yosys"
+}
 
-sta ./tcl/sta_run_reports.tcl | tee ./$LR_SYNTH_OUT_DIR/log/sta.log
+sta ./tcl/sta_run_reports.tcl |& teelog sta || {
+    error "Failed to run static timing analysis"
+}
 
 ./translate_timing_rpts.sh