diff --git a/internal/api/v1/file.go b/internal/api/v1/file.go
index acaeabb..31a2223 100644
--- a/internal/api/v1/file.go
+++ b/internal/api/v1/file.go
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ func SetFileContent(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	// no validation for include files
 
 	if valErr != nil {
-		U.RespondJSON(w, r, valErr, http.StatusBadRequest)
+		U.RespondError(w, valErr, http.StatusBadRequest)
 		return
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/api/v1/utils/error.go b/internal/api/v1/utils/error.go
index e2775df..5e72198 100644
--- a/internal/api/v1/utils/error.go
+++ b/internal/api/v1/utils/error.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 
 	E "github.com/yusing/go-proxy/internal/error"
+	"github.com/yusing/go-proxy/internal/utils/strutils/ansi"
 )
 
 // HandleErr logs the error and returns an HTTP error response to the client.
@@ -23,6 +24,13 @@ func HandleErr(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, origErr error, code ...in
 	http.Error(w, http.StatusText(statusCode), statusCode)
 }
 
+func RespondError(w http.ResponseWriter, err error, code ...int) {
+	if len(code) > 0 {
+		w.WriteHeader(code[0])
+	}
+	WriteBody(w, []byte(ansi.StripANSI(err.Error())))
+}
+
 func ErrMissingKey(k string) error {
 	return E.New("missing key '" + k + "' in query or request body")
 }
diff --git a/internal/api/v1/utils/utils.go b/internal/api/v1/utils/utils.go
index 9cf97a8..94f9fb0 100644
--- a/internal/api/v1/utils/utils.go
+++ b/internal/api/v1/utils/utils.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 
 	"github.com/yusing/go-proxy/internal/logging"
+	"github.com/yusing/go-proxy/internal/utils/strutils/ansi"
 )
 
 func WriteBody(w http.ResponseWriter, body []byte) {
@@ -27,13 +28,17 @@ func RespondJSON(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, data any, code ...int)
 		j = []byte(fmt.Sprintf("%q", data))
 	case []byte:
 		j = data
+	case error:
+		j, err = json.Marshal(ansi.StripANSI(data.Error()))
 	default:
 		j, err = json.MarshalIndent(data, "", "  ")
-		if err != nil {
-			logging.Panic().Err(err).Msg("failed to marshal json")
-			return false
-		}
 	}
+
+	if err != nil {
+		logging.Panic().Err(err).Msg("failed to marshal json")
+		return false
+	}
+
 	_, err = w.Write(j)
 	if err != nil {
 		HandleErr(w, r, err)
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index 1127ef7..f1c42b7 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ func Load() (*Config, E.Error) {
 }
 
 func Validate(data []byte) E.Error {
-	var model *types.Config
-	return utils.DeserializeYAML(data, model)
+	var model types.Config
+	return utils.DeserializeYAML(data, &model)
 }
 
 func MatchDomains() []string {
diff --git a/internal/route/provider/file.go b/internal/route/provider/file.go
index 573f347..a06a7f7 100644
--- a/internal/route/provider/file.go
+++ b/internal/route/provider/file.go
@@ -31,8 +31,12 @@ func FileProviderImpl(filename string) (ProviderImpl, error) {
 	return impl, nil
 }
 
-func validate(data []byte) (route.RawEntries, E.Error) {
-	return utils.DeserializeYAMLMap[*route.RawEntry](data)
+func validate(data []byte) (route.Routes, E.Error) {
+	entries, err := utils.DeserializeYAMLMap[*route.RawEntry](data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return route.NewRoutes(), err
+	}
+	return route.FromEntries(entries)
 }
 
 func Validate(data []byte) (err E.Error) {
@@ -56,11 +60,7 @@ func (p *FileProvider) loadRoutesImpl() (route.Routes, E.Error) {
 		return routes, E.From(err)
 	}
 
-	entries, err := validate(data)
-	if err == nil {
-		return route.FromEntries(entries)
-	}
-	return routes, E.From(err)
+	return validate(data)
 }
 
 func (p *FileProvider) NewWatcher() W.Watcher {
diff --git a/internal/utils/serialization.go b/internal/utils/serialization.go
index 4d974d0..8fd7654 100644
--- a/internal/utils/serialization.go
+++ b/internal/utils/serialization.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"os"
 	"reflect"
+	"runtime/debug"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -158,7 +159,7 @@ func Deserialize(src SerializedObject, dst any) E.Error {
 		return E.Errorf("deserialize: src is %w", ErrNilValue)
 	}
 	if dst == nil {
-		return E.Errorf("deserialize: dst is %w", ErrNilValue)
+		return E.Errorf("deserialize: dst is %w\n%s", ErrNilValue, debug.Stack())
 	}
 
 	dstV := reflect.ValueOf(dst)
@@ -169,7 +170,7 @@ func Deserialize(src SerializedObject, dst any) E.Error {
 			if dstV.CanSet() {
 				dstV.Set(New(dstT.Elem()))
 			} else {
-				return E.Errorf("deserialize: dst is %w", ErrNilValue)
+				return E.Errorf("deserialize: dst is %w\n%s", ErrNilValue, debug.Stack())
 			}
 		}
 		dstV = dstV.Elem()
@@ -191,6 +192,9 @@ func Deserialize(src SerializedObject, dst any) E.Error {
 		for _, field := range fields {
 			var key string
 			if jsonTag, ok := field.Tag.Lookup("json"); ok {
+				if jsonTag == "-" {
+					continue
+				}
 				key = strutils.CommaSeperatedList(jsonTag)[0]
 			} else {
 				key = field.Name