diff --git a/tools/product_config/src/com/android/build/config/ErrorReporter.java b/tools/product_config/src/com/android/build/config/ErrorReporter.java
index f382b4e1b..5d87636d1 100644
--- a/tools/product_config/src/com/android/build/config/ErrorReporter.java
+++ b/tools/product_config/src/com/android/build/config/ErrorReporter.java
@@ -49,6 +49,16 @@ public class ErrorReporter {
      */
     private boolean mHadError;
 
+    public static class FatalException extends RuntimeException {
+        FatalException(String message) {
+            super(message);
+        }
+
+        FatalException(String message, Throwable chain) {
+            super(message, chain);
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Whether errors are errors, warnings or hidden.
      */
@@ -127,6 +137,35 @@ public class ErrorReporter {
         public String getHelp() {
             return mHelp;
         }
+
+        /**
+         * Add an error with no source position.
+         */
+        public void add(String message) {
+            ErrorReporter.this.add(this, false, new Position(), message);
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * Add an error.
+         */
+        public void add(Position pos, String message) {
+            ErrorReporter.this.add(this, false, pos, message);
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * Add an error with no source position, and throw a FatalException, stopping processing
+         * immediately.
+         */
+        public void fatal(String message) {
+            ErrorReporter.this.add(this, true, new Position(), message);
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * Add an error, and throw a FatalException, stopping processing immediately.
+         */
+        public void fatal(Position pos, String message) {
+            ErrorReporter.this.add(this, true, pos, message);
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -154,6 +193,13 @@ public class ErrorReporter {
         public String getMessage() {
             return mMessage;
         }
+
+        @Override
+        public String toString() {
+            return mPosition
+                    + "[" + mCategory.getLevel().getLabel() + " " + mCategory.getCode() + "] "
+                    + mMessage;
+        }
     }
 
     private void initLocked() {
@@ -190,23 +236,17 @@ public class ErrorReporter {
         }
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Add an error with no source position.
-     */
-    public void add(Category category, String message) {
-        add(category, new Position(), message);
-    }
-
     /**
      * Add an error.
      */
-    public void add(Category category, Position pos, String message) {
+    private void add(Category category, boolean fatal, Position pos, String message) {
         synchronized (mEntries) {
             initLocked();
             if (mCategories.get(category.getCode()) != category) {
                 throw new RuntimeException("Errors.Category used from the wrong Errors object.");
             }
-            mEntries.add(new Entry(category, pos, message));
+            final Entry entry = new Entry(category, pos, message);
+            mEntries.add(entry);
             final Level level = category.getLevel();
             if (level == Level.WARNING || level == Level.ERROR) {
                 mHadWarningOrError = true;
@@ -214,6 +254,9 @@ public class ErrorReporter {
             if (level == Level.ERROR) {
                 mHadError = true;
             }
+            if (fatal) {
+                throw new FatalException(entry.toString());
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -250,13 +293,10 @@ public class ErrorReporter {
     public void printErrors(PrintStream out) {
         synchronized (mEntries) {
             for (Entry entry: mEntries) {
-                final Category category = entry.getCategory();
-                final Level level = category.getLevel();
-                if (level == Level.HIDDEN) {
+                if (entry.getCategory().getLevel() == Level.HIDDEN) {
                     continue;
                 }
-                out.println(entry.getPosition() + "[" + level.getLabel() + " "
-                        + category.getCode() + "] " + entry.getMessage());
+                out.println(entry.toString());
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/tools/product_config/src/com/android/build/config/Main.java b/tools/product_config/src/com/android/build/config/Main.java
index 6d6214d14..b79219305 100644
--- a/tools/product_config/src/com/android/build/config/Main.java
+++ b/tools/product_config/src/com/android/build/config/Main.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public class Main {
 
         // TODO: Get the variables that were defined in starlark and use that to write
         // out the make, soong and bazel input files.
-        mErrors.add(mErrors.ERROR_COMMAND_LINE, "asdf");
+        mErrors.ERROR_COMMAND_LINE.add("asdf");
         throw new RuntimeException("poop");
     }
 
diff --git a/tools/product_config/src/com/android/build/config/Options.java b/tools/product_config/src/com/android/build/config/Options.java
index 494b947f3..48146cb73 100644
--- a/tools/product_config/src/com/android/build/config/Options.java
+++ b/tools/product_config/src/com/android/build/config/Options.java
@@ -96,14 +96,14 @@ public class Options {
                     mIndex++;
                 }
             } catch (ParseException ex) {
-                mErrors.add(mErrors.ERROR_COMMAND_LINE, ex.getMessage());
+                mErrors.ERROR_COMMAND_LINE.add(ex.getMessage());
             }
 
             return mResult;
         }
 
         private void addWarning(Errors.Category category, String message) {
-            mErrors.add(category, message);
+            category.add(message);
         }
 
         private String getNextNonFlagArg() {
@@ -133,12 +133,11 @@ public class Options {
             final int code = requireNextNumberArg(arg);
             final Errors.Category category = mErrors.getCategories().get(code);
             if (category == null) {
-                mErrors.add(mErrors.WARNING_UNKNOWN_COMMAND_LINE_ERROR,
-                        "Unknown error code: " + code);
+                mErrors.WARNING_UNKNOWN_COMMAND_LINE_ERROR.add("Unknown error code: " + code);
                 return;
             }
             if (!category.isLevelSettable()) {
-                mErrors.add(mErrors.ERROR_COMMAND_LINE, "Can't set level for error " + code);
+                mErrors.ERROR_COMMAND_LINE.add("Can't set level for error " + code);
                 return;
             }
             category.setLevel(level);
diff --git a/tools/product_config/test/com/android/build/config/ErrorReporterTest.java b/tools/product_config/test/com/android/build/config/ErrorReporterTest.java
index 2cde4769a..b9b25b407 100644
--- a/tools/product_config/test/com/android/build/config/ErrorReporterTest.java
+++ b/tools/product_config/test/com/android/build/config/ErrorReporterTest.java
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ public class ErrorReporterTest {
     public void testAdding() {
         TestErrors errors = new TestErrors();
 
-        errors.add(errors.ERROR, new Position("a", 12), "Errrororrrr");
+        errors.ERROR.add(new Position("a", 12), "Errrororrrr");
 
         Assert.assertTrue(errors.hadWarningOrError());
         Assert.assertTrue(errors.hadError());
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public class ErrorReporterTest {
     public void testWarning() {
         TestErrors errors = new TestErrors();
 
-        errors.add(errors.WARNING, "Waaaaarninggggg");
+        errors.WARNING.add("Waaaaarninggggg");
 
         Assert.assertTrue(errors.hadWarningOrError());
         Assert.assertFalse(errors.hadError());
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ public class ErrorReporterTest {
     public void testHidden() {
         TestErrors errors = new TestErrors();
 
-        errors.add(errors.HIDDEN, "Hidddeennn");
+        errors.HIDDEN.add("Hidddeennn");
 
         Assert.assertFalse(errors.hadWarningOrError());
         Assert.assertFalse(errors.hadError());