diff --git a/collects/handin-server/doc.txt b/collects/handin-server/doc.txt
index 11712bfe3d..d6d5b636db 100644
--- a/collects/handin-server/doc.txt
+++ b/collects/handin-server/doc.txt
@@ -930,7 +930,8 @@ value from the submission code.
   non-#f value in the submission context, throwing an error
   otherwise.  The second form compares the result of evaluation,
   requiring it to be equal to `result' (optionally specifying an
-  equality procedure).
+  equality procedure).  Note that the `result' and `equal?' forms are
+  *not* evaluated in the submission context.
 
 > (!all-covered)
   When coverage information is enabled (see `:coverage?' above), this
diff --git a/collects/handin-server/extra-utils.ss b/collects/handin-server/extra-utils.ss
index 581d4f974b..0a3edfab9f 100644
--- a/collects/handin-server/extra-utils.ss
+++ b/collects/handin-server/extra-utils.ss
@@ -29,8 +29,9 @@
   (error (apply format fmt args)))
 
 (define fields
-  (map car (get-preference 'extra-fields (lambda () #f) #f
-                           (build-path server-dir "config.ss"))))
+  (map car (or (get-preference 'extra-fields (lambda () #f) #f
+                               (build-path server-dir "config.ss"))
+               (error* "bad configuration file: missing extra-fields entry"))))
 
 (provide submission-dir)
 (define submission-dir-re