diff --git a/mdocean/optimization/gradient_optim.m b/mdocean/optimization/gradient_optim.m
index 8fe5bfd..8334b1d 100644
--- a/mdocean/optimization/gradient_optim.m
+++ b/mdocean/optimization/gradient_optim.m
@@ -118,9 +118,17 @@
         probs{i} = problem;
 
         tol = eps(2);
-        if any(abs(X_opt_raw(b.mins_flexible) - b.X_mins(b.mins_flexible)) < tol) ...
-                || any(abs(X_opt_raw(b.maxs_flexible) - b.X_maxs(b.maxs_flexible)) < tol)
-            warning('Optimization is up against a flexible variable bound, consider changing bounds')
+        min_active = abs(X_opt_raw - b.X_mins) < tol;
+        max_active = abs(X_opt_raw - b.X_maxs) < tol;
+        flexible_min_active = b.mins_flexible & min_active;
+        flexible_max_active = b.maxs_flexible & max_active;
+        if  any(flexible_min_active) || any(flexible_max_active)
+            var_opt = b.var_names(1:end-1);
+            max_string = strcat(var_opt(flexible_max_active)," ");
+            min_string = strcat(var_opt(flexible_min_active)," ");
+            msg = ['Optimization is up against a flexible variable bound, consider changing bounds. ',...
+                   'At max: ' horzcat(max_string{:}) ', at min: ' horzcat(min_string{:})];
+            warning(msg)
         end
 
         X_opt = [X_opt_raw; evaluate(X(end),struct())];   % add material back onto design vector
diff --git a/mdocean/optimization/multiobjective/pareto_search.m b/mdocean/optimization/multiobjective/pareto_search.m
index 725cfc7..5abbc23 100644
--- a/mdocean/optimization/multiobjective/pareto_search.m
+++ b/mdocean/optimization/multiobjective/pareto_search.m
@@ -84,12 +84,30 @@
         'ParetoSetChangeTolerance',1.6e-8,'MaxIterations',100);
     if ~isempty(X0)
         probMO.options.InitialPoints = X0_struct;
+    else
+        probMO.x0 = [];
+        warning('All starting points are infeasible')
     end
     probMO.solver = 'paretosearch';
     probMO.nvars = num_DVs;
     %% Execute pareto search
     disp('Finished finding pareto seed points. Now starting paretosearch.')
-    [x,fval,flag,output,residuals] = paretosearch(probMO);
+    try
+        [x,fval,flag,output,residuals] = paretosearch(probMO);
+    catch ME
+        if (strcmp(ME.identifier,'MATLAB:emptyObjectDotAssignment'))
+            msg = ['Pareto search could not find any feasible starting points, ' ...
+                   'so plot errored. Retrying without plot.'];
+            warning(msg)
+            probMO.options.PlotFcn = [];
+            [x,fval,flag,output,residuals] = paretosearch(probMO);
+            if flag==-2
+                error(output.message)
+            end
+        else
+            rethrow(ME)
+        end
+    end
 
     %% Process and save results
     utopia = min(fval);
diff --git a/mdocean/optimization/sensitivities/param_sweep.m b/mdocean/optimization/sensitivities/param_sweep.m
index 6802d4a..73f6c85 100644
--- a/mdocean/optimization/sensitivities/param_sweep.m
+++ b/mdocean/optimization/sensitivities/param_sweep.m
@@ -103,6 +103,13 @@
 slope_LCOE = get_slope(LCOE, ratios, LCOE_nom);
 slope_Pvar = get_slope(P_var, ratios, Pvar_nom);
 
+if all(~isfinite(slope_LCOE),'all') || all(~isfinite(slope_Pvar),'all')
+    msg = ['All slopes are NaN, meaning all optimizations failed. ' ...
+        'This might be because no feasible solution can be found. ' ...
+        'slope_LCOE = ', num2str(slope_LCOE), ' and slope_Pvar = ', num2str(slope_Pvar)];
+    error(msg)
+end
+
 [~,LCOE_sort_idx] = sort(abs(slope_LCOE),'MissingPlacement','first');
 [~,Pvar_sort_idx] = sort(abs(slope_Pvar),'MissingPlacement','first');