diff --git a/parsers/survex.py b/parsers/survex.py
index 87c43d0..29cca3c 100644
--- a/parsers/survex.py
+++ b/parsers/survex.py
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ todo = '''Also walk the entire tree in the :loser: repo looking for unconnected
         GetPersonExpeditionNameLookup() needs to be fixed.
         
 - fix THREEDCACHEDIR and put .3d files in same folder as .svx and fix CaveView
+
+- LoadSurvexFile() Creates a new current survexfile and valid .survexdirectory
+        The survexblock passed-in is not necessarily the parent. FIX THIS.
 '''
 survexblockroot = None
 ROOTBLOCK = "rootblock"
@@ -130,7 +133,7 @@ class LoadingSurvex():
     rx_star    = re.compile(r'(?i)\s*\*[\s,]*(\w+)\s*(.*?)\s*(?:;.*)?$')
     rx_starref = re.compile(r'(?i)^\s*\*ref[\s.:]*((?:19[6789]\d)|(?:20[0123]\d))\s*#?\s*(X)?\s*(.*?\d+.*?)$')
     rx_argsref = re.compile(r'(?i)^[\s.:]*((?:19[6789]\d)|(?:20[0123]\d))\s*#?\s*(X)?\s*(.*?\d+.*?)$')
-    
+    rx_badmerge= re.compile(r'(?i).*(\>\>\>)|(\<\<\<).*$')
     rx_ref2 = re.compile(r'(?i)\s*ref[.;]?')
     rx_ref3 = re.compile(r'(?i)\s*wallet[.;]?')
 
@@ -1037,12 +1040,22 @@ class LoadingSurvex():
             if not sline:
                 continue # skip blank lines
 
+            # detect a merge failure inserted by version control
+            mfail = self.rx_badmerge.match(sline)
+            if mfail: 
+                message = f"\n ! - ERROR version control merge failure\n   - '{sline}'\n"
+                message = message + f"   - line {self.lineno} in {blkid} in {survexblock}\n   - NERD++ needed to fix it"
+                print(message)
+                print(message,file=sys.stderr)
+                DataIssue.objects.create(parser='survex', message=message)
+                continue # skip this line
+
             # detect a star command
             star = self.rx_star.match(sline)
             if star: 
                 # yes we are reading a *command
                 starstatement(star)
-            else: # not a *cmd so we are reading data OR a ";" rx_comment failed
+            else: # not a *cmd so we are reading data OR a ";" rx_comment failed. We hope.
                 self.LoadSurvexLeg(survexblock, sline, comment)
 
         self.legsnumber = slengthtotal