diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5c697b8..775ffca 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -171,7 +171,10 @@ Edit `~/.config/notewrapper/config.json`. If it does not exist, it will be creat
   "newLineOnOpening": true,
   "backup": {
     "enable": false,
-    "directory": "/path/to/backup",
+    "directory": {
+        "~/Documents/Notes": "path/to/backup1",
+        "/other/paths/": "path/to/backup2"
+    },
     "interval": "weekly",
     "rsyncArgs": ["-Lqah", "--update"]
   }
@@ -188,7 +191,7 @@ Edit `~/.config/notewrapper/config.json`. If it does not exist, it will be creat
 * `dateEntry`: format for journal entries (see `strftime`)
 * `newLineOnOpening`: add a newline when opening a note
 * `backup.enable`: enable automatic backups using `rsync`
-* `backup.directory`: destination directory for backups
+* `backup.directory`: backup's destination for each directory
 * `backup.interval`: backup frequency (`daily`, `weekly`, `monthly`, or integer)
 * `backup.rsyncArgs`: arguments passed to `rsync`
 
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index ce4c807..1fc68ab 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include "ui.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "notes.h"
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
@@ -209,7 +210,8 @@ arg_next:
 
         // handles the path to the backup for each directory
         cJSON *pathToBackupJSON = cJSON_GetObjectItem(backupJSON, "directory");
-        error(cJSON_IsObject(pathToBackupJSON), "user", "In %s, incorrect type for \"backup\". It must be a JSON object.");
+        debug("%s", cJSON_Print(pathToBackupJSON));
+        error(pathToBackupJSON == NULL && !(cJSON_IsObject(pathToBackupJSON) || cJSON_IsArray(pathToBackupJSON) || cJSON_IsString(pathToBackupJSON) || cJSON_IsNumber(pathToBackupJSON) || cJSON_IsBool(pathToBackupJSON)), "user", "In %s, incorrect type for \"directory\". It must be a JSON object.", configPath); // for some reason cJSON_IsObject does not work. So we must do it like this.
         for (int i = 0; i < numDirectories; i++) { // we iterate over every 
           cJSON *pathToBackupForIthDirectoryJSON = cJSON_GetObjectItem(pathToBackupJSON, directoriesArray[i]);
           if (pathToBackupForIthDirectoryJSON) {