diff --git a/src/command.c b/src/command.c
index 91e2290..e03572f 100644
--- a/src/command.c
+++ b/src/command.c
@@ -117,8 +117,10 @@ int polls_handler(const void *key, size_t size, uintptr_t val, void *usr) {
 int success_handler(const void *key, size_t size, uintptr_t val, void *usr) {
   struct succ *verified = (struct succ *)usr;
 
-  if ((char *)val != verified->sugg) {
-    //((char *)val)[strlen(((char *)val)) - 1] = '\0';
+  char *val2 = (char*) val;
+
+  if ((char *)val != verified->sugg && val2[strlen(val2) - 1] == '\n') {
+    val2[strlen(val2) - 1] = '\0';
   }
 
   if (strcmp(verified->sugg, (char *)val) == 0) {
@@ -146,8 +148,8 @@ int handle_pages_int(char *command, char *invs) {
   }
 }
 
-int suggest_command(char *command, char *command_re, hashmap *polls,
-                    char *name) {
+int suggest_command(char *command, char *command_re, hashmap *polls, char *name,
+                    int was_combination) {
 
   char *page = handle_pages(command, "/suggest ");
 
@@ -167,8 +169,17 @@ int suggest_command(char *command, char *command_re, hashmap *polls,
   char *key = calloc(MAX_BUF_LENGTH, sizeof(char));
   sprintf(key, "%s_%i", name, (int)rand());
 
-  struct verifier verified = {.name = name, .sugg = val};
+  int point_thing = 0;
 
+  struct succ succer = {.sugg = val, .points = &point_thing};
+  hashmap_iterate(polls, success_handler, (void *)&succer);
+
+  if (was_combination == 2 && point_thing == 0) {
+    printf("You cannot create unique polls with elements you do not have.\n");
+    return 1;
+  }
+
+  struct verifier verified = {.name = name, .sugg = val};
   if (hashmap_iterate(polls, polls_handler, (void *)&verified) == -1) {
     printf("You already suggested this!\n");
     return 1;
@@ -176,13 +187,9 @@ int suggest_command(char *command, char *command_re, hashmap *polls,
 
   hashmap_set(polls, key, strlen(key), (uintptr_t)val, 1);
 
-  int point_thing = 0;
-
-  struct succ succer = {.sugg = val, .points = &point_thing};
-  hashmap_iterate(polls, success_handler, (void *)&succer);
+  point_thing++;
 
   if (point_thing == UPVOTE_IN) {
-
     printf("Poll was added into the game!\n");
     FILE *fptr;
 
@@ -238,7 +245,7 @@ int polls_command(char *command, hashmap *polls, hashmap *cmd) {
 }
 
 int path_command(char *command, hashmap *elements_rev, hashmap *already_done,
-                 int top, hashmap* inv) {
+                 int top, hashmap *inv) {
   char *page2;
   if (top) {
     page2 = handle_pages(command, "/path ");
@@ -250,7 +257,7 @@ int path_command(char *command, hashmap *elements_rev, hashmap *already_done,
 
   char *page = malloc(strlen(page2) + 1);
   strcpy(page, page2);
-  if (page[strlen(page) - 1]  == '\n') {
+  if (page[strlen(page) - 1] == '\n') {
     page[strlen(page) - 1] = '\0';
   }
   if (strlen(page) == 0) {
@@ -263,7 +270,6 @@ int path_command(char *command, hashmap *elements_rev, hashmap *already_done,
     already_done = hashmap_create();
   }
 
-
   uintptr_t result;
   hashmap_get(inv, page, strlen(page), &result);
 
@@ -273,7 +279,7 @@ int path_command(char *command, hashmap *elements_rev, hashmap *already_done,
   }
 
   hashmap_get(already_done, page, strlen(page), &result);
-  
+
   if (result != 0) {
     return 1;
   }
@@ -287,7 +293,7 @@ int path_command(char *command, hashmap *elements_rev, hashmap *already_done,
 
   // todo: refactor;
   char *tmp = (char *)result, *tmp2 = 0;
-  if (tmp[strlen(tmp)-1] == '\n') {
+  if (tmp[strlen(tmp) - 1] == '\n') {
     tmp[strlen(tmp) - 1] = '\0';
   }
 
@@ -298,7 +304,7 @@ int path_command(char *command, hashmap *elements_rev, hashmap *already_done,
     if (tmp2[0] == ';') {
       tmp2++;
     }
-      tmp = strstr(tmp2, ";");
+    tmp = strstr(tmp2, ";");
     if (tmp == 0) {
       tmp = &tmp2[strlen(tmp2)];
     }
@@ -319,8 +325,8 @@ int path_command(char *command, hashmap *elements_rev, hashmap *already_done,
     free(tmp23);
   }
 
-  printf("<- %s\n-> %s\n", (char*) result, (char *)page);
-  
+  printf("<- %s\n-> %s\n", (char *)result, (char *)page);
+
   return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/command.h b/src/command.h
index f3694b6..bba66a4 100644
--- a/src/command.h
+++ b/src/command.h
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 int get_command(char *command, char *command_re, char **sort_tmp);
 int slash_command(char *command, hashmap *inv);
 int suggest_command(char *command, char *command_re, hashmap *polls,
-                    char *name);
+                    char *name, int was_combination);
 int help_command(char *command);
 int polls_command(char *command, hashmap *polls, hashmap *cmd);
 int path_command(char *command, hashmap *elements_rev, hashmap *already_done,
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 584ac29..69f9365 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   char *command_re = calloc(MAX_BUF_LENGTH, sizeof(char));
   char **sort_tmp = calloc(MAX_COMBO_LENGTH, sizeof(char **));
 
-  int wasCombination = 0;
+  int was_combination = 0;
 
   init_tables(elements, inv, polls, elements_rev, 1);
 
@@ -80,11 +80,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
       command[i] = tolower(command[i]);
     }
 
-    if (wasCombination && suggest_command(command, command_re, polls, name)) {
-      wasCombination = 0;
+    if (was_combination &&
+        suggest_command(command, command_re, polls, name, was_combination)) {
       continue;
     }
-    wasCombination = 0;
+    was_combination = 0;
     if (help_command(command))
       continue;
     if (polls_command(command, polls, elements))
@@ -111,9 +111,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
       }
     }
 
-    if (failed)
-      continue;
-
     uintptr_t result;
     hashmap_get(elements, command_re, strlen(command_re), &result);
 
@@ -123,12 +120,21 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
       hashmap_get(elements, command_re, strlen(command_re), &result);
     }
 
+    if (result == 0 && failed) {
+      was_combination = 2;
+      printf("Use /suggest to upvote a pre-existing combination.\n");
+      continue;
+    }
+
     if (result == 0) {
-      wasCombination = 1;
+      was_combination = 1;
       printf("You didn't make anything; use /suggest to suggest an element.\n");
       continue;
     }
 
+    if (failed)
+      continue;
+
     char *res_str = (char *)result;
 
     uintptr_t result2;