diff --git a/cleanenv.go b/cleanenv.go
index dd4e1d4..6bbdcdf 100644
--- a/cleanenv.go
+++ b/cleanenv.go
@@ -398,6 +398,50 @@ func readStructMetadata(cfgRoot interface{}) ([]structMeta, error) {
 	return metas, nil
 }
 
+type readEnvVarsError struct {
+	missingEnvs []string
+	parsingErrs []error
+}
+
+func (e readEnvVarsError) IsEmpty() bool {
+	return len(e.missingEnvs) == 0 && len(e.parsingErrs) == 0
+}
+
+func (e readEnvVarsError) Error() string {
+	var tmp string
+	for i, env := range e.missingEnvs {
+		tmp += fmt.Sprintf("\t%q", env)
+		// add new line if this is not the last element
+		if i != len(e.missingEnvs)-1 {
+			tmp += "\n"
+		}
+	}
+	missings := fmt.Sprintf("missing required environment variables: \n%s", tmp)
+
+	tmp = ""
+	for i, err := range e.parsingErrs {
+		tmp += fmt.Sprintf("\t%v", err)
+		// add new line if this is not the last element
+		if i != len(e.parsingErrs)-1 {
+			tmp += "\n"
+		}
+	}
+	parsingErrs := fmt.Sprintf("parsing errors for environment variables: \n%s", tmp)
+
+	var res string
+
+	switch {
+	case len(e.missingEnvs) != 0 && len(e.parsingErrs) != 0:
+		res = fmt.Sprintf("%s\n%s", missings, parsingErrs)
+	case len(e.missingEnvs) != 0:
+		res = missings
+	case len(e.parsingErrs) != 0:
+		res = parsingErrs
+	}
+
+	return res
+}
+
 // readEnvVars reads environment variables to the provided configuration structure
 func readEnvVars(cfg interface{}, update bool) error {
 	metaInfo, err := readStructMetadata(cfg)
@@ -405,21 +449,29 @@ func readEnvVars(cfg interface{}, update bool) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// store initial configuration, so we can return default values if errors occur
+	initialCfg := reflect.ValueOf(cfg).Elem().Interface()
+
 	if updater, ok := cfg.(Updater); ok {
 		if err := updater.Update(); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
 
+	var errs readEnvVarsError
+
 	for _, meta := range metaInfo {
 		// update only updatable fields
 		if update && !meta.updatable {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		var rawValue *string
+		var (
+			rawValue *string
+			env      string
+		)
 
-		for _, env := range meta.envList {
+		for _, env = range meta.envList {
 			if value, ok := os.LookupEnv(env); ok {
 				rawValue = &value
 				break
@@ -427,10 +479,8 @@ func readEnvVars(cfg interface{}, update bool) error {
 		}
 
 		if rawValue == nil && meta.required && meta.isFieldValueZero() {
-			return fmt.Errorf(
-				"field %q is required but the value is not provided",
-				meta.fieldName,
-			)
+			errs.missingEnvs = append(errs.missingEnvs, env)
+			continue
 		}
 
 		if rawValue == nil && meta.isFieldValueZero() {
@@ -447,10 +497,16 @@ func readEnvVars(cfg interface{}, update bool) error {
 		}
 
 		if err := parseValue(meta.fieldValue, *rawValue, meta.separator, meta.layout); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("parsing field %v env %v: %v", meta.fieldName, envName, err)
+			errs.parsingErrs = append(errs.parsingErrs, fmt.Errorf("field %v env %q: %v", meta.fieldName, envName, err))
 		}
 	}
 
+	if !errs.IsEmpty() {
+		// restore initial configuration
+		reflect.ValueOf(cfg).Elem().Set(reflect.ValueOf(initialCfg))
+		return errs
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/cleanenv_test.go b/cleanenv_test.go
index d51490c..b77a959 100644
--- a/cleanenv_test.go
+++ b/cleanenv_test.go
@@ -1191,8 +1191,8 @@ func TestTimeLocation(t *testing.T) {
 func TestSkipUnexportedField(t *testing.T) {
 	conf := struct {
 		Database struct {
-			Host        string `yaml:"host" env:"DB_HOST" env-description:"Database host"`
-			Port        string `yaml:"port" env:"DB_PORT" env-description:"Database port"`
+			Host string `yaml:"host" env:"DB_HOST" env-description:"Database host"`
+			Port string `yaml:"port" env:"DB_PORT" env-description:"Database port"`
 		} `yaml:"database"`
 		server struct {
 			Host string `yaml:"host" env:"SRV_HOST,HOST" env-description:"Server host" env-default:"localhost"`
@@ -1210,3 +1210,43 @@ func TestSkipUnexportedField(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("expect value on exported fields")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestReturnMissingVariables(t *testing.T) {
+	conf := struct {
+		Port         string        `env:"PORT" env-required:"true"`
+		JWTsalt      string        `env:"JWT_SALT" env-required:"true"`
+		ReadTimout   time.Duration `env:"READ_TIMEOUT" env-required:"true"`
+		WriteTimeout time.Duration `env:"WRITE_TIMEOUT" env-default:"15s"`
+	}{}
+	expectedErrMsg := `missing required environment variables: 
+	"PORT"
+	"JWT_SALT"
+	"READ_TIMEOUT"
+parsing errors for environment variables: 
+	field WriteTimeout env "WRITE_TIMEOUT": time: invalid duration "incorrect"`
+
+	os.Setenv("WRITE_TIMEOUT", "incorrect")
+	defer os.Clearenv()
+
+	err := ReadEnv(&conf)
+
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expect error")
+	}
+
+	switch errt := err.(type) {
+	case readEnvVarsError:
+		t.Log(errt.Error())
+		if len(errt.missingEnvs) != 3 {
+			t.Fatalf("wrong number of missing envs: got %v want %v", len(errt.missingEnvs), 4)
+		}
+		if len(errt.parsingErrs) != 1 {
+			t.Fatalf("wrong number of parsing errors: got %v want %v", len(errt.parsingErrs), 1)
+		}
+		if errt.Error() != expectedErrMsg {
+			t.Fatalf("wrong error message: got %v want %v", errt.Error(), expectedErrMsg)
+		}
+	default:
+		t.Fatal("expect type of error to be readEnvVarsError")
+	}
+}