diff --git a/lib/config/read-config-file.js b/lib/config/read-config-file.js
index bac96032..9e4cbf78 100644
--- a/lib/config/read-config-file.js
+++ b/lib/config/read-config-file.js
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ var _configFilePath = require('./config-file-path');
 
 var _configFilePath2 = _interopRequireDefault(_configFilePath);
 
+var _error = require('../error');
+
 function _interopRequireDefault(obj) { return obj && obj.__esModule ? obj : { 'default': obj }; }
 
 var createEmptyConfigFile = _ramda2['default'].curryN(3, _fs2['default'].writeFileSync)(_ramda2['default'].__, _ramda2['default'].__, 'utf8');
@@ -28,7 +30,10 @@ exports['default'] = function (defaults) {
   try {
     return readConfigFile(_configFilePath2['default']);
   } catch (e) {
-    createEmptyConfigFile(_configFilePath2['default'], JSON.stringify(defaults));
-    return defaults;
+    if (e.code && e.code === 'ENOENT') {
+      createEmptyConfigFile(_configFilePath2['default'], JSON.stringify(defaults, null, 2));
+      return defaults;
+    }
+    return (0, _error.handleError)(new _error.ControlledError(_error.errors.config.malformedFile));
   }
 };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/error/errors.js b/lib/error/errors.js
index b48e2334..82d9cd6b 100644
--- a/lib/error/errors.js
+++ b/lib/error/errors.js
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", {
 });
 /* eslint-disable max-len */
 exports['default'] = {
+  config: {
+    malformedFile: 'It looks like your config file is not correct. If you have modified it, make sure it is a valid JSON'
+  },
   git: {
     branchAlreadyExists: 'It looks like you already have a branch for this issue.',
     couldNotInitializeRepo: 'We have problems accessing the repo in \'${pathToRepo}\'. Make sure it exists.',
diff --git a/lib/error/index.js b/lib/error/index.js
index 96c6f719..2ee4c8b1 100644
--- a/lib/error/index.js
+++ b/lib/error/index.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", {
   value: true
 });
-exports.errors = exports.catchPromiseAndThrow = exports.handleError = exports.throwControlledError = undefined;
+exports.errors = exports.catchPromiseAndThrow = exports.handleError = exports.throwControlledError = exports.ControlledError = undefined;
 
 var _slicedToArray = function () { function sliceIterator(arr, i) { var _arr = []; var _n = true; var _d = false; var _e = undefined; try { for (var _i = arr[Symbol.iterator](), _s; !(_n = (_s = _i.next()).done); _n = true) { _arr.push(_s.value); if (i && _arr.length === i) break; } } catch (err) { _d = true; _e = err; } finally { try { if (!_n && _i["return"]) _i["return"](); } finally { if (_d) throw _e; } } return _arr; } return function (arr, i) { if (Array.isArray(arr)) { return arr; } else if (Symbol.iterator in Object(arr)) { return sliceIterator(arr, i); } else { throw new TypeError("Invalid attempt to destructure non-iterable instance"); } }; }();
 
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ function _extendableBuiltin(cls) {
   return ExtendableBuiltin;
 }
 
-var ControlledError = function (_extendableBuiltin2) {
+var ControlledError = exports.ControlledError = function (_extendableBuiltin2) {
   _inherits(ControlledError, _extendableBuiltin2);
 
   function ControlledError(message) {
diff --git a/src/config/read-config-file.js b/src/config/read-config-file.js
index c70f6643..fcbf2d16 100644
--- a/src/config/read-config-file.js
+++ b/src/config/read-config-file.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import fs from 'fs';
 import R from 'ramda';
 import configFilePath from './config-file-path';
+import { ControlledError, errors, handleError } from '../error';
 
 const createEmptyConfigFile = R.curryN(3, fs.writeFileSync)(R.__, R.__, 'utf8');
 const readConfigFile = R.curryN(2, R.compose(JSON.parse, fs.readFileSync))(R.__, 'utf8');
@@ -12,7 +13,10 @@ export default (defaults) => {
   try {
     return readConfigFile(configFilePath);
   } catch (e) {
-    createEmptyConfigFile(configFilePath, JSON.stringify(defaults));
-    return defaults;
+    if (e.code && e.code === 'ENOENT') {
+      createEmptyConfigFile(configFilePath, JSON.stringify(defaults, null, 2));
+      return defaults;
+    }
+    return handleError(new ControlledError(errors.config.malformedFile));
   }
 };
diff --git a/src/error/errors.js b/src/error/errors.js
index 7440d720..e62c8268 100644
--- a/src/error/errors.js
+++ b/src/error/errors.js
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 /* eslint-disable max-len */
 export default {
+  config: {
+    malformedFile: 'It looks like your config file is not correct. If you have modified it, make sure it is a valid JSON'
+  },
   git: {
     branchAlreadyExists: 'It looks like you already have a branch for this issue.',
     couldNotInitializeRepo: 'We have problems accessing the repo in \'${pathToRepo}\'. Make sure it exists.',
diff --git a/src/error/index.js b/src/error/index.js
index ae8ea8ac..5b7d566d 100644
--- a/src/error/index.js
+++ b/src/error/index.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import errors from './errors';
 import { debugCurried, error, errorCurried } from '../util';
 import reporter from '../reporter';
 
-class ControlledError extends Error {
+export class ControlledError extends Error {
   constructor(message, parameters = {}) {
     super(R.compose(
       R.reduce((msg, [k, v]) => R.replace(`\${${k}}`, v, msg), message),