diff --git a/helix-term/src/application.rs b/helix-term/src/application.rs
index f93a8656f..b4153b062 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/application.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/application.rs
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ impl Application {
     }
 
     fn refresh_config(&mut self) {
-        let config = Config::load(helix_loader::config_file()).unwrap();
+        let config = Config::load(helix_loader::config_file()).unwrap_or_default();
         // Just an example to start; Some config properties like "theme" are a bit more involved and require a reload
         if let Some(theme) = config.theme.clone() {
             let true_color = self.true_color();
diff --git a/helix-term/src/config.rs b/helix-term/src/config.rs
index 71d4b0255..f665e72cb 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/config.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/config.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 use crate::keymap::{merge_keys, Keymaps};
-use anyhow::{Error, Result};
 use serde::Deserialize;
+use std::io::Error as IOError;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
+use toml::de::Error as TomlError;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Clone, PartialEq, Deserialize)]
 #[serde(deny_unknown_fields)]
@@ -15,6 +16,12 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub editor: helix_view::editor::Config,
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub enum ConfigLoadError {
+    BadConfig(TomlError),
+    Error(IOError),
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Clone, PartialEq, Deserialize)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "kebab-case", deny_unknown_fields)]
 pub struct LspConfig {
@@ -22,22 +29,18 @@ pub struct LspConfig {
 }
 
 impl Config {
-    pub fn load(config_path: PathBuf) -> Result<Config, Error> {
+    pub fn load(config_path: PathBuf) -> Result<Config, ConfigLoadError> {
         match std::fs::read_to_string(config_path) {
-            Ok(config) => Ok(toml::from_str(&config)
+            Ok(config) => toml::from_str(&config)
                 .map(merge_keys)
-                .unwrap_or_else(|err| {
-                    eprintln!("Bad config: {}", err);
-                    eprintln!("Press <ENTER> to continue with default config");
-                    use std::io::Read;
-                    // This waits for an enter press.
-                    let _ = std::io::stdin().read(&mut []);
-                    Config::default()
-                })),
-            Err(err) if err.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound => Result::Ok(Config::default()),
-            Err(err) => Err(err.into()),
+                .map_err(ConfigLoadError::BadConfig),
+            Err(err) => Err(ConfigLoadError::Error(err)),
         }
     }
+
+    pub fn load_default() -> Result<Config, ConfigLoadError> {
+        Config::load(helix_loader::config_file())
+    }
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
diff --git a/helix-term/src/main.rs b/helix-term/src/main.rs
index 14da7d8b0..75a02f852 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/main.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/main.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-use anyhow::{Context, Result};
+use anyhow::{Context, Result, Error};
 use helix_term::application::Application;
 use helix_term::args::Args;
-use helix_term::config::Config;
+use helix_term::config::{Config, ConfigLoadError};
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 
 fn setup_logging(logpath: PathBuf, verbosity: u64) -> Result<()> {
@@ -117,7 +117,25 @@ FLAGS:
         std::fs::create_dir_all(&conf_dir).ok();
     }
 
-    let config = Config::load(helix_loader::config_file())?;
+    let config = match Config::load_default() {
+        Ok(config) => config,
+        Err(err) => {
+            match err {
+                ConfigLoadError::BadConfig(err) => {
+                    eprintln!("Bad config: {}", err);
+                    eprintln!("Press <ENTER> to continue with default config");
+                    use std::io::Read;
+                    // This waits for an enter press.
+                    let _ = std::io::stdin().read(&mut []);
+                    Config::default()
+                }
+                ConfigLoadError::Error(err) if err.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound => {
+                    Config::default()
+                }
+                ConfigLoadError::Error(err) => return Err(Error::new(err)),
+            }
+        }
+    };
 
     setup_logging(logpath, args.verbosity).context("failed to initialize logging")?;