diff --git a/pyfpdb/Configuration.py b/pyfpdb/Configuration.py
index 9112072e..c886d1f1 100755
--- a/pyfpdb/Configuration.py
+++ b/pyfpdb/Configuration.py
@@ -482,12 +482,19 @@ class Config:
         print "\nReading configuration file %s\n" % file
         try:
             doc = xml.dom.minidom.parse(file)
+            self.file_error = None
         except:
             log.error("Error parsing %s.  See error log file." % (file))
             traceback.print_exc(file=sys.stderr)
-            print "press enter to continue"
-            sys.stdin.readline()
-            sys.exit()
+            self.file_error = sys.exc_info()[1]
+            # we could add a parameter to decide whether to return or read a line and exit?
+            return
+            #print "press enter to continue"
+            #sys.stdin.readline()
+            #sys.exit()
+#ExpatError: not well-formed (invalid token): line 511, column 4
+#sys.exc_info = (<class 'xml.parsers.expat.ExpatError'>, ExpatError('not well-formed (invalid token): line 511,
+# column 4',), <traceback object at 0x024503A0>)
 
         self.doc = doc
         self.supported_sites = {}
diff --git a/pyfpdb/fpdb.py b/pyfpdb/fpdb.py
index 0abffcd0..d48b3149 100755
--- a/pyfpdb/fpdb.py
+++ b/pyfpdb/fpdb.py
@@ -688,6 +688,12 @@ class fpdb:
     def load_profile(self):
         """Loads profile from the provided path name."""
         self.config = Configuration.Config(file=options.config, dbname=options.dbname)
+        if self.config.file_error:
+            self.warning_box( "There is an error in your config file\n" + self.config.file
+                              + "\n\nError is:  " + str(self.config.file_error)
+                            , diatitle="CONFIG FILE ERROR" )
+            exit()
+
         log = Configuration.get_logger("logging.conf", "fpdb", log_dir=self.config.dir_log)
         print "Logfile is " + os.path.join(self.config.dir_log, self.config.log_file) + "\n"
         if self.config.example_copy: