diff --git a/helix-term/src/config.rs b/helix-term/src/config.rs
index 8806d4602154f..c1dfe8b8ba1b6 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/config.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/config.rs
@@ -56,70 +56,93 @@ impl Config {
         Config::load(helix_loader::config_file())
     }
 
-    // Load a merged config from configuration and repo/.helix/config.toml
-    pub fn load_merged_config() -> Result<Config, std::io::Error> {
+    // Load a merged config from configuration and $PWD/.helix/config.toml
+    pub fn load_merged_config() -> Config {
         let root_config: Config = std::fs::read_to_string(helix_loader::config_file())
-            .map(|config| toml::from_str(&config))?
-            .unwrap_or_default();
+            .ok()
+            .and_then(|config| toml::from_str(&config).ok())
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| {
+                eprintln!("Bad config: {:?}", helix_loader::config_file());
+                Config::halt_and_confirm("default");
+                Config::default()
+            });
 
         // Load each config file
         let local_config_values = helix_loader::local_config_dirs()
             .into_iter()
             .map(|path| path.join("config.toml"))
             .chain([helix_loader::config_file()])
-            .filter_map(|file| Config::load_config_toml_values(&root_config, file).ok())
-            .collect::<Result<Vec<toml::Value>, _>>();
+            .filter_map(|file| Config::load_config_toml_values(&root_config, file));
 
         // Merge configs and return, or alert user of error and load default
-        let config = match local_config_values {
-            Ok(values) => values
-                .into_iter()
-                .fold(toml::Value::Table(toml::value::Table::default()), |a, b| {
-                    helix_loader::merge_toml_values(b, a, 3)
-                })
-                .try_into()?,
-            Err(err) => {
-                eprintln!("Bad configs: {:#?}", 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()
-            }
-        };
-        Ok(config)
+        match local_config_values
+            .fold(toml::Value::Table(toml::value::Table::default()), |a, b| {
+                helix_loader::merge_toml_values(b, a, 3)
+            })
+            .try_into()
+        {
+            Ok(conf) => conf,
+            Err(_) => root_config,
+        }
     }
 
+    // Load a specific config file if allowed by config
+    // Stay with toml::Values as they can be merged
     pub fn load_config_toml_values(
         root_config: &Config,
         config_path: std::path::PathBuf,
-    ) -> Result<Result<toml::Value, toml::de::Error>, std::io::Error> {
+    ) -> Option<toml::Value> {
         if config_path.exists() {
             let mut confirmed = true;
             if config_path != helix_loader::config_file() {
                 if root_config.editor.security.load_local_config {
                     if root_config.editor.security.confirm_local_config {
                         eprintln!(
-                            "Type yes<RET> to continue with loading config: {:#?}",
+                            "Type yes<ENTER> to continue with loading config: {:#?}",
                             config_path
                         );
                         let mut input = String::new();
                         std::io::stdin().read_line(&mut input).unwrap_or_default();
                         confirmed = input.contains("yes");
-                    }
+                    } //else we still presume confirmed = true
                 } else {
+                    // User denies local configs, do not load
                     confirmed = false;
                 }
             }
             if confirmed {
                 log::debug!("Load config: {:?}", config_path);
-                return std::fs::read(config_path).map(|config| toml::from_slice(&config));
+                let bytes = std::fs::read(&config_path);
+                let cfg: Option<toml::Value> = match bytes {
+                    Ok(bytes) => {
+                        let cfg = toml::from_slice(&bytes);
+                        match cfg {
+                            Ok(cfg) => Some(cfg),
+                            Err(e) => {
+                                eprintln!("Toml parse error for {:?}: {}", &config_path, e);
+                                Config::halt_and_confirm("loaded");
+                                None
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+                    Err(e) => {
+                        eprintln!("Could not read {:?}: {}", &config_path, e);
+                        Config::halt_and_confirm("loaded");
+                        None
+                    }
+                };
+                return cfg;
+            } else {
+                return None;
             }
         }
-        Err(std::io::Error::new(
-            std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound,
-            format!("{:?} not found", config_path.to_str()),
-        ))
+        None
+    }
+
+    fn halt_and_confirm(config_type: &'static str) {
+        eprintln!("Press <ENTER> to continue with {} config", config_type);
+        let mut tmp = String::new();
+        let _ = std::io::stdin().read_line(&mut tmp);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/helix-term/src/main.rs b/helix-term/src/main.rs
index 3347bcb59909b..9e0df716e7202 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/main.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/main.rs
@@ -115,9 +115,14 @@ FLAGS:
 
     setup_logging(logpath, args.verbosity).context("failed to initialize logging")?;
 
+    let config_dir = helix_loader::config_dir();
+    if !config_dir.exists() {
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&config_dir).ok();
+    }
+
     helix_loader::initialize_config_file(args.config_file.clone());
 
-    let config = Config::load_merged_config().unwrap_or_default();
+    let config: Config = Config::load_merged_config();
 
     // TODO: use the thread local executor to spawn the application task separately from the work pool
     let mut app = Application::new(args, config).context("unable to create new application")?;