diff --git a/cfg/config_files.go b/cfg/config_files.go
index c0263368..12058940 100644
--- a/cfg/config_files.go
+++ b/cfg/config_files.go
@@ -140,12 +140,17 @@ func CreateFile(fileName string) (string, error) {
 }
 
 // LoadWtfConfigFile loads the config.yml file to configure the app
-func LoadWtfConfigFile(filePath string) *config.Config {
+func LoadWtfConfigFile(filePath string, isCustomConfig bool) *config.Config {
 	absPath, _ := expandHomeDir(filePath)
 
 	cfg, err := config.ParseYamlFile(absPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		displayWtfConfigFileLoadError(err)
+		if isCustomConfig {
+			displayWtfCustomConfigFileLoadError(err)
+		} else {
+			displayWtfConfigFileLoadError(err)
+		}
+
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
@@ -242,6 +247,17 @@ func displayWtfConfigFileLoadError(err error) {
 	fmt.Printf("Error: \033[0;31m%s\033[0m\n\n", err.Error())
 }
 
+func displayWtfCustomConfigFileLoadError(err error) {
+	fmt.Println("\n\033[1mERROR:\033[0m Could not load '\033[0;33mconfig.yml\033[0m'.")
+	fmt.Println()
+	fmt.Println("This could mean one of two things:")
+	fmt.Println()
+	fmt.Println("    1. That file doesn't exist.")
+	fmt.Println("    2. That file has a YAML syntax error. Try running it through http://www.yamllint.com to check for errors.")
+	fmt.Println()
+	fmt.Printf("Error: \033[0;31m%s\033[0m\n\n", err.Error())
+}
+
 // Expand expands the path to include the home directory if the path
 // is prefixed with `~`. If it isn't prefixed with `~`, the path is
 // returned as-is.
diff --git a/flags/flags.go b/flags/flags.go
index 992c343a..c16f8c64 100644
--- a/flags/flags.go
+++ b/flags/flags.go
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ func (flags *Flags) RenderIf(version string, config *config.Config) {
 	}
 }
 
-// HasConfig returns TRUE if a config path was passed in, FALSE if one was not
-func (flags *Flags) HasConfig() bool {
+// HasCustomConfig returns TRUE if a config path was passed in, FALSE if one was not
+func (flags *Flags) HasCustomConfig() bool {
 	return len(flags.Config) > 0
 }
 
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func (flags *Flags) Parse() {
 
 	// If no config file is explicitly passed in as a param,
 	// set the flag to the default config file
-	if !flags.HasConfig() {
+	if !flags.HasCustomConfig() {
 		homeDir, err := utils.Home()
 		if err != nil {
 			fmt.Printf("Error: %v\n", err)
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 131dad5b..bdb6e824 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func refreshAllWidgets(widgets []wtf.Wtfable) {
 	}
 }
 
-func watchForConfigChanges(app *tview.Application, configFilePath string, grid *tview.Grid, pages *tview.Pages) {
+func watchForConfigChanges(app *tview.Application, configFilePath string, isCustomConfig bool, grid *tview.Grid, pages *tview.Pages) {
 	watch := watcher.New()
 	absPath, _ := utils.ExpandHomeDir(configFilePath)
 
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func watchForConfigChanges(app *tview.Application, configFilePath string, grid *
 				// Disable all widgets to stop scheduler goroutines and remove widgets from memory
 				disableAllWidgets(runningWidgets)
 
-				config := cfg.LoadWtfConfigFile(absPath)
+				config := cfg.LoadWtfConfigFile(absPath, false)
 
 				widgets := maker.MakeWidgets(app, pages, config)
 				runningWidgets = widgets
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ func watchForConfigChanges(app *tview.Application, configFilePath string, grid *
 func main() {
 	log.SetFlags(log.LstdFlags | log.Lshortfile)
 
+	// Manage the configuration directories and file
 	cfg.MigrateOldConfig()
 	cfg.CreateXdgConfigDir()
 	cfg.CreateWtfConfigDir()
@@ -136,7 +137,7 @@ func main() {
 	// Parse and handle flags
 	flags := flags.NewFlags()
 	flags.Parse()
-	config := cfg.LoadWtfConfigFile(flags.ConfigFilePath())
+	config := cfg.LoadWtfConfigFile(flags.ConfigFilePath(), flags.HasCustomConfig())
 	flags.RenderIf(version, config)
 
 	if flags.Profile {
@@ -165,7 +166,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	app.SetInputCapture(keyboardIntercept)
 
-	go watchForConfigChanges(app, flags.Config, display.Grid, pages)
+	go watchForConfigChanges(app, flags.Config, flags.HasCustomConfig(), display.Grid, pages)
 
 	if err := app.SetRoot(pages, true).Run(); err != nil {
 		fmt.Printf("Error: %v\n", err)