diff --git a/lib/ApplicationFeatures/ConfigFeature.cpp b/lib/ApplicationFeatures/ConfigFeature.cpp
index 79d734c9e9..eea0303f92 100644
--- a/lib/ApplicationFeatures/ConfigFeature.cpp
+++ b/lib/ApplicationFeatures/ConfigFeature.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 #include <iostream>
 
+#include "ApplicationFeatures/VersionFeature.h"
 #include "Basics/ArangoGlobalContext.h"
 #include "Basics/FileUtils.h"
 #include "Basics/StringUtils.h"
@@ -88,6 +89,15 @@ void ConfigFeature::loadConfigFile(std::shared_ptr<ProgramOptions> options,
     return;
   }
 
+  bool fatal = true;
+
+  auto version = dynamic_cast<VersionFeature*>(
+      application_features::ApplicationServer::lookupFeature("Version"));
+
+  if (version != nullptr && version->printVersion()) {
+    fatal = false;
+  }
+
   // always prefer an explicitly given config file
   if (!_file.empty()) {
     if (!FileUtils::exists(_file)) {
@@ -189,8 +199,8 @@ void ConfigFeature::loadConfigFile(std::shared_ptr<ProgramOptions> options,
 
   LOG_TOPIC(DEBUG, Logger::CONFIG) << "loading '" << filename << "'";
 
-  if (!parser.parse(filename)) {
-    if (filename.empty()) {
+  if (filename.empty()) {
+    if (fatal) {
       size_t i = 0;
       std::string locationMsg = "(tried locations: ";
       for (auto const& it : locations) {
@@ -200,8 +210,14 @@ void ConfigFeature::loadConfigFile(std::shared_ptr<ProgramOptions> options,
         locationMsg += "'" + FileUtils::buildFilename(it, basename) + "'";
       }
       locationMsg += ")";
-      options->failNotice(locationMsg);
+      options->failNotice("cannot find configuration file\n\n" + locationMsg);
+      exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+    } else {
+      return;
     }
+  }
+
+  if (!parser.parse(filename)) {
     exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
   }
 }
diff --git a/lib/ApplicationFeatures/VersionFeature.h b/lib/ApplicationFeatures/VersionFeature.h
index a4caa0203c..e090ffe9b1 100644
--- a/lib/ApplicationFeatures/VersionFeature.h
+++ b/lib/ApplicationFeatures/VersionFeature.h
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ class VersionFeature final : public application_features::ApplicationFeature {
   void collectOptions(std::shared_ptr<options::ProgramOptions>) override final;
   void validateOptions(std::shared_ptr<options::ProgramOptions>) override final;
 
+ public:
+  bool printVersion() const { return _printVersion; }
+
  private:
   bool _printVersion;
 };
diff --git a/lib/ProgramOptions/IniFileParser.h b/lib/ProgramOptions/IniFileParser.h
index acd09bc964..f8c9678ea5 100644
--- a/lib/ProgramOptions/IniFileParser.h
+++ b/lib/ProgramOptions/IniFileParser.h
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@ class IniFileParser {
   // errors that occur during parse are reported to _options
   bool parse(std::string const& filename) {
     if (filename.empty()) {
-      return _options->fail("unable to open configuration file: no configuration file specified");
+      return _options->fail(
+          "unable to open configuration file: no configuration file specified");
     }
 
     std::ifstream ifs(filename, std::ifstream::in);
@@ -130,7 +131,7 @@ class IniFileParser {
           auto dn = basics::FileUtils::dirname(filename);
           include = basics::FileUtils::buildFilename(dn, include);
         }
-        
+
         LOG_TOPIC(DEBUG, Logger::CONFIG) << "reading include file '" << include
                                          << "'";