diff --git a/src/main.lisp b/src/main.lisp
index 96e21fa..33137da 100644
--- a/src/main.lisp
+++ b/src/main.lisp
@@ -122,13 +122,15 @@ etc.) happened"
   (shared-init)
   (db-utils:with-ready-database (:connect nil)
     (complete:initialize-complete-username-cache)
-    (handler-case
-        (or (ignore-errors (modules:load-sys-module +starting-init-file+))
-            (modules:load-module +starting-init-file+))
-      (error (e)
+    (let ((system-config-file-found-p (modules:load-sys-module +starting-init-file+
+                                                               :not-found-signal-error nil)))
+      (multiple-value-bind (home-config-file-found-p error-message)
+          (modules:load-module +starting-init-file+ :not-found-signal-error nil)
+      (when (not (or system-config-file-found-p
+                     home-config-file-found-p))
         (croatoan:end-screen)
-        (format *error-output* "~a~%" e)
-        (os-utils:exit-program 1)))
+        (format *error-output* "~a~%" error-message)
+        (os-utils:exit-program 1))))
     ;; init main window for first...
     (main-window:init)
     (keybindings-window:init)
diff --git a/src/modules.lisp b/src/modules.lisp
index 28a4318..9824286 100644
--- a/src/modules.lisp
+++ b/src/modules.lisp
@@ -17,11 +17,13 @@
 
 (in-package :modules)
 
-(defun load-sys-module (path)
-  (let ((file (get-sys-config-file path)))
+(defun load-sys-module (path &key (not-found-signal-error t))
+  (when-let ((file (if not-found-signal-error
+                       (get-sys-config-file path)
+                       (ignore-errors (get-sys-config-file path)))))
     (load file :verbose nil :print nil)))
 
-(defun load-module (path)
+(defun load-module (path &key (not-found-signal-error t))
   (flet ((%load (file)
            (load file :verbose nil :print nil)))
     (let ((config-file (conditions:with-default-on-error (nil)
@@ -34,10 +36,13 @@
         (data-file
          (%load data-file))
         (t
-         (error (format nil
-                        (_ "Unrecoverable error: file ~a not found in any of the directory ~a ~a ~a ~a")
-                        path
-                        +sys-data-dir+
-                        +sys-conf-dir+
-                        (home-datadir)
-                        (home-confdir))))))))
+         (let ((error-message (format nil
+                                      (_ "Unrecoverable error: file ~a not found in any of the directory ~a ~a ~a ~a")
+                                      path
+                                      +sys-data-dir+
+                                      +sys-conf-dir+
+                                      (home-datadir)
+                                      (home-confdir))))
+           (if not-found-signal-error
+               (error error-message)
+               (values nil error-message))))))))