diff --git a/src/core/engine.cpp b/src/core/engine.cpp
--- a/src/core/engine.cpp
+++ b/src/core/engine.cpp
@@ -118,13 +118,19 @@
 
     emit signalBusy(i18n("Initializing"));
 
-    KConfig conf(configfile);
-    if (conf.accessMode() == KConfig::NoAccess) {
+    if(!QFileInfo::exists(configfile)) {
         emit signalError(i18n("Configuration file not found: \"%1\"", configfile));
         qCritical() << "No knsrc file named '" << configfile << "' was found." << endl;
         return false;
     }
 
+    KConfig conf(configfile);
+    if (conf.accessMode() == KConfig::NoAccess) {
+        emit signalError(i18n("Configuration file exists, but cannot be opened: \"%1\"", configfile));
+        qCritical() << "The knsrc file '" << configfile << "' was found but could not be opened." << endl;
+        return false;
+    }
+
     KConfigGroup group;
     if (conf.hasGroup("KNewStuff3")) {
         qCDebug(KNEWSTUFFCORE) << "Loading KNewStuff3 config: " << configfile;