diff --git a/packages/cli/internal/pkg/cli/config/config_client.go b/packages/cli/internal/pkg/cli/config/config_client.go
index 109eeaa7..a8dae681 100644
--- a/packages/cli/internal/pkg/cli/config/config_client.go
+++ b/packages/cli/internal/pkg/cli/config/config_client.go
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ const (
 	configFileName = "config.yaml"
 )
 
+var defaultConfig = Config{Format: Format{defaultFormat}}
+
 type Client struct {
 	configFilePath string
 }
@@ -68,22 +70,21 @@ func userIdFromEmailAddress(emailAddress string) string {
 	sanitizedUserName := sanitizeUserName(userName)
 	return sanitizedUserName + hash(emailAddress)
 }
-
 func (c Client) Read() (Config, error) {
 	return c.loadFromFile()
 }
 
 func (c Client) loadFromFile() (Config, error) {
-	configData, err := fromYaml(c.configFilePath)
+	configData, err := configFromYaml(c.configFilePath, defaultConfig)
 	if err != nil {
-		return Config{}, err
+		return defaultConfig, err
 	}
 	configData.User.Id = userIdFromEmailAddress(configData.User.Email)
 	return configData, nil
 }
 
 func (c Client) storeToFile(config Config) error {
-	return toYaml(c.configFilePath, config)
+	return configToYaml(c.configFilePath, config)
 }
 
 func (c Client) GetUserEmailAddress() (string, error) {
diff --git a/packages/cli/internal/pkg/cli/config/config_client_test.go b/packages/cli/internal/pkg/cli/config/config_client_test.go
index 9f9db0e4..54ff861c 100644
--- a/packages/cli/internal/pkg/cli/config/config_client_test.go
+++ b/packages/cli/internal/pkg/cli/config/config_client_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package config
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"io/fs"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -98,3 +99,23 @@ func TestSetFormat(t *testing.T) {
 	err := client.SetFormat(defaultFormat)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 }
+
+func TestLoadFromFile(t *testing.T) {
+	ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
+	defer ctrl.Finish()
+
+	mockFileReader := iomocks.NewMockFileReader(ctrl)
+	mockErr := fmt.Errorf("unable to read from file")
+	mockFileReader.EXPECT().ReadFile(testFileName).Return(nil, mockErr)
+
+	origReadFile := readFile
+	readFile = mockFileReader.ReadFile
+	defer func() { readFile = origReadFile }()
+
+	var client = Client{
+		configFilePath: testFileName,
+	}
+	configData, err := client.loadFromFile()
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, configData, expectedDefaultConfig)
+}
diff --git a/packages/cli/internal/pkg/cli/config/config_test.go b/packages/cli/internal/pkg/cli/config/config_test.go
index 4ed983b7..cb4c6e5b 100644
--- a/packages/cli/internal/pkg/cli/config/config_test.go
+++ b/packages/cli/internal/pkg/cli/config/config_test.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ const (
 user:
     email: my@email.com
 format:
-    format: text`
+    name: text`
 )
 
 var (
@@ -29,6 +29,15 @@ var (
 			Name: "text",
 		},
 	}
+
+	expectedDefaultConfig = Config{
+		User{
+			Email: "",
+		},
+		Format{
+			Name: "text",
+		},
+	}
 )
 
 func TestConfig_ReadData(t *testing.T) {
@@ -42,7 +51,7 @@ func TestConfig_ReadData(t *testing.T) {
 	readFile = mockFileReader.ReadFile
 	defer func() { readFile = origReadFile }()
 
-	configData, err := fromYaml(testFileName)
+	configData, err := configFromYaml(testFileName, defaultConfig)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, expectedConfig, configData)
 }
@@ -59,6 +68,6 @@ func TestConfig_WriteData(t *testing.T) {
 	writeFile = mockFileWriter.WriteFile
 	defer func() { writeFile = origWriteFile }()
 
-	err := toYaml(testFileName, expectedConfig)
+	err := configToYaml(testFileName, expectedConfig)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 }
diff --git a/packages/cli/internal/pkg/cli/config/io.go b/packages/cli/internal/pkg/cli/config/io.go
index 233874a9..231b45c7 100644
--- a/packages/cli/internal/pkg/cli/config/io.go
+++ b/packages/cli/internal/pkg/cli/config/io.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ const (
 	defaultFormat = "text"
 )
 
-func toYaml(filePath string, configData Config) error {
+func configToYaml(filePath string, configData Config) error {
 	bytes, err := yaml.Marshal(configData)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -23,14 +23,13 @@ func toYaml(filePath string, configData Config) error {
 	return writeFile(filePath, bytes, 0644)
 }
 
-func fromYaml(filePath string) (Config, error) {
-	configData := Config{Format: Format{defaultFormat}}
+func configFromYaml(filePath string, configData Config) (Config, error) {
 	bytes, err := readFile(filePath)
 	if err != nil {
-		return configData, err
+		return Config{}, err
 	}
 	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(bytes, &configData); err != nil {
-		return configData, err
+		return Config{}, err
 	}
 	return configData, nil
 }