diff --git a/docs/openapi.json b/docs/openapi.json
index 4611654c..9c4d3c87 100644
--- a/docs/openapi.json
+++ b/docs/openapi.json
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
             "name": "Apache 2.0",
             "url": "https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html"
         },
-        "version": "0.0.1"
+        "version": "0.1.0"
     },
     "paths": {
         "/": {
@@ -268,7 +268,10 @@
                         ]
                     },
                     "503": {
-                        "description": "Configuration can not be loaded"
+                        "description": "Service Unavailable",
+                        "detail": {
+                            "response": "Configuration is no loaded"
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }
diff --git a/src/app/endpoints/config.py b/src/app/endpoints/config.py
index 07e79da9..8cedc74d 100644
--- a/src/app/endpoints/config.py
+++ b/src/app/endpoints/config.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-"""Handler for REST API call to configuration."""
+"""Handler for REST API call to retrieve service configuration."""
 
 import logging
 from typing import Any
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 from models.config import Configuration
 from configuration import configuration
+from utils.endpoints import check_configuration_loaded
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 router = APIRouter(tags=["config"])
@@ -46,11 +47,18 @@
             {"name": "server3", "provider_id": "provider3", "url": "http://url.com:3"},
         ],
     },
-    503: {"description": "Configuration can not be loaded"},
+    503: {
+        "detail": {
+            "response": "Configuration is no loaded",
+        }
+    },
 }
 
 
 @router.get("/config", responses=get_config_responses)
 def config_endpoint_handler(_request: Request) -> Configuration:
     """Handle requests to the /config endpoint."""
+    # ensure that configuration is loaded
+    check_configuration_loaded(configuration)
+
     return configuration.configuration
diff --git a/tests/unit/app/endpoints/test_config.py b/tests/unit/app/endpoints/test_config.py
index 38296ce1..4ca1ad5d 100644
--- a/tests/unit/app/endpoints/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/unit/app/endpoints/test_config.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import pytest
 
+from fastapi import HTTPException, status
 from app.endpoints.config import config_endpoint_handler
 from configuration import AppConfig
 
@@ -7,13 +8,16 @@
 def test_config_endpoint_handler_configuration_not_loaded(mocker):
     """Test the config endpoint handler."""
     mocker.patch(
-        "app.endpoints.query.configuration",
+        "app.endpoints.config.configuration",
         return_value=mocker.Mock(),
     )
+    mocker.patch("app.endpoints.config.configuration", None)
 
     request = None
-    with pytest.raises(Exception, match="logic error: configuration is not loaded"):
+    with pytest.raises(HTTPException) as e:
         config_endpoint_handler(request)
+        assert e.status_code == status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR
+        assert e.detail["response"] == "Configuration is not loaded"
 
 
 def test_config_endpoint_handler_configuration_loaded(mocker):