diff --git a/Forge/src/test/java/mezz/jei/test/IngredientFilterTest.java b/Forge/src/test/java/mezz/jei/test/IngredientFilterTest.java
index 00330f6bc..0bb9de67f 100644
--- a/Forge/src/test/java/mezz/jei/test/IngredientFilterTest.java
+++ b/Forge/src/test/java/mezz/jei/test/IngredientFilterTest.java
@@ -258,6 +258,11 @@ private static void removeIngredients(
 	}
 
 	private static class NullSerializer implements EditModeConfig.ISerializer {
+		@Override
+		public void initialize(EditModeConfig config) {
+
+		}
+
 		@Override
 		public void save(EditModeConfig config) {
 
diff --git a/Library/src/main/java/mezz/jei/library/config/EditModeConfig.java b/Library/src/main/java/mezz/jei/library/config/EditModeConfig.java
index d235fc4c5..2e9bf1a35 100644
--- a/Library/src/main/java/mezz/jei/library/config/EditModeConfig.java
+++ b/Library/src/main/java/mezz/jei/library/config/EditModeConfig.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ public EditModeConfig(ISerializer serializer, IIngredientManager ingredientManag
 		this.ingredientManager = ingredientManager;
 		Collections.addAll(blacklist, defaultBlacklist);
 		this.serializer = serializer;
+		this.serializer.initialize(this);
 		this.serializer.load(this);
 	}
 
@@ -139,6 +140,7 @@ public void registerListener(IListener listener) {
 	}
 
 	public interface ISerializer {
+		void initialize(EditModeConfig config);
 		void save(EditModeConfig config);
 		void load(EditModeConfig config);
 	}
@@ -150,6 +152,13 @@ public FileSerializer(Path path) {
 			this.path = path;
 		}
 
+		@Override
+		public void initialize(EditModeConfig config) {
+			if (!Files.exists(path)) {
+				save(config);
+			}
+		}
+
 		@Override
 		public void save(EditModeConfig config) {
 			try {
@@ -162,6 +171,9 @@ public void save(EditModeConfig config) {
 
 		@Override
 		public void load(EditModeConfig config) {
+			if (!Files.exists(path)) {
+				return;
+			}
 			try {
 				List<String> strings = Files.readAllLines(path);
 				config.blacklist.clear();