diff --git a/commodore/config.py b/commodore/config.py
index a99ec8973..7511992d3 100644
--- a/commodore/config.py
+++ b/commodore/config.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from collections import namedtuple
+from pathlib import Path as P
 
 Component = namedtuple('Component', ['name', 'repo', 'version'])
 
@@ -7,7 +8,13 @@ class Config:
     # pylint: disable=too-many-arguments
     def __init__(self, api_url, api_token, global_git, customer_git, verbose):
         self.api_url = api_url
-        self.api_token = api_token
+        self.api_token = None
+        if api_token is not None:
+            p = P(api_token)
+            if p.is_file():
+                with open(p) as apitoken:
+                    api_token = apitoken.read()
+            self.api_token = api_token.strip()
         self.global_git_base = global_git
         self.customer_git_base = customer_git
         self._components = {}
diff --git a/commodore/helpers.py b/commodore/helpers.py
index 67a831c06..5ccc9ab87 100644
--- a/commodore/helpers.py
+++ b/commodore/helpers.py
@@ -60,10 +60,10 @@ def lieutenant_query(api_url, api_token, api_endpoint, api_id):
     try:
         r.raise_for_status()
     except HTTPError as e:
-        extra_msg = ''
+        extra_msg = '.'
         if r.status_code >= 400:
             extra_msg = f": {resp['reason']}"
-            raise ApiError(f"API returned {r.status_code}. Reason: {extra_msg}") from e
+        raise ApiError(f"API returned {r.status_code}{extra_msg}") from e
     else:
         return resp