diff --git a/pkg/commands/app.go b/pkg/commands/app.go
index 5ca651193c35..5a9baab6ca0b 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/app.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/app.go
@@ -151,14 +151,16 @@ func loadPluginCommands() []*cobra.Command {
 	return commands
 }
 
-func initConfig(configFile string) error {
+func initConfig(configFile string, pathChanged bool) error {
 	// Read from config
 	viper.SetConfigFile(configFile)
 	viper.SetConfigType("yaml")
 	if err := viper.ReadInConfig(); err != nil {
 		if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
-			log.Debug("Config file not found", log.FilePath(configFile))
-			return nil
+			if !pathChanged {
+				log.Debugf("Default config file %q not found, using built in values", log.FilePath(configFile))
+				return nil
+			}
 		}
 		return xerrors.Errorf("config file %q loading error: %s", configFile, err)
 	}
@@ -201,7 +203,7 @@ func NewRootCommand(globalFlags *flag.GlobalFlagGroup) *cobra.Command {
 
 			// Configure environment variables and config file
 			// It cannot be called in init() because it must be called after viper.BindPFlags.
-			if err := initConfig(configPath); err != nil {
+			if err := initConfig(configPath, cmd.Flags().Changed(flag.ConfigFileFlag.ConfigName)); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 
diff --git a/pkg/commands/app_test.go b/pkg/commands/app_test.go
index 7235a3e94c7d..308732ce918b 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/app_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/app_test.go
@@ -296,6 +296,15 @@ func TestFlags(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			wantErr: `invalid argument "foo" for "--format" flag`,
 		},
+		{
+			name: "missing config file",
+			arguments: []string{
+				"test",
+				"--config",
+				"none",
+			},
+			wantErr: `config file "none" loading error: open none:`,
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {