diff --git a/include/config.sh b/include/config.sh
index 348302c..fbe31dd 100755
--- a/include/config.sh
+++ b/include/config.sh
@@ -19,13 +19,15 @@ function load_config {
 
     # load project user config
     local proj_conf_user_file="$proj_conf_file.user"
-    file_copy_default_if_not_present "$proj_conf_user_file" "$proj_conf_user_file.default"
-    myprint "${BLUE}loading ${WHITE}'$proj_conf_user_file'"
-    # throw error on undefined variable usage
-    set -u
-    include "$proj_conf_user_file"
-    # don't throw error on undefined variable usage
-    set +u
+    if [ -f "$proj_conf_user_file.default" ]; then
+        file_copy_default_if_not_present "$proj_conf_user_file" "$proj_conf_user_file.default"
+        myprint "${BLUE}loading ${WHITE}'$proj_conf_user_file'"
+        # throw error on undefined variable usage
+        set -u
+        include "$proj_conf_user_file"
+        # don't throw error on undefined variable usage
+        set +u
+    fi
 
     myprint "${BLUE}loading ${WHITE}'$proj_conf_file'"