diff --git a/lib/gui/app/models/local-settings.ts b/lib/gui/app/models/local-settings.ts
index 81ff7398..1a731453 100644
--- a/lib/gui/app/models/local-settings.ts
+++ b/lib/gui/app/models/local-settings.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 import { app, remote } from 'electron';
 import { readFile, unlink, writeFile } from 'fs';
 import { join } from 'path';
-import { promisify } from 'util';
+import { inspect, promisify } from 'util';
 
 const readFileAsync = promisify(readFile);
 const writeFileAsync = promisify(writeFile);
@@ -67,19 +67,12 @@ const CONFIG_PATH = join(USER_DATA_DIR, 'config.json');
  * })
  */
 async function readConfigFile(filename: string): Promise<any> {
-	let contents = '{}';
 	try {
-		contents = await readFileAsync(filename, { encoding: 'utf8' });
+		return JSON.parse(await readFileAsync(filename, { encoding: 'utf8' }));
 	} catch (error) {
-		if (error.code === 'ENOENT') {
-			return {};
-		}
-		throw error;
-	}
-	try {
-		return JSON.parse(contents);
-	} catch (error) {
-		console.error(error);
+		console.error(
+			`Failed to load settings from ${filename}: ${inspect(error)}`,
+		);
 		return {};
 	}
 }
diff --git a/lib/gui/etcher.js b/lib/gui/etcher.js
index db834227..c55bba6e 100644
--- a/lib/gui/etcher.js
+++ b/lib/gui/etcher.js
@@ -28,9 +28,7 @@ const settings = require('./app/models/settings')
 const analytics = require('./app/modules/analytics')
 // eslint-disable-next-line node/no-missing-require
 const { getConfig } = require('./app/modules/utils')
-/* eslint-disable lodash/prefer-lodash-method */
-
-const config = settings.getDefaults()
+/* eslint-disable lodash/prefer-lodash-method,func-style,space-before-function-paren,require-jsdoc */
 
 const configUrl = settings.get('configUrl') || 'https://balena.io/etcher/static/config.json'
 
@@ -57,10 +55,11 @@ const checkForUpdates = async (interval) => {
 
 /**
  * @summary Create Etcher's main window
+ * @param {Object} config - config
  * @example
  * electron.app.on('ready', createMainWindow)
  */
-const createMainWindow = () => {
+const createMainWindow = (config) => {
   const mainWindow = new electron.BrowserWindow({
     // eslint-disable-next-line no-magic-numbers
     width: parseInt(config.width, 10) || 800,
@@ -141,18 +140,17 @@ electron.app.on('before-quit', () => {
   process.exit(EXIT_CODES.SUCCESS)
 })
 
-settings.load().then((localSettings) => {
-  Object.assign(config, localSettings)
-}).catch((error) => {
-  // TODO: What do if loading the config fails?
-  console.error('Error loading settings:')
-  console.error(error)
-}).finally(() => {
+async function main() {
+  const config = await settings.load()
   if (electron.app.isReady()) {
-    createMainWindow()
+    createMainWindow(config)
   } else {
-    electron.app.on('ready', createMainWindow)
+    electron.app.on('ready', () => {
+      createMainWindow(config)
+    })
   }
-})
+}
+
+main()
 
 console.time('ready-to-show')