diff --git a/application/config/ConfigJson.php b/application/config/ConfigJson.php
index 30908d90..9ef2ef56 100644
--- a/application/config/ConfigJson.php
+++ b/application/config/ConfigJson.php
@@ -21,8 +21,14 @@ public function read($filepath)
         $data = str_replace(self::getPhpSuffix(), '', $data);
         $data = json_decode($data, true);
         if ($data === null) {
-            $error = json_last_error();
-            throw new \Exception('An error occurred while parsing JSON file: error code #'. $error);
+            $errorCode = json_last_error();
+            $error  = 'An error occurred while parsing JSON configuration file ('. $filepath .'): error code #';
+            $error .= $errorCode. '<br>➜ <code>' . json_last_error_msg() .'</code>';
+            if ($errorCode === JSON_ERROR_SYNTAX) {
+                $error .= '<br>Please check your JSON syntax (without PHP comment tags) using a JSON lint tool such as ';
+                $error .= '<a href="http://jsonlint.com/">jsonlint.com</a>.';
+            }
+            throw new \Exception($error);
         }
         return $data;
     }
diff --git a/application/config/ConfigManager.php b/application/config/ConfigManager.php
index f2097410..e98af8ab 100644
--- a/application/config/ConfigManager.php
+++ b/application/config/ConfigManager.php
@@ -81,7 +81,11 @@ protected function initialize()
      */
     protected function load()
     {
-        $this->loadedConfig = $this->configIO->read($this->getConfigFileExt());
+        try {
+            $this->loadedConfig = $this->configIO->read($this->getConfigFileExt());
+        } catch (\Exception $e) {
+            die($e->getMessage());
+        }
         $this->setDefaultValues();
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/config/ConfigJsonTest.php b/tests/config/ConfigJsonTest.php
index 3527f83d..d237bc80 100644
--- a/tests/config/ConfigJsonTest.php
+++ b/tests/config/ConfigJsonTest.php
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ public function testReadNonExistent()
      * Read a non existent config file -> empty array.
      *
      * @expectedException \Exception
-     * @expectedExceptionMessage An error occurred while parsing JSON file: error code #4
+     * @expectedExceptionMessageRegExp  /An error occurred while parsing JSON configuration file \([\w\/\.]+\): error code #4/
      */
     public function testReadInvalidJson()
     {