diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index 95a8d8600..3752f388d 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -405,7 +405,6 @@ module.exports.findCommitsWithAssociatedPullRequests = async ({
 
 const core = __nccwpck_require__(42186)
 const { validateSchema } = __nccwpck_require__(5171)
-const { DEFAULT_CONFIG } = __nccwpck_require__(25586)
 const log = __nccwpck_require__(13817)
 const { runnerIsActions } = __nccwpck_require__(50918)
 const Table = __nccwpck_require__(2101)
@@ -416,8 +415,16 @@ module.exports.getConfig = async function getConfig({ context, configName }) {
   try {
     const repoConfig = await context.config(
       configName || DEFAULT_CONFIG_NAME,
-      DEFAULT_CONFIG
+      null
     )
+    if (repoConfig == null) {
+      // noinspection ExceptionCaughtLocallyJS
+      throw new Error(
+        'Configuration file .github/' +
+          (configName || DEFAULT_CONFIG_NAME) +
+          ' is not found. The configuration file must reside in your default branch.'
+      )
+    }
 
     const config = validateSchema(context, repoConfig)
 
@@ -429,7 +436,9 @@ module.exports.getConfig = async function getConfig({ context, configName }) {
       log({
         context,
         message:
-          'Config validation errors, please fix the following issues in release-drafter.yml:\n' +
+          'Config validation errors, please fix the following issues in ' +
+          (configName || DEFAULT_CONFIG_NAME) +
+          ':\n' +
           joiValidationErrorsAsTable(error),
       })
     }
diff --git a/lib/config.js b/lib/config.js
index 8e67e6790..bc48f28a4 100644
--- a/lib/config.js
+++ b/lib/config.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 const core = require('@actions/core')
 const { validateSchema } = require('./schema')
-const { DEFAULT_CONFIG } = require('./default-config')
 const log = require('./log')
 const { runnerIsActions } = require('./utils')
 const Table = require('cli-table3')
@@ -11,8 +10,16 @@ module.exports.getConfig = async function getConfig({ context, configName }) {
   try {
     const repoConfig = await context.config(
       configName || DEFAULT_CONFIG_NAME,
-      DEFAULT_CONFIG
+      null
     )
+    if (repoConfig == null) {
+      // noinspection ExceptionCaughtLocallyJS
+      throw new Error(
+        'Configuration file .github/' +
+          (configName || DEFAULT_CONFIG_NAME) +
+          ' is not found. The configuration file must reside in your default branch.'
+      )
+    }
 
     const config = validateSchema(context, repoConfig)
 
@@ -24,7 +31,9 @@ module.exports.getConfig = async function getConfig({ context, configName }) {
       log({
         context,
         message:
-          'Config validation errors, please fix the following issues in release-drafter.yml:\n' +
+          'Config validation errors, please fix the following issues in ' +
+          (configName || DEFAULT_CONFIG_NAME) +
+          ':\n' +
           joiValidationErrorsAsTable(error),
       })
     }
diff --git a/test/config.test.js b/test/config.test.js
index f455fc69a..f357a2eee 100644
--- a/test/config.test.js
+++ b/test/config.test.js
@@ -28,6 +28,29 @@ describe('getConfig', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  it('config file does not exist', async () => {
+    const context = {
+      payload: { repository: { default_branch: 'master' } },
+      config: null,
+      log: { info: jest.fn(), warn: jest.fn() },
+    }
+    const warnSpy = jest.spyOn(context.log, 'warn')
+
+    const config = await getConfig({
+      context,
+    })
+
+    expect(config).toBeNull()
+    expect(warnSpy).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        stack: expect.stringMatching(/context.config is not a function/),
+        // In the test, this message is set by Probot. Actually the message below:
+        // 'Configuration file .github/release-drafter.yml is not found. The configuration file must reside in your default branch.'
+      }),
+      expect.stringMatching(/Invalid config file/)
+    )
+  })
+
   describe('`replacers` option', () => {
     it('validates `replacers` option', async () => {
       const context = {
@@ -35,13 +58,20 @@ describe('getConfig', () => {
         config: createGetConfigMock({ replacers: 'bogus' }),
         log: { info: jest.fn(), warn: jest.fn() },
       }
+      const warnSpy = jest.spyOn(context.log, 'warn')
+      const infoSpy = jest.spyOn(context.log, 'info')
+
+      const config = await getConfig({
+        context,
+      })
 
-      expect(
-        getConfig({
-          context,
-        })
-      ).rejects.toThrow(
-        'child "replacers" fails because ["replacers" must be an array]'
+      expect(config).toBeNull()
+      expect(warnSpy).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(
+        expect.objectContaining({}),
+        expect.stringMatching(/Invalid config file/)
+      )
+      expect(infoSpy).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(
+        expect.stringMatching(/"replacers" must be an array/)
       )
     })
 
@@ -72,13 +102,22 @@ describe('getConfig', () => {
         config: createGetConfigMock({ 'sort-direction': 'bogus' }),
         log: { info: jest.fn(), warn: jest.fn() },
       }
+      const warnSpy = jest.spyOn(context.log, 'warn')
+      const infoSpy = jest.spyOn(context.log, 'info')
 
-      expect(
-        getConfig({
-          context,
-        })
-      ).rejects.toThrow(
-        '"sort-direction" must be one of [ascending, descending]'
+      const config = await getConfig({
+        context,
+      })
+
+      expect(config).toBeNull()
+      expect(warnSpy).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(
+        expect.objectContaining({}),
+        expect.stringMatching(/Invalid config file/)
+      )
+      expect(infoSpy).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(
+        expect.stringMatching(
+          /"sort-direction" must be one of \[ascending, descending\]/
+        )
       )
     })