diff --git a/lib/application.js b/lib/application.js
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/lib/application.js
+++ b/lib/application.js
@@ -481,7 +481,8 @@ var tryToLoad = function(configPath) {
     }
     return config;
   }).catch(error => {
-    if (error.code === 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND') {
+    const isConfigRequireError = error.toString().indexOf(configPath + "'") !== -1;
+    if (error.code === 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND' && isConfigRequireError) {
       if (configPath === defaultConfigFilename) {
         return tryToLoad('config');
       }
Bubble up require errors from within the config