diff --git a/lib/browser.js b/lib/browser.js
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/lib/browser.js
+++ b/lib/browser.js
@@ -261,23 +261,19 @@ DummyBrowser.prototype = {
    */
 
   _verfiyBrowserConfig: function (browserName, config) {
-    var browser = null;
-    // load and assign browser configuration if it exists
-    var browsers = config.get('browsers') || null;
-    if (browsers) {
-      browser = browsers[0][browserName];
-    }
+    var browsers = config.get('browsers');
 
     // check if we couldnt find a configured alias,
+    // set to defaults otherwise
+    if (!browsers) {
+      return {actAs: this.desiredCapabilities.browserName, version: this.desiredCapabilities['browser-version']};
+    }
+    var browser = config.get('browsers')[0][browserName] || null;
+    // check if we couldnt find a configured alias,
     // check and apply if there is a default config
     if (!browser && this.browsers[browserName]) {
       browser = this.browsers[browserName];
     }
-    // check if we couldnt find a configured alias,
-    // set to defaults otherwise
-    if (!browser) {
-      return {actAs: this.desiredCapabilities.browserName, version: this.desiredCapabilities['browser-version']};
-    }
 
     // check if the actas property has been set, if not
     // use the given browser name
Removed a bit of complexity from '_verfiyBrowserConfig'