diff --git a/src/mcconfig/common.c b/src/mcconfig/common.c
index f386519ed..2415311b5 100644
--- a/src/mcconfig/common.c
+++ b/src/mcconfig/common.c
@@ -66,18 +66,15 @@ mc_config_init (const gchar * ini_path)
 	return mc_config;
     }
 
-    if (((mc_stat (ini_path, &st) == 0) && (st.st_size == 0))
-	|| g_key_file_load_from_file
-	    (mc_config->handle, ini_path, G_KEY_FILE_KEEP_COMMENTS, NULL))
+    if (mc_stat (ini_path, &st) && st.st_size)
     {
-	/* file is empty or normal */
-	mc_config->ini_path = g_strdup (ini_path);
-	return mc_config;
+	/* file present and not empty */
+	g_key_file_load_from_file
+	    (mc_config->handle, ini_path, G_KEY_FILE_KEEP_COMMENTS, NULL);
     }
 
-    g_key_file_free (mc_config->handle);
-    g_free (mc_config);
-    return NULL;
+    mc_config->ini_path = g_strdup (ini_path);
+    return mc_config;
 }
 
 /* - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - */
diff --git a/src/mcconfig/get.c b/src/mcconfig/get.c
index a8a84d547..03d59c718 100644
--- a/src/mcconfig/get.c
+++ b/src/mcconfig/get.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ mc_config_get_groups (mc_config_t * mc_config, gsize * len)
     if (!mc_config)
     {
 	ret = g_try_malloc0 (sizeof (gchar **));
+	*len=0;
 	return ret;
     }
     ret = g_key_file_get_groups (mc_config->handle, len);
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ mc_config_get_keys (mc_config_t * mc_config, const gchar * group, gsize * len)
     if (!mc_config || !group)
     {
 	ret = g_try_malloc0 (sizeof (gchar **));
+	*len=0;
 	return ret;
     }
     ret = g_key_file_get_keys (mc_config->handle, group, len, NULL);