diff --git a/src/config.c b/src/config.c
index 7f14280..f4fdd91 100644
--- a/src/config.c
+++ b/src/config.c
@@ -1057,7 +1057,7 @@ gboolean config_read_file(const char *path)
 	char *key, *value;
 
 	if ((fp = fopen(path, "r")) == NULL)
-		return 0;
+		return FALSE;
 
 	while (fgets(line, sizeof(line), fp) != NULL) {
 		if (parse_line(line, &key, &value)) {
@@ -1098,7 +1098,7 @@ gboolean config_read_file(const char *path)
 			memcpy(&bg->border_color_pressed, &bg->border_color_hover, sizeof(Color));
 	}
 
-	return 1;
+	return TRUE;
 }
 
 gboolean config_read_default_path()
@@ -1133,7 +1133,7 @@ gboolean config_read_default_path()
 		// copy file in user directory (path1)
 		gchar *dir = g_build_filename(g_get_user_config_dir(), "tint2", NULL);
 		if (!g_file_test(dir, G_FILE_TEST_IS_DIR))
-			g_mkdir(dir, 0777);
+			g_mkdir(dir, 0700);
 		g_free(dir);
 
 		path1 = g_build_filename(g_get_user_config_dir(), "tint2", "tint2rc", NULL);
@@ -1145,7 +1145,20 @@ gboolean config_read_default_path()
 		g_free(path1);
 		return result;
 	}
-	return 0;
+
+	// generate empty config file
+	gchar *dir = g_build_filename(g_get_user_config_dir(), "tint2", NULL);
+	if (!g_file_test(dir, G_FILE_TEST_IS_DIR))
+		g_mkdir(dir, 0700);
+	g_free(dir);
+
+	path1 = g_build_filename(g_get_user_config_dir(), "tint2", "tint2rc", NULL);
+	copy_file("/dev/null", path1);
+
+	gboolean result = config_read_file(path1);
+	config_path = strdup(path1);
+	g_free(path1);
+	return result;
 }
 
 gboolean config_read()
diff --git a/src/tint.c b/src/tint.c
index 4eb5481..7b5d047 100644
--- a/src/tint.c
+++ b/src/tint.c
@@ -369,9 +369,10 @@ void init_X11_pre_config()
 {
 	server.display = XOpenDisplay(NULL);
 	if (!server.display) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "tint2 exit : could not open display.\n");
-		exit(0);
+		fprintf(stderr, "tint2: could not open display.\n");
+		exit(1);
 	}
+	XSetErrorHandler((XErrorHandler)server_catch_error);
 	server_init_atoms();
 	server.screen = DefaultScreen(server.display);
 	server.root_win = RootWindow(server.display, server.screen);
@@ -396,7 +397,6 @@ void init_X11_pre_config()
 void init_X11_post_config()
 {
 	server_init_visual();
-	XSetErrorHandler((XErrorHandler)server_catch_error);
 
 #ifdef HAVE_SN
 	// Initialize startup-notification
@@ -1392,7 +1392,8 @@ start:
 	init_X11_pre_config();
 
 	if (!config_read()) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "usage: tint2 [-c] <config_file>\n");
+		fprintf(stderr, "Could not read config file.\n"
+						"Usage: tint2 [[-c] <config_file>]\n");
 		cleanup();
 		exit(1);
 	}