diff --git a/qutebrowser/app.py b/qutebrowser/app.py
index c03e34ec1..e1f3f87d7 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/app.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/app.py
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ class Application(QApplication):
         utils.actute_warning()
         try:
             self._init_modules()
-        except OSError as e:
+        except (OSError, UnicodeDecodeError) as e:
             msgbox = QMessageBox(
                 QMessageBox.Critical, "Error while initializing!",
                 "Error while initializing: {}".format(e))
diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/config.py b/qutebrowser/config/config.py
index 03a7564ce..b12c33dcf 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/config.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/config.py
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ def init(args):
     try:
         app = objreg.get('app')
         config_obj = ConfigManager(confdir, 'qutebrowser.conf', app)
-    except (configexc.Error, configparser.Error) as e:
+    except (configexc.Error, configparser.Error, UnicodeDecodeError) as e:
         log.init.exception(e)
         errstr = "Error while reading config:"
         try:
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ def init(args):
         objreg.register('config', config_obj)
     try:
         key_config = keyconf.KeyConfigParser(confdir, 'keys.conf')
-    except keyconf.KeyConfigError as e:
+    except (keyconf.KeyConfigError, UnicodeDecodeError) as e:
         log.init.exception(e)
         errstr = "Error while reading key config:\n"
         if e.lineno is not None: