diff --git a/core/logic/GameConfigs.cpp b/core/logic/GameConfigs.cpp
index bf7b24970..059071d93 100644
--- a/core/logic/GameConfigs.cpp
+++ b/core/logic/GameConfigs.cpp
@@ -1174,7 +1174,7 @@ bool GameConfigManager::LoadGameConfigFile(const char *file, IGameConfig **_pCon
 	{
 		bool ret = true;
 		time_t modtime = GetFileModTime(file);
-		if (pConfig->m_ModTime != modtime)
+		if (pConfig->m_ModTime != modtime || pConfig->m_ModTime == 0)
 		{
 			pConfig->m_ModTime = modtime;
 			ret = pConfig->Reparse(error, maxlength);
diff --git a/core/logic/smn_gameconfigs.cpp b/core/logic/smn_gameconfigs.cpp
index eaff876a6..2e1e107ff 100644
--- a/core/logic/smn_gameconfigs.cpp
+++ b/core/logic/smn_gameconfigs.cpp
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ static cell_t smn_LoadGameConfigFile(IPluginContext *pCtx, const cell_t *params)
 	pCtx->LocalToString(params[1], &filename);
 	if (!g_GameConfigs.LoadGameConfigFile(filename, &gc, error, sizeof(error)))
 	{
-		return pCtx->ThrowNativeError("Unable to open %s: %s", filename, error);
+		return BAD_HANDLE;
 	}
 
 	Handle_t hndl = handlesys->CreateHandle(g_GameConfigsType, gc, pCtx->GetIdentity(), g_pCoreIdent, NULL);