diff --git a/src/parse.c b/src/parse.c
index eb351aa..dabdf82 100644
--- a/src/parse.c
+++ b/src/parse.c
@@ -26,6 +26,12 @@
 
 #include "parse.h"
 
+/* Variable indicating whether config.emk exists
+ * 1 means config.emk exists
+ * 0 means config.emk does not exist
+ */
+int emkConfigExists;
+
 struct emkfileData {
 	char cc;
 	char prefix;
@@ -60,6 +66,7 @@ char checkForFiles() {
 		printf(COL_YELLOW "WRN" COL_RESET " | use a config.emk file, rather\n");
 		printf(COL_YELLOW "WRN" COL_RESET " | than embedding settings directly\n");
 		printf(COL_YELLOW "WRN" COL_RESET " | within the emkfile.\n");
+	emkConfigExists = 1;
 	} else if (getcwd(cwd, sizeof(cwd)) != NULL) {
 		printf(COL_BLUE "INF" COL_RESET " | using config.emk at %s/config.emk\n", cwd);
 	}
@@ -85,8 +92,10 @@ char includeConfig() {
 	FILE *emkconfig, *emkfile, *emkfile_new;
 	char filename[100], contents;
 
-	printf(COL_BLUE "INF" COL_RESET " | parsing config.emk\n");
-	emkconfig = fopen(EMKCONFIG, "r");
+	if (emkConfigExists == 1) {
+		printf(COL_BLUE "INF" COL_RESET " | parsing config.emk\n");
+		emkconfig = fopen(EMKCONFIG, "r");
+	}
 	printf(COL_BLUE "INF" COL_RESET " | parsing emkfile\n");
 	emkfile = fopen(EMKFILE, "r");
 
@@ -95,10 +104,12 @@ char includeConfig() {
 
 	printf(COL_BLUE "INF" COL_RESET " | running preprocessing tasks...\n");
 	/* write emkconfig to new emkfile */
-	contents = fgetc(emkconfig);
-	while (contents != EOF) {
-		fputc(contents, emkfile_new);
+	if (emkConfigExists == 1) {
 		contents = fgetc(emkconfig);
+		while (contents != EOF) {
+			fputc(contents, emkfile_new);
+			contents = fgetc(emkconfig);
+		}
 	}
 
 	/* write emkfile to new emkfile */
@@ -109,7 +120,9 @@ char includeConfig() {
 	}
 
 	printf(COL_BLUE "INF" COL_RESET " | closing files\n");
-	fclose(emkconfig);
+	if (emkConfigExists == 1) {
+		fclose(emkconfig);
+	}
 	fclose(emkfile);
 	fclose(emkfile_new);
 }