diff --git a/beets/__init__.py b/beets/__init__.py
index 20075073c..e3e5fdf83 100644
--- a/beets/__init__.py
+++ b/beets/__init__.py
@@ -15,9 +15,8 @@
 
 from __future__ import division, absolute_import, print_function
 
-import os
-
 import confuse
+from sys import stderr
 
 __version__ = u'1.5.0'
 __author__ = u'Adrian Sampson <adrian@radbox.org>'
@@ -32,11 +31,12 @@ class IncludeLazyConfig(confuse.LazyConfig):
 
         try:
             for view in self['include']:
-                filename = view.as_filename()
-                if os.path.isfile(filename):
-                    self.set_file(filename)
+                self.set_file(view.as_filename())
         except confuse.NotFoundError:
             pass
+        except confuse.ConfigReadError as err:
+            stderr.write("configuration `import` failed: {}"
+                         .format(err.reason))
 
 
 config = IncludeLazyConfig('beets', __name__)
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 97cc7ca12..9a4ad0988 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -160,6 +160,8 @@ Fixes:
   :bug:`3480`
 * :doc:`/plugins/parentwork`: Don't save tracks when nothing has changed.
   :bug:`3492`
+* Added a warning when configuration files defined in the `include` directive
+  of the configuration file fail to be imported.
 
 For plugin developers: