diff --git a/src/main/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Main.java b/src/main/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Main.java
index b58724384..2d98fcac7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Main.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Main.java
@@ -145,13 +145,10 @@ public final class Main {
     private static List<String> validateCli(CommandLine cmdLine) {
         final List<String> result = new ArrayList<>();
         // ensure a configuration file is specified
-        if (cmdLine.hasOption("c")) {
-            final String configLocation = cmdLine.getOptionValue("c");
-            final File configFile =  new File(configLocation);
-            if (!configFile.exists()) {
-                result.add(String.format("unable to find '%s'.", configLocation));
-            }
-
+        if (!cmdLine.hasOption("c")) {
+            result.add("Must specify a config XML file.");
+        }
+        else {
             // validate optional parameters
             if (cmdLine.hasOption("f")) {
                 final String format = cmdLine.getOptionValue("f");
@@ -160,7 +157,6 @@ public final class Main {
                             + " Found '%s' but expected 'plain' or 'xml'.", format));
                 }
             }
-
             if (cmdLine.hasOption("p")) {
                 final String propertiesLocation = cmdLine.getOptionValue("p");
                 final File file = new File(propertiesLocation);
@@ -168,7 +164,6 @@ public final class Main {
                     result.add(String.format("Could not find file '%s'.", propertiesLocation));
                 }
             }
-
             if (cmdLine.hasOption("o")) {
                 final String outputLocation = cmdLine.getOptionValue("o");
                 final File file = new File(outputLocation);
@@ -176,15 +171,11 @@ public final class Main {
                     result.add(String.format("Permission denied : '%s'.", outputLocation));
                 }
             }
-
             final List<File> files = getFilesToProcess(cmdLine.getArgs());
             if (files.isEmpty()) {
                 result.add("Must specify files to process, found 0.");
             }
         }
-        else {
-            result.add("Must specify a config XML file.");
-        }
 
         return result;
     }
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/MainTest.java b/src/test/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/MainTest.java
index 610da32ec..7d3ae8215 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/MainTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/MainTest.java
@@ -105,8 +105,7 @@ public class MainTest {
                 assertEquals("", errorLog.getLog());
             }
         });
-        Main.main("-c", "src/test/resources/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/config-classname.xml",
-                "NonexistingFile.java");
+        Main.main("-c", "/google_checks.xml", "NonexistingFile.java");
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -115,7 +114,8 @@ public class MainTest {
         exit.expectSystemExitWithStatus(-1);
         exit.checkAssertionAfterwards(new Assertion() {
             public void checkAssertion() {
-                assertEquals(String.format("unable to find 'src/main/resources/non_existing_config.xml'.%n"),
+                assertEquals(String.format("unable to find src/main/resources/non_existing_config.xml%n"
+                        + "Checkstyle ends with 1 errors.%n"),
                     standardLog.getLog());
                 assertEquals("", errorLog.getLog());
             }
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ public class MainTest {
                 assertEquals("", errorLog.getLog());
             }
         });
-        Main.main("-c", "src/test/resources/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/config-classname.xml", "-f" , "xmlp",
+        Main.main("-c", "/google_checks.xml", "-f" , "xmlp",
                 "src/test/resources/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/InputMain.java");
     }