diff --git a/Code/Common/otbConfigurationFile.cxx b/Code/Common/otbConfigurationFile.cxx
index 086ce45a56fa8ca06c21916e5437c69925ea9474..e71e17d9784510b1984dbbd835d8826eac8e3f3b 100644
--- a/Code/Common/otbConfigurationFile.cxx
+++ b/Code/Common/otbConfigurationFile.cxx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 =========================================================================*/
 #include "otbConfigurationFile.h"
+#include "otbMacro.h"
 
 namespace otb
 {
@@ -25,6 +26,8 @@ ConfigurationFile::Pointer ConfigurationFile::Instance = NULL;
 ConfigurationFile
 ::ConfigurationFile()
 {
+  m_OTBConfig = NULL;
+
   std::string OTBBinDir(OTB_CONFIG);
   try
   {
@@ -32,7 +35,7 @@ ConfigurationFile
   }
   catch (ConfigFile::file_not_found& e)
   {
-    itkExceptionMacro(<< "Error - File '" << e.filename << "' not found.");
+    otbMsgDebugMacro(<< "Error - File '" << e.filename << "' not found.");
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/Code/Common/otbConfigurationFile.h b/Code/Common/otbConfigurationFile.h
index 7572a2b0ff5fda45ea74b593df5ebc58a54b669d..616b747a81bfb6433f6cbe4bf6069a345466c41b 100644
--- a/Code/Common/otbConfigurationFile.h
+++ b/Code/Common/otbConfigurationFile.h
@@ -57,7 +57,13 @@ namespace otb
       
       /** Get parameter*/
       template<typename T> T GetParameter(const std::string & key) const {
-        try
+	
+	if(m_OTBConfig == NULL)
+	  {
+	  itkExceptionMacro(<<"Configuration file not found.");
+	  }
+        
+	try
         {
           return m_OTBConfig->read<T>( key );
         }