diff --git a/salt/utils/parsers.py b/salt/utils/parsers.py
index de996c9301..d45c8ddec2 100644
--- a/salt/utils/parsers.py
+++ b/salt/utils/parsers.py
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ import salt.utils.jid
 from salt.utils import kinds
 from salt.defaults import DEFAULT_TARGET_DELIM
 from salt.utils.validate.path import is_writeable
+import salt.exceptions
 
 # Import 3rd-party libs
 import salt.ext.six as six
@@ -385,7 +386,12 @@ class SaltfileMixIn(six.with_metaclass(MixInMeta, object)):
             'Loading Saltfile from \'{0}\''.format(self.options.saltfile)
         )
 
-        saltfile_config = config._read_conf_file(saltfile)
+        try:
+            saltfile_config = config._read_conf_file(saltfile)
+        except salt.exceptions.SaltConfigurationError as error:
+            self.error(error.message)
+            self.exit(salt.defaults.exitcodes.EX_GENERIC,
+                      '{0}: error: {1}\n'.format(self.get_prog_name(), error.message))
 
         if not saltfile_config:
             # No configuration was loaded from the Saltfile