diff --git a/codespell_lib/_codespell.py b/codespell_lib/_codespell.py
index b5e458fffb..b98cdd81f2 100644
--- a/codespell_lib/_codespell.py
+++ b/codespell_lib/_codespell.py
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@
 EX_OK = 0
 EX_USAGE = 64
 EX_DATAERR = 65
+EX_CONFIG = 78
 
 # OPTIONS:
 #
@@ -586,7 +587,7 @@ def parse_options(
             used_cfg_files.append(cfg_file)
 
     # Use config files
-    config.read(cfg_files)
+    config.read(used_cfg_files)
     if config.has_section("codespell"):
         # Build a "fake" argv list using option name and value.
         cfg_args = []
@@ -1021,7 +1022,14 @@ def _script_main() -> int:
 
 def main(*args: str) -> int:
     """Contains flow control"""
-    options, parser, used_cfg_files = parse_options(args)
+    try:
+        options, parser, used_cfg_files = parse_options(args)
+    except configparser.Error as e:
+        print(
+            f"ERROR: ill-formed config file: {e.message}",
+            file=sys.stderr,
+        )
+        return EX_CONFIG
 
     # Report used config files
     if not options.quiet_level & QuietLevels.CONFIG_FILES:
diff --git a/codespell_lib/tests/test_basic.py b/codespell_lib/tests/test_basic.py
index 18aeca2b51..8a20f0a7e1 100644
--- a/codespell_lib/tests/test_basic.py
+++ b/codespell_lib/tests/test_basic.py
@@ -13,7 +13,13 @@
 import pytest
 
 import codespell_lib as cs_
-from codespell_lib._codespell import EX_DATAERR, EX_OK, EX_USAGE, uri_regex_def
+from codespell_lib._codespell import (
+    EX_CONFIG,
+    EX_DATAERR,
+    EX_OK,
+    EX_USAGE,
+    uri_regex_def,
+)
 
 
 def test_constants() -> None:
@@ -21,6 +27,7 @@ def test_constants() -> None:
     assert EX_OK == 0
     assert EX_USAGE == 64
     assert EX_DATAERR == 65
+    assert EX_CONFIG == 78
 
 
 class MainWrapper:
@@ -42,7 +49,7 @@ def main(
         assert frame is not None
         capsys = frame.f_locals["capsys"]
         stdout, stderr = capsys.readouterr()
-        assert code in (EX_OK, EX_USAGE, EX_DATAERR)
+        assert code in (EX_OK, EX_USAGE, EX_DATAERR, EX_CONFIG)
         if code == EX_DATAERR:  # have some misspellings
             code = int(stderr.split("\n")[-2])
         elif code == EX_OK and count:
@@ -1028,7 +1035,7 @@ def test_uri_regex_def() -> None:
         assert not uri_regex.findall(boilerplate % uri), uri
 
 
-def test_quiet_option_32(
+def test_quiet_level_32(
     tmp_path: Path,
     tmpdir: pytest.TempPathFactory,
     capsys: pytest.CaptureFixture[str],
@@ -1057,6 +1064,27 @@ def test_quiet_option_32(
     assert "setup.cfg" in stdout
 
 
+def test_ill_formed_ini_config_file(
+    tmp_path: Path,
+    tmpdir: pytest.TempPathFactory,
+    capsys: pytest.CaptureFixture[str],
+) -> None:
+    d = tmp_path / "files"
+    d.mkdir()
+    conf = str(tmp_path / "setup.cfg")
+    with open(conf, "w") as f:
+        # It should contain but lacks a section.
+        f.write("foobar =\n")
+    args = ("--config", conf)
+
+    # Should not raise a configparser.Error exception.
+    result = cs.main(str(d), *args, std=True)
+    assert isinstance(result, tuple)
+    code, _, stderr = result
+    assert code == 78
+    assert "ill-formed config file" in stderr
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("kind", ("toml", "cfg"))
 def test_config_toml(
     tmp_path: Path,
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 0d437acac7..3574d5e25c 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -143,6 +143,6 @@ max-complexity = 45
 [tool.ruff.pylint]
 allow-magic-value-types = ["bytes", "int", "str",]
 max-args = 12
-max-branches = 48
-max-returns = 10
+max-branches = 49
+max-returns = 11
 max-statements = 111