diff --git a/src/services/configService.ts b/src/services/configService.ts
index 67fca37e..e96ace26 100644
--- a/src/services/configService.ts
+++ b/src/services/configService.ts
@@ -103,11 +103,13 @@ export const config: IConfig = {
 };
 
 export const loadConfig = (): void => {
+    const newConfig = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(configPath, "utf-8")) as IConfig;
+
     // Set all values to undefined now so if the new config.json omits some fields that were previously present, it's correct in-memory.
     for (const key of Object.keys(config)) {
         // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any, @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-member-access
         (config as any)[key] = undefined;
     }
 
-    Object.assign(config, JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(configPath, "utf-8")));
+    Object.assign(config, newConfig);
 };
diff --git a/src/services/configWatcherService.ts b/src/services/configWatcherService.ts
index cab235ff..4dea6eea 100644
--- a/src/services/configWatcherService.ts
+++ b/src/services/configWatcherService.ts
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ chokidar.watch(configPath).on("change", () => {
         try {
             loadConfig();
         } catch (e) {
-            logger.error("FATAL ERROR: Config failed to be reloaded: " + (e as Error).message);
-            process.exit(1);
+            logger.error("Config changes were not applied: " + (e as Error).message);
+            return;
         }
         validateConfig();
         syncConfigWithDatabase();