diff --git a/include/sasl.h b/include/sasl.h
index d52269f..ed208a5 100644
--- a/include/sasl.h
+++ b/include/sasl.h
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@
 				       because of some constrains/policy violation */
 
 #define SASL_BADBINDING -32  /* channel binding failure */
+#define SASL_CONFIGERR  -100 /* error when parsing configuration file */
 
 /* max size of a sasl mechanism name */
 #define SASL_MECHNAMEMAX 20
diff --git a/lib/common.c b/lib/common.c
index e0f59eb..1a1715e 100644
--- a/lib/common.c
+++ b/lib/common.c
@@ -1362,6 +1362,7 @@ const char *sasl_errstring(int saslerr,
     case SASL_CONSTRAINT_VIOLAT: return "sasl_setpass can't store a property because "
 			        "of a constraint violation";
     case SASL_BADBINDING: return "channel binding failure";
+    case SASL_CONFIGERR:  return "error when parsing configuration file";
 
     default:   return "undefined error!";
     }
diff --git a/lib/config.c b/lib/config.c
index 7cae302..fde3757 100644
--- a/lib/config.c
+++ b/lib/config.c
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ int sasl_config_init(const char *filename)
 	}
 	if (*p != ':') {
 	    fclose(infile);
-	    return SASL_FAIL;
+	    return SASL_CONFIGERR;
 	}
 	*p++ = '\0';
 
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ int sasl_config_init(const char *filename)
 	
 	if (!*p) {
 	    fclose(infile);
-	    return SASL_FAIL;
+	    return SASL_CONFIGERR;
 	}
 
 	/* Now strip trailing spaces, if any */