diff --git a/etc/initsystem/prepare-dirs.cmake b/etc/initsystem/prepare-dirs.cmake
index b7e3b6422..d9b644b7a 100644
--- a/etc/initsystem/prepare-dirs.cmake
+++ b/etc/initsystem/prepare-dirs.cmake
@@ -3,9 +3,13 @@
 # This script prepares directories and files needed for running Icinga2
 #
 
-# With sysvinit we need to pass the environment this way. Or do we?
+# Load sysconf on systems where the initsystem does not pass the environment
 if [ "$1" != "" ]; then
-	source "$1"
+	if [ -r "$1" ]; then
+		source "$1"
+	else
+		echo "Unable to read sysconf from '$1'. Exiting." && exit 6
+	fi
 fi
 
 # Set defaults, to overwrite see "@ICINGA2_SYSCONFIGFILE@"
diff --git a/etc/initsystem/safe-reload.cmake b/etc/initsystem/safe-reload.cmake
index 967e37268..44b261eae 100644
--- a/etc/initsystem/safe-reload.cmake
+++ b/etc/initsystem/safe-reload.cmake
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-# With sysvinit we need to pass the environment this way. Or do we?
+# Load sysconf on systems where the initsystem does not pass the environment
 if [ "$1" != "" ]; then
-	source "$1"
+	if [ -r "$1" ]; then
+		source "$1"
+	else
+		echo "Unable to read sysconf from '$1'. Exiting." && exit 6
+	fi
 fi
 
 # Set defaults, to overwrite see "@ICINGA2_SYSCONFIGFILE@"