diff --git a/config/load_config.rb b/config/load_config.rb
index 9faff8cd9..46102cd76 100644
--- a/config/load_config.rb
+++ b/config/load_config.rb
@@ -40,7 +40,10 @@ AppConfig ||= Configurate::Settings.create do
   
   extend Configuration::Methods
   
-  if rails_env == "production"  && (environment.certificate_authorities.blank? || !File.file?(environment.certificate_authorities.get))
+if rails_env == "production"  &&
+    (environment.certificate_authorities.nil? ||
+     environment.certificate_authorities.empty? ||
+     !File.file?(environment.certificate_authorities.get))
     $stderr.puts "FATAL: Diaspora doesn't know where your certificate authorities are. Please ensure they are set to a valid path in diaspora.yml"
     Process.exit(1)
   end