diff --git a/lib/core/common.py b/lib/core/common.py
index 46d58149e..8cf115077 100644
--- a/lib/core/common.py
+++ b/lib/core/common.py
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ class Backend:
 
     @staticmethod
     def getDbms():
-        return aliasToDbmsEnum(kb.dbms)
+        return aliasToDbmsEnum(kb.dbms) if kb.get('dbms') else None
 
     @staticmethod
     def getErrorParsedDBMSes():
@@ -388,11 +388,13 @@ class Backend:
     def getIdentifiedDbms():
         dbms = None
 
-        if Backend.getForcedDbms() is not None:
+        if not kb:
+            pass
+        elif Backend.getForcedDbms() is not None:
             dbms = Backend.getForcedDbms()
         elif Backend.getDbms() is not None:
             dbms = kb.dbms
-        elif conf.dbms is not None:
+        elif conf.get('dbms'):
             dbms = conf.dbms
         elif len(Backend.getErrorParsedDBMSes()) > 0:
             dbms = Backend.getErrorParsedDBMSes()[0]
@@ -2422,7 +2424,7 @@ def unhandledExceptionMessage():
     errMsg += "Python version: %s\n" % PYVERSION
     errMsg += "Operating system: %s\n" % PLATFORM
     errMsg += "Command line: %s\n" % " ".join(sys.argv)
-    errMsg += "Technique: %s\n" % (enumValueToNameLookup(PAYLOAD.TECHNIQUE, kb.technique) if kb.technique else None)
+    errMsg += "Technique: %s\n" % (enumValueToNameLookup(PAYLOAD.TECHNIQUE, kb.technique) if kb and kb.technique else None)
     errMsg += "Back-end DBMS: %s" % ("%s (fingerprinted)" % Backend.getDbms() if Backend.getDbms() is not None else "%s (identified)" % Backend.getIdentifiedDbms())
     return maskSensitiveData(errMsg)
 
@@ -2433,7 +2435,7 @@ def maskSensitiveData(msg):
 
     retVal = msg
 
-    for item in filter(lambda x: x, [conf.hostname, conf.googleDork, conf.aCred, conf.tbl, conf.db, conf.col, conf.user, conf.cookie]):
+    for item in filter(lambda x: conf.get(x), ['hostname', 'googleDork', 'aCred', 'tbl', 'db', 'col', 'user', 'cookie']):
         regex = SENSITIVE_DATA_REGEX % item
         while extractRegexResult(regex, retVal):
             value = extractRegexResult(regex, retVal)
diff --git a/lib/parse/configfile.py b/lib/parse/configfile.py
index 1eda7a6f6..df6c80c4b 100644
--- a/lib/parse/configfile.py
+++ b/lib/parse/configfile.py
@@ -9,13 +9,14 @@ See the file 'doc/COPYING' for copying permission
 
 import codecs
 
-from ConfigParser import NoSectionError
+from ConfigParser import MissingSectionHeaderError
 
 from lib.core.common import checkFile
 from lib.core.common import UnicodeRawConfigParser
 from lib.core.data import conf
 from lib.core.data import logger
 from lib.core.exception import sqlmapMissingMandatoryOptionException
+from lib.core.exception import sqlmapSyntaxException
 from lib.core.optiondict import optDict
 from lib.core.settings import UNICODE_ENCODING
 
@@ -60,11 +61,17 @@ def configFileParser(configFile):
 
     checkFile(configFile)
     configFP = codecs.open(configFile, "rb", UNICODE_ENCODING)
-    config = UnicodeRawConfigParser()
-    config.readfp(configFP)
+
+    try:
+        config = UnicodeRawConfigParser()
+        config.readfp(configFP)
+    except MissingSectionHeaderError:
+        errMsg = "you've provided a non-valid configuration file"
+        raise sqlmapSyntaxException, errMsg
 
     if not config.has_section("Target"):
-        raise NoSectionError, "Target in the configuration file is mandatory"
+        errMsg = "missing a mandatory section 'Target' in the configuration file"
+        raise sqlmapMissingMandatoryOptionException, errMsg
 
     condition = not config.has_option("Target", "url")
     condition &= not config.has_option("Target", "logFile")