diff --git a/lib/workers/global/index.ts b/lib/workers/global/index.ts
index 87b4cd574c78695669452da9a43f74aa050d47c9..45357d5086effe636294fac4424f1cb427f41414 100644
--- a/lib/workers/global/index.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/global/index.ts
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ function haveReachedLimits(): boolean {
   return false;
 }
 
-export async function start(): Promise<0 | 1> {
+export async function start(): Promise<number> {
   let config: RenovateConfig;
   try {
     // read global config from file, env and cli args
@@ -73,6 +73,11 @@ export async function start(): Promise<0 | 1> {
     } else {
       logger.fatal({ err }, `Fatal error: ${String(err.message)}`);
     }
+    if (!config) {
+      // return early if we can't parse config options
+      logger.debug(`Missing config`);
+      return 2;
+    }
   } finally {
     globalFinalize(config);
     logger.debug(`Renovate exiting`);