diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/error-config.js b/lib/workers/repository/error-config.js
index ca65c6477a1dc75222877b88fa75d489ac9039cc..c203df361f51f875744cd2d4468279f49fb9e59c 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/error-config.js
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/error-config.js
@@ -12,7 +12,13 @@ async function raiseConfigWarningIssue(config, error) {
   if (error.validationMessage) {
     body += `Message: ${error.validationMessage}\n`;
   }
-  if (config.repoIsOnboarded) {
+  const pr = await platform.getBranchPr('renovate/configure');
+  if (pr && pr.state && pr.state.startsWith('open')) {
+    logger.info('Updating onboarding PR with config error notice');
+    body = `## Action Required: Fix Renovate Configuration\n\n${body}`;
+    body += `\n\nOnce you have resolved this problem (in this onboarding branch), Renovate will return to providing you with a preview of your repository's configuration.`;
+    await platform.updatePr(pr.number, 'Configure Renovate', body);
+  } else {
     const res = await platform.ensureIssue(
       'Action Required: Fix Renovate Configuration',
       body
@@ -20,12 +26,5 @@ async function raiseConfigWarningIssue(config, error) {
     if (res) {
       logger.warn({ configError: error, res }, 'Config Warning');
     }
-  } else {
-    // update onboarding Pr
-    logger.info('Updating onboarding PR');
-    const pr = await platform.getBranchPr('renovate/configure');
-    body = `## Action Required: Fix Renovate Configuration\n\n${body}`;
-    body += `\n\nOnce you have resolved this problem (in this onboarding branch), Renovate will return to providing you with a preview of your repository's configuration.`;
-    await platform.updatePr(pr.number, 'Configure Renovate', body);
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/workers/repository/error-config.spec.js b/test/workers/repository/error-config.spec.js
index b07b791d58e07b1da75d7e954cec94bfdcd7d9ec..222d49626aa841f2c8b885b777770e8f276ced6b 100644
--- a/test/workers/repository/error-config.spec.js
+++ b/test/workers/repository/error-config.spec.js
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ describe('workers/repository/error-config', () => {
       const error = new Error('config-validation');
       error.configFile = 'package.json';
       error.validationMessage = 'some-message';
-      config.repoIsOnboarded = true;
       platform.ensureIssue.mockReturnValue('created');
       const res = await raiseConfigWarningIssue(config, error);
       expect(res).toBeUndefined();
@@ -23,8 +22,7 @@ describe('workers/repository/error-config', () => {
       const error = new Error('config-validation');
       error.configFile = 'package.json';
       error.validationMessage = 'some-message';
-      config.repoIsOnboarded = false;
-      platform.getBranchPr.mockReturnValueOnce({ number: 1 });
+      platform.getBranchPr.mockReturnValueOnce({ number: 1, state: 'open' });
       const res = await raiseConfigWarningIssue(config, error);
       expect(res).toBeUndefined();
     });