diff --git a/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf_cli.erl b/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf_cli.erl
index e730f23c0..8c38d74bc 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf_cli.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf_cli.erl
@@ -312,8 +312,14 @@ get_config(Key) ->
 load_config(Path, Opts) when is_list(Path) ->
     case hocon:files([Path]) of
         {ok, RawConf} when RawConf =:= #{} ->
-            emqx_ctl:warning("load ~ts is empty~n", [Path]),
-            {error, empty_hocon_file};
+            case filelib:is_file(Path) of
+                true ->
+                    emqx_ctl:warning("load ~ts is empty~n", [Path]),
+                    {error, empty_hocon_file};
+                false ->
+                    emqx_ctl:warning("~ts is not found~n", [Path]),
+                    {error, not_found_hocon_file}
+            end;
         {ok, RawConf} ->
             load_config_from_raw(RawConf, Opts);
         {error, Reason} ->
diff --git a/apps/emqx_conf/test/emqx_conf_cli_SUITE.erl b/apps/emqx_conf/test/emqx_conf_cli_SUITE.erl
index 63f6821b8..f345e6238 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_conf/test/emqx_conf_cli_SUITE.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_conf/test/emqx_conf_cli_SUITE.erl
@@ -81,7 +81,11 @@ t_load_config(Config) ->
         Conf#{<<"sources">> => [emqx_authz_schema:default_authz()]},
         emqx_conf:get_raw([Authz])
     ),
-    ?assertEqual({error, empty_hocon_file}, emqx_conf_cli:conf(["load", "non-exist-file"])),
+    ?assertEqual({error, not_found_hocon_file}, emqx_conf_cli:conf(["load", "non-exist-file"])),
+    EmptyFile = "empty_file.conf",
+    ok = file:write_file(EmptyFile, <<>>),
+    ?assertEqual({error, empty_hocon_file}, emqx_conf_cli:conf(["load", EmptyFile])),
+    ok = file:delete(EmptyFile),
     ok.
 
 t_conflict_mix_conf(Config) ->