diff --git a/lib/src/gpg_signing.rs b/lib/src/gpg_signing.rs
index 273dc2edd..2120ec569 100644
--- a/lib/src/gpg_signing.rs
+++ b/lib/src/gpg_signing.rs
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ use std::str;
 
 use thiserror::Error;
 
+use crate::settings::ConfigResultExt as _;
 use crate::signing::SigStatus;
 use crate::signing::SignError;
 use crate::signing::SigningBackend;
@@ -143,16 +144,16 @@ impl GpgBackend {
         self
     }
 
-    pub fn from_config(config: &config::Config) -> Self {
-        Self::new(
-            config
-                .get_string("signing.backends.gpg.program")
-                .unwrap_or_else(|_| "gpg".into())
-                .into(),
-            config
-                .get_bool("signing.backends.gpg.allow-expired-keys")
-                .unwrap_or(false),
-        )
+    pub fn from_config(config: &config::Config) -> Result<Self, config::ConfigError> {
+        let program = config
+            .get_string("signing.backends.gpg.program")
+            .optional()?
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| "gpg".into());
+        let allow_expired_keys = config
+            .get_bool("signing.backends.gpg.allow-expired-keys")
+            .optional()?
+            .unwrap_or(false);
+        Ok(Self::new(program.into(), allow_expired_keys))
     }
 
     fn create_command(&self) -> Command {
diff --git a/lib/src/signing.rs b/lib/src/signing.rs
index aa5b26ddc..16dfb079c 100644
--- a/lib/src/signing.rs
+++ b/lib/src/signing.rs
@@ -119,6 +119,9 @@ pub enum SignInitError {
     /// If the backend name specified in the config is not known.
     #[error("Unknown signing backend configured: {0}")]
     UnknownBackend(String),
+    /// Failed to load backend configuration.
+    #[error("Failed to configure signing backend")]
+    BackendConfig(#[source] config::ConfigError),
 }
 
 /// A enum that describes if a created/rewritten commit should be signed or not.
@@ -158,10 +161,14 @@ impl Signer {
     /// Creates a signer based on user settings. Uses all known backends, and
     /// chooses one of them to be used for signing depending on the config.
     pub fn from_settings(settings: &UserSettings) -> Result<Self, SignInitError> {
-        let mut backends = vec![
-            Box::new(GpgBackend::from_config(settings.config())) as Box<dyn SigningBackend>,
-            Box::new(SshBackend::from_config(settings.config())) as Box<dyn SigningBackend>,
-            // Box::new(X509Backend::from_settings(settings)?) as Box<dyn SigningBackend>,
+        let mut backends: Vec<Box<dyn SigningBackend>> = vec![
+            Box::new(
+                GpgBackend::from_config(settings.config()).map_err(SignInitError::BackendConfig)?,
+            ),
+            Box::new(
+                SshBackend::from_config(settings.config()).map_err(SignInitError::BackendConfig)?,
+            ),
+            // Box::new(X509Backend::from_settings(settings).map_err(..)?),
         ];
 
         let main_backend = settings
diff --git a/lib/src/ssh_signing.rs b/lib/src/ssh_signing.rs
index 202e0193a..f858c3fb3 100644
--- a/lib/src/ssh_signing.rs
+++ b/lib/src/ssh_signing.rs
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ use std::process::Stdio;
 use either::Either;
 use thiserror::Error;
 
+use crate::settings::ConfigResultExt as _;
 use crate::signing::SigStatus;
 use crate::signing::SignError;
 use crate::signing::SigningBackend;
@@ -116,16 +117,15 @@ impl SshBackend {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn from_config(config: &config::Config) -> Self {
-        Self::new(
-            config
-                .get_string("signing.backends.ssh.program")
-                .unwrap_or_else(|_| "ssh-keygen".into())
-                .into(),
-            config
-                .get_string("signing.backends.ssh.allowed-signers")
-                .map_or(None, |v| Some(v.into())),
-        )
+    pub fn from_config(config: &config::Config) -> Result<Self, config::ConfigError> {
+        let program = config
+            .get_string("signing.backends.ssh.program")
+            .optional()?
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| "ssh-keygen".into());
+        let allowed_signers = config
+            .get_string("signing.backends.ssh.allowed-signers")
+            .optional()?;
+        Ok(Self::new(program.into(), allowed_signers.map(|v| v.into())))
     }
 
     fn create_command(&self) -> Command {