diff --git a/src/command-line/index.js b/src/command-line/index.js
index 2d71f5a7..734e1e84 100644
--- a/src/command-line/index.js
+++ b/src/command-line/index.js
@@ -29,31 +29,11 @@ const argvWithoutOptions = program.parseOptions(process.argv);
 Helper.setHome(process.env.THELOUNGE_HOME || Utils.defaultHome());
 
 // Check config file owner and warn if we're running under a different user
-if (process.getuid) {
-	const uid = process.getuid();
-
-	if (uid === 0) {
-		log.warn(
-			`You are currently running The Lounge as root. ${colors.bold.red(
-				"We highly discourage running as root!"
-			)}`
-		);
-	}
-
-	const configStat = fs.statSync(path.join(Helper.getHomePath(), "config.js"));
-
-	if (configStat && configStat.uid !== uid) {
-		log.warn(
-			"Config file owner does not match the user you are currently running The Lounge as."
-		);
-		log.warn(
-			"To prevent any issues, please run thelounge commands " +
-				"as the correct user that owns the config folder."
-		);
-		log.warn(
-			"See https://thelounge.chat/docs/usage#using-the-correct-system-user for more information."
-		);
-	}
+try {
+	verifyFileOwner();
+} catch (e) {
+	// We do not care about failures of these checks
+	// fs.statSync will throw if config.js does not exist (e.g. first run)
 }
 
 Utils.checkOldHome();
@@ -83,3 +63,34 @@ program.parse(argvWithoutOptions.args.concat(argvWithoutOptions.unknown));
 if (!program.args.length) {
 	program.help();
 }
+
+function verifyFileOwner() {
+	if (!process.getuid) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	const uid = process.getuid();
+
+	if (uid === 0) {
+		log.warn(
+			`You are currently running The Lounge as root. ${colors.bold.red(
+				"We highly discourage running as root!"
+			)}`
+		);
+	}
+
+	const configStat = fs.statSync(path.join(Helper.getHomePath(), "config.js"));
+
+	if (configStat && configStat.uid !== uid) {
+		log.warn(
+			"Config file owner does not match the user you are currently running The Lounge as."
+		);
+		log.warn(
+			"To prevent any issues, please run thelounge commands " +
+				"as the correct user that owns the config folder."
+		);
+		log.warn(
+			"See https://thelounge.chat/docs/usage#using-the-correct-system-user for more information."
+		);
+	}
+}