diff --git a/userconfig/cfgfile.py b/userconfig/cfgfile.py
index db95c76..0ad573d 100644
--- a/userconfig/cfgfile.py
+++ b/userconfig/cfgfile.py
@@ -4,13 +4,14 @@ import sys
 
 
 class Conf(object):
-    _confobj = configparser.ConfigParser(dict(HOME=os.environ.get('HOME')))
+    _confobj = None
     _cfgfiles = []
     debug = None
 
     def __init__(self, filename=None, debug=None, force_filename=False):
         if debug:
             self.set_debug(debug)
+        self._confobj = configparser.ConfigParser(dict(HOME=os.environ.get('HOME')))
         filenames = []
         if not force_filename:
             # default config files are $HOME/etc/userconfig2.conf and
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ class Conf(object):
                 return self._confobj.getboolean(section, option)
             else:
                 return self._confobj.get(section, option)
-        except (configparser.NoOptionError, configparser.NoOptionError) as e:
+        except (configparser.NoOptionError, configparser.NoSectionError) as e:
             raise ValueError(f'Option {option} does not exist in section {section}: {e}')
 
     def set(self, option, value, section='userconfig'):