diff --git a/markdownlint-cli2.js b/markdownlint-cli2.js
index ae38dcfe..18060a8d 100755
--- a/markdownlint-cli2.js
+++ b/markdownlint-cli2.js
@@ -44,9 +44,18 @@ const getYamlParse = () => require("./parsers/yaml-parse.js");
 // Gets an ordered array of parsers
 const getParsers = () => require("./parsers/parsers.js");
 
-// Negate a glob
+// Negates a glob
 const negateGlob = (glob) => `!${glob}`;
 
+// Throws a meaningful exception for an unusable configuration file
+const throwForConfigurationFile = (file, error) => {
+  throw new Error(
+    `Unable to use configuration file '${file}'; ${error?.message}`,
+    // @ts-ignore
+    { "cause": error }
+  );
+};
+
 // Return a posix path (even on Windows)
 const posixPath = (p) => p.split(pathDefault.sep).join(pathPosix.sep);
 
@@ -75,11 +84,12 @@ const readConfig = (fs, dir, name, otherwise) => () => {
 };
 
 // Import or resolve/require a module ID with a custom directory in the path
-const importOrRequireResolve = async (dirs, id, noRequire) => {
+const importOrRequireResolve = async (dirOrDirs, id, noRequire) => {
   if (typeof id === "string") {
     if (noRequire) {
       return null;
     }
+    const dirs = Array.isArray(dirOrDirs) ? dirOrDirs : [ dirOrDirs ];
     const expandId = expandTildePath(id);
     const errors = [];
     try {
@@ -126,10 +136,10 @@ const importOrRequireIdsAndParams = (dirs, idsAndParams, noRequire) => (
 
 // Import or require a JavaScript file and return the exported object
 const importOrRequireConfig = (fs, dir, name, noRequire, otherwise) => () => {
-  const id = pathPosix.join(dir, name);
-  return fs.promises.access(id).
+  const file = pathPosix.join(dir, name);
+  return fs.promises.access(file).
     then(
-      () => (noRequire ? {} : importOrRequireResolve([ dir ], id)),
+      () => importOrRequireResolve(dir, name, noRequire),
       otherwise
     );
 };
@@ -154,47 +164,43 @@ const readOptionsOrConfig = async (configPath, fs, noRequire) => {
   const dirname = pathPosix.dirname(configPath);
   let options = null;
   let config = null;
-  if (basename.endsWith(".markdownlint-cli2.jsonc")) {
-    options = getJsoncParse()(await fs.promises.readFile(configPath, utf8));
-  } else if (basename.endsWith(".markdownlint-cli2.yaml")) {
-    options = getYamlParse()(await fs.promises.readFile(configPath, utf8));
-  } else if (
-    basename.endsWith(".markdownlint-cli2.cjs") ||
-    basename.endsWith(".markdownlint-cli2.mjs")
-  ) {
-    options = await (
-      importOrRequireConfig(fs, dirname, basename, noRequire, noop)()
-    );
-  } else if (
-    basename.endsWith(".markdownlint.jsonc") ||
-    basename.endsWith(".markdownlint.json") ||
-    basename.endsWith(".markdownlint.yaml") ||
-    basename.endsWith(".markdownlint.yml")
-  ) {
-    config =
-      await markdownlintReadConfig(configPath, getParsers(), fs);
-  } else if (
-    basename.endsWith(".markdownlint.cjs") ||
-    basename.endsWith(".markdownlint.mjs")
-  ) {
-    config = await (
-      importOrRequireConfig(fs, dirname, basename, noRequire, noop)()
-    );
-  } else {
-    throw new Error(
-      `Configuration file "${configPath}" is unrecognized; ` +
-      "its name should be (or end with) one of the supported types " +
-      "(e.g., \".markdownlint.json\" or \"example.markdownlint-cli2.jsonc\")."
-    );
+  try {
+    if (basename.endsWith(".markdownlint-cli2.jsonc")) {
+      options = getJsoncParse()(await fs.promises.readFile(configPath, utf8));
+    } else if (basename.endsWith(".markdownlint-cli2.yaml")) {
+      options = getYamlParse()(await fs.promises.readFile(configPath, utf8));
+    } else if (
+      basename.endsWith(".markdownlint-cli2.cjs") ||
+      basename.endsWith(".markdownlint-cli2.mjs")
+    ) {
+      options = await importOrRequireResolve(dirname, basename, noRequire);
+    } else if (
+      basename.endsWith(".markdownlint.jsonc") ||
+      basename.endsWith(".markdownlint.json") ||
+      basename.endsWith(".markdownlint.yaml") ||
+      basename.endsWith(".markdownlint.yml")
+    ) {
+      config = await markdownlintReadConfig(configPath, getParsers(), fs);
+    } else if (
+      basename.endsWith(".markdownlint.cjs") ||
+      basename.endsWith(".markdownlint.mjs")
+    ) {
+      config = await importOrRequireResolve(dirname, basename, noRequire);
+    } else {
+      throw new Error(
+        "File name should be (or end with) one of the supported types " +
+        "(e.g., '.markdownlint.json' or 'example.markdownlint-cli2.jsonc')."
+      );
+    }
+  } catch (error) {
+    throwForConfigurationFile(configPath, error);
   }
-
   if (options) {
     if (options.config) {
       options.config = await getExtendedConfig(options.config, configPath, fs);
     }
     return options;
   }
-
   config = await getExtendedConfig(config, configPath, fs);
   return { config };
 };
@@ -289,6 +295,7 @@ const getAndProcessDirInfo = (
   noRequire,
   allowPackageJson
 ) => {
+  // Create dirInfo
   let dirInfo = dirToDirInfo[dir];
   if (!dirInfo) {
     dirInfo = {
@@ -302,46 +309,41 @@ const getAndProcessDirInfo = (
     dirToDirInfo[dir] = dirInfo;
 
     // Load markdownlint-cli2 object(s)
-    const markdownlintCli2Jsonc =
-      pathPosix.join(dir, ".markdownlint-cli2.jsonc");
-    const markdownlintCli2Yaml =
-      pathPosix.join(dir, ".markdownlint-cli2.yaml");
+    const markdownlintCli2Jsonc = pathPosix.join(dir, ".markdownlint-cli2.jsonc");
+    const markdownlintCli2Yaml = pathPosix.join(dir, ".markdownlint-cli2.yaml");
+    const markdownlintCli2Cjs =  pathPosix.join(dir, ".markdownlint-cli2.cjs");
+    const markdownlintCli2Mjs = pathPosix.join(dir, ".markdownlint-cli2.mjs");
     const packageJson = pathPosix.join(dir, "package.json");
+    let file = "[UNKNOWN]";
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-return-assign
+    const captureFile = (f) => file = f;
     tasks.push(
-      fs.promises.access(markdownlintCli2Jsonc).
+      fs.promises.access(captureFile(markdownlintCli2Jsonc)).
         then(
-          () => fs.promises.
-            readFile(markdownlintCli2Jsonc, utf8).
-            then(getJsoncParse()),
-          () => fs.promises.access(markdownlintCli2Yaml).
+          () => fs.promises.readFile(file, utf8).then(getJsoncParse()),
+          () => fs.promises.access(captureFile(markdownlintCli2Yaml)).
             then(
-              () => fs.promises.
-                readFile(markdownlintCli2Yaml, utf8).
-                then(getYamlParse()),
-              importOrRequireConfig(
-                fs,
-                dir,
-                ".markdownlint-cli2.cjs",
-                noRequire,
-                importOrRequireConfig(
-                  fs,
-                  dir,
-                  ".markdownlint-cli2.mjs",
-                  noRequire,
-                  () => (allowPackageJson
-                    ? fs.promises.access(packageJson)
-                    // eslint-disable-next-line prefer-promise-reject-errors
-                    : Promise.reject()
-                  ).
+              () => fs.promises.readFile(file, utf8).then(getYamlParse()),
+              () => fs.promises.access(captureFile(markdownlintCli2Cjs)).
+                then(
+                  () => importOrRequireResolve(dir, file, noRequire),
+                  () => fs.promises.access(captureFile(markdownlintCli2Mjs)).
                     then(
-                      () => fs.promises.
-                        readFile(packageJson, utf8).
-                        then(getJsoncParse()).
-                        then((obj) => obj[packageName]),
-                      noop
+                      () => importOrRequireResolve(dir, file, noRequire),
+                      () => (allowPackageJson
+                        ? fs.promises.access(captureFile(packageJson))
+                        // eslint-disable-next-line prefer-promise-reject-errors
+                        : Promise.reject()
+                      ).
+                        then(
+                          () => fs.promises.
+                            readFile(file, utf8).
+                            then(getJsoncParse()).
+                            then((obj) => obj[packageName]),
+                          noop
+                        )
                     )
                 )
-              )
             )
         ).
         then((options) => {
@@ -350,7 +352,7 @@ const getAndProcessDirInfo = (
             options.config &&
             getExtendedConfig(
               options.config,
-              // Just needs to identify a file in the right directory
+              // Just need to identify a file in the right directory
               markdownlintCli2Jsonc,
               fs
             ).
@@ -358,6 +360,9 @@ const getAndProcessDirInfo = (
                 options.config = config;
               });
         })
+        .catch((error) => {
+          throwForConfigurationFile(file, error);
+        })
     );
 
     // Load markdownlint object(s)
@@ -402,6 +407,8 @@ const getAndProcessDirInfo = (
         })
     );
   }
+
+  // Return dirInfo
   return dirInfo;
 };
 
diff --git a/test/markdownlint-cli2-test-cases.js b/test/markdownlint-cli2-test-cases.js
index 5a07251b..3c665f3b 100644
--- a/test/markdownlint-cli2-test-cases.js
+++ b/test/markdownlint-cli2-test-cases.js
@@ -346,21 +346,21 @@ const testCases = ({
     "name": "markdownlint-json-invalid",
     "args": [ ".*" ],
     "exitCode": 2,
-    "stderrRe": /Unable to parse JSONC content/u
+    "stderrRe": /'[^']*\.markdownlint\.json'.*Unable to parse JSONC content/u
   });
 
   testCase({
     "name": "markdownlint-yaml-invalid",
     "args": [ ".*" ],
     "exitCode": 2,
-    "stderrRe": /Map keys must be unique/u
+    "stderrRe": /'[^']*\.markdownlint\.yaml'.*Map keys must be unique/u
   });
 
   testCase({
     "name": "markdownlint-cjs-invalid",
     "args": [ ".*" ],
     "exitCode": 2,
-    "stderrRe": /Unable to require or import module '/u,
+    "stderrRe": /Unable to require or import module '.*\.markdownlint\.cjs'/u,
     "usesRequire": true
   });
 
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ const testCases = ({
     "name": "markdownlint-mjs-invalid",
     "args": [ ".*" ],
     "exitCode": 2,
-    "stderrRe": /Unable to require or import module '/u,
+    "stderrRe": /Unable to require or import module '.*\.markdownlint\.mjs'/u,
     "usesRequire": true
   });
 
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ const testCases = ({
     "name": "markdownlint-cli2-jsonc-mismatch",
     "args": [ "viewme.md" ],
     "exitCode": 2,
-    "stderrRe": /Unable to parse JSONC content/u
+    "stderrRe": /'[^']*\.markdownlint-cli2\.jsonc'.*Unable to parse JSONC content/u
   });
 
   testCase({
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ const testCases = ({
     "name": "markdownlint-cli2-jsonc-mismatch-config",
     "args": [ "--config", "../markdownlint-cli2-jsonc-mismatch/.markdownlint-cli2.jsonc", "viewme.md" ],
     "exitCode": 2,
-    "stderrRe": /Unable to parse JSONC content/u,
+    "stderrRe": /'[^']*\.markdownlint-cli2\.jsonc'.*Unable to parse JSONC content/u,
     "cwd": "no-config",
   });
 
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ const testCases = ({
     "name": "markdownlint-cli2-jsonc-invalid",
     "args": [ ".*" ],
     "exitCode": 2,
-    "stderrRe": /Unable to parse JSONC content/u
+    "stderrRe": /'[^']*\.markdownlint-cli2\.jsonc'.*Unable to parse JSONC content/u
   });
 
   testCase({
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ const testCases = ({
     "name": "markdownlint-cli2-yaml-invalid",
     "args": [ ".*" ],
     "exitCode": 2,
-    "stderrRe": /Map keys must be unique/u
+    "stderrRe": /'[^']*\.markdownlint-cli2\.yaml'.*Map keys must be unique/u
   });
 
   testCase({
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ const testCases = ({
     "name": "markdownlint-cli2-cjs-invalid",
     "args": [ ".*" ],
     "exitCode": 2,
-    "stderrRe": /Unable to require or import module '/u,
+    "stderrRe": /'[^']*\.markdownlint-cli2\.cjs'.*Unable to require or import module '/u,
     "usesRequire": true
   });
 
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ const testCases = ({
     "name": "markdownlint-cli2-mjs-invalid",
     "args": [ ".*" ],
     "exitCode": 2,
-    "stderrRe": /Unable to require or import module '/u,
+    "stderrRe": /'[^']*\.markdownlint-cli2\.mjs'.*Unable to require or import module '/u,
     "usesRequire": true
   });
 
@@ -665,17 +665,16 @@ const testCases = ({
     });
   }
 
-  const unexpectedJsonRe = /Unable to parse JSONC content/u;
-  const unableToRequireRe = /Unable to require or import module/u;
-  const unableToParseRe = /Unable to parse/u;
+  const unableToParseJsonc = "Unable to parse JSONC content";
+  const unableToRequireOrImport = "Unable to require or import module";
   const invalidConfigFiles = [
-    [ "invalid.markdownlint-cli2.jsonc", unexpectedJsonRe ],
-    [ "invalid.markdownlint-cli2.cjs", unableToRequireRe ],
-    [ "invalid.markdownlint-cli2.mjs", unableToRequireRe ],
-    [ "invalid.markdownlint.json", unableToParseRe ],
-    [ "invalid.markdownlint.yaml", unableToParseRe ],
-    [ "invalid.markdownlint.cjs", unableToRequireRe ],
-    [ "invalid.markdownlint.mjs", unableToRequireRe ]
+    [ "invalid.markdownlint-cli2.jsonc", unableToParseJsonc ],
+    [ "invalid.markdownlint-cli2.cjs", unableToRequireOrImport ],
+    [ "invalid.markdownlint-cli2.mjs", unableToRequireOrImport ],
+    [ "invalid.markdownlint.json", unableToParseJsonc ],
+    [ "invalid.markdownlint.yaml", unableToParseJsonc ],
+    [ "invalid.markdownlint.cjs", unableToRequireOrImport ],
+    [ "invalid.markdownlint.mjs", unableToRequireOrImport ]
   ];
   for (const [ invalidConfigFile, stderrRe ] of invalidConfigFiles) {
     const usesRequire = isModule(invalidConfigFile);
@@ -683,7 +682,7 @@ const testCases = ({
       "name": `config-files-${invalidConfigFile}-invalid-arg`,
       "args": [ "--config", `cfg/${invalidConfigFile}`, "**/*.md" ],
       "exitCode": 2,
-      stderrRe,
+      "stderrRe": new RegExp(`'[^']*${invalidConfigFile.replace(".", "\\.")}'.*${stderrRe}`, "u"),
       "cwd": "config-files",
       usesRequire
     });
@@ -710,7 +709,7 @@ const testCases = ({
     "args": [ "--config", "cfg/unrecognized.jsonc", "**/*.md" ],
     "exitCode": 2,
     "stderrRe":
-      /Configuration file "[^"]*cfg\/unrecognized\.jsonc" is unrecognized; its name should be \(or end with\) one of the supported types \(e\.g\., "\.markdownlint\.json" or "example\.markdownlint-cli2\.jsonc"\)\./u,
+      /Unable to use configuration file '[^']*cfg\/unrecognized\.jsonc'; File name should be \(or end with\) one of the supported types \(e\.g\., '\.markdownlint\.json' or 'example\.markdownlint-cli2\.jsonc'\)\./u,
     "cwd": "config-files"
   });
 
@@ -774,7 +773,7 @@ const testCases = ({
     "name": "package-json-invalid",
     "args": [ "**/*.md" ],
     "exitCode": 2,
-    "stderrRe": /Unable to parse JSONC content/u
+    "stderrRe": /'[^']*package\.json'.*Unable to parse JSONC content/u
   });
 
   testCase({