diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportHttp.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportHttp.java
index ab5fc5f5c..7c3f738d9 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportHttp.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportHttp.java
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ import java.util.zip.GZIPOutputStream;
 
 import javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException;
 
+import org.eclipse.jgit.errors.ConfigInvalidException;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.errors.NoRemoteRepositoryException;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.errors.NotSupportedException;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.errors.PackProtocolException;
@@ -106,6 +107,7 @@ import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Ref;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Repository;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.StoredConfig;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.SymbolicRef;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.storage.file.FileBasedConfig;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.transport.HttpAuthMethod.Type;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.transport.HttpConfig.HttpRedirectMode;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.transport.http.HttpConnection;
@@ -643,9 +645,7 @@ public class TransportHttp extends HttpTransport implements WalkTransport,
 						if (trustNow || trustLocal || trustAlways) {
 							sslVerify = false;
 							if (trustAlways) {
-								updateSslVerify(SystemReader.getInstance()
-										.openUserConfig(null, FS.DETECTED),
-										false);
+								updateSslVerifyUser(false);
 							} else if (trustLocal) {
 								updateSslVerify(local.getConfig(), false);
 							}
@@ -685,7 +685,7 @@ public class TransportHttp extends HttpTransport implements WalkTransport,
 	private void updateSslVerify(StoredConfig config, boolean value) {
 		// Since git uses the original URI for matching, we must also use the
 		// original URI and cannot use the current URI (which might be different
-		// after redirects)
+		// after redirects).
 		String uriPattern = uri.getScheme() + "://" + uri.getHost(); //$NON-NLS-1$
 		int port = uri.getPort();
 		if (port > 0) {
@@ -700,6 +700,19 @@ public class TransportHttp extends HttpTransport implements WalkTransport,
 		}
 	}
 
+	private void updateSslVerifyUser(boolean value) {
+		FileBasedConfig userConfig = SystemReader.getInstance()
+				.openUserConfig(null, FS.DETECTED);
+		try {
+			userConfig.load();
+			updateSslVerify(userConfig, value);
+		} catch (IOException | ConfigInvalidException e) {
+			// Log it, but otherwise ignore here.
+			LOG.error(MessageFormat.format(JGitText.get().userConfigFileInvalid,
+					userConfig.getFile().getAbsolutePath(), e));
+		}
+	}
+
 	private URIish redirect(String location, String checkFor, int redirects)
 			throws TransportException {
 		if (location == null || location.isEmpty()) {