diff --git a/module/VuFind/src/VuFind/Config/Writer.php b/module/VuFind/src/VuFind/Config/Writer.php
index 0434099cb7a6c4f6424d21a8ab7086d46ab69151..c47dd1b93027e8fe9759c11b6a90d672fead217b 100644
--- a/module/VuFind/src/VuFind/Config/Writer.php
+++ b/module/VuFind/src/VuFind/Config/Writer.php
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class Writer
         $this->filename = $filename;
         if (null === $content) {
             $this->content = file_get_contents($filename);
-            if (!$this->content) {
+            if (false === $this->content) {
                 throw new \Exception('Could not read ' . $filename);
             }
         } else if (is_array($content)) {