diff --git a/pkg/csconfig/crowdsec_service.go b/pkg/csconfig/crowdsec_service.go
index c0b8b5a38..839cda617 100644
--- a/pkg/csconfig/crowdsec_service.go
+++ b/pkg/csconfig/crowdsec_service.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package csconfig
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -108,8 +109,9 @@ func (c *Config) LoadCrowdsec() error {
 		c.Crowdsec.OutputRoutinesCount = 1
 	}
 
-	var crowdsecCleanup = []*string{
+	crowdsecCleanup := []*string{
 		&c.Crowdsec.AcquisitionFilePath,
+		&c.Crowdsec.ConsoleContextPath,
 	}
 
 	for _, k := range crowdsecCleanup {
@@ -131,41 +133,51 @@ func (c *Config) LoadCrowdsec() error {
 		c.Crowdsec.AcquisitionFiles[i] = f
 	}
 
-	if err := c.LoadAPIClient(); err != nil {
+	if err = c.LoadAPIClient(); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("loading api client: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	c.Crowdsec.ContextToSend = make(map[string][]string, 0)
-	fallback := false
-	if c.Crowdsec.ConsoleContextPath == "" {
-		// fallback to default config file
-		c.Crowdsec.ConsoleContextPath = filepath.Join(c.ConfigPaths.ConfigDir, "console", "context.yaml")
-		fallback = true
-	}
-
-	f, err := filepath.Abs(c.Crowdsec.ConsoleContextPath)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("fail to get absolute path of %s: %s", c.Crowdsec.ConsoleContextPath, err)
-	}
-
-	c.Crowdsec.ConsoleContextPath = f
-	yamlFile, err := os.ReadFile(c.Crowdsec.ConsoleContextPath)
-	if err != nil {
-		if fallback {
-			log.Debugf("Default context config file doesn't exist, will not use it")
-		} else {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to open context file: %s", err)
+	if c.Crowdsec.ConsoleContextPath != "" {
+		// if it's provided, it must exist
+		if _, err = os.Stat(c.Crowdsec.ConsoleContextPath); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("while checking console_context_path: %w", err)
 		}
 	} else {
-		err = yaml.Unmarshal(yamlFile, c.Crowdsec.ContextToSend)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("unmarshaling labels console config file '%s': %s", c.Crowdsec.ConsoleContextPath, err)
-		}
+		c.Crowdsec.ConsoleContextPath = filepath.Join(c.ConfigPaths.ConfigDir, "console", "context.yaml")
+	}
+
+	c.Crowdsec.ContextToSend, err = buildContextToSend(c)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
 	return nil
 }
 
+func buildContextToSend(c *Config) (map[string][]string, error) {
+	ret := make(map[string][]string, 0)
+
+	log.Tracef("loading console context from %s", c.Crowdsec.ConsoleContextPath)
+	content, err := os.ReadFile(c.Crowdsec.ConsoleContextPath)
+	if err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to open context file: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	err = yaml.Unmarshal(content, ret)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("while loading context from %s: %s", c.Crowdsec.ConsoleContextPath, err)
+	}
+
+	feedback, err := json.Marshal(ret)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("marshaling console context: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	log.Debugf("console context to send: %s", feedback)
+
+	return ret, nil
+}
+
 func (c *CrowdsecServiceCfg) DumpContextConfigFile() error {
 	var out []byte
 	var err error
diff --git a/test/bats/09_context.bats b/test/bats/09_context.bats
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8b9ddf5a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/bats/09_context.bats
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bats
+# vim: ft=bats:list:ts=8:sts=4:sw=4:et:ai:si:
+
+set -u
+
+setup_file() {
+    load "../lib/setup_file.sh"
+    CONFIG_DIR=$(config_get '.config_paths.config_dir')
+    export CONFIG_DIR
+    CONTEXT_YAML="$CONFIG_DIR/console/context.yaml"
+    export CONTEXT_YAML
+}
+
+teardown_file() {
+    load "../lib/teardown_file.sh"
+}
+
+setup() {
+    load "../lib/setup.sh"
+    load "../lib/bats-file/load.bash"
+    ./instance-data load
+    config_set '.common.log_media="stdout"'
+    mkdir -p "$CONFIG_DIR/console"
+}
+
+teardown() {
+    ./instance-crowdsec stop
+}
+
+#----------
+
+@test "attempt to load from default context file, ignore if missing" {
+    rune -0 rm -f "$CONTEXT_YAML"
+    rune -0 "$CROWDSEC" -t --trace
+    assert_stderr --partial "loading console context from $CONTEXT_YAML"
+}
+
+@test "error if context file is explicitly set but does not exist" {
+    config_set ".crowdsec_service.console_context_path=\"$CONTEXT_YAML\""
+    rune -0 rm -f "$CONTEXT_YAML"
+    rune -1 "$CROWDSEC" -t
+    assert_stderr --partial "while checking console_context_path: stat $CONTEXT_YAML: no such file or directory"
+}
+
+@test "context file is bad" {
+    echo "bad yaml" > "$CONTEXT_YAML"
+    rune -1 "$CROWDSEC" -t
+    assert_stderr --partial "while loading context from $CONTEXT_YAML: yaml: unmarshal errors"
+}
+
+@test "context file is good" {
+    echo '{"source_ip":["evt.Parsed.source_ip"]}' > "$CONTEXT_YAML"
+    rune -0 "$CROWDSEC" -t --debug
+    assert_stderr --partial 'console context to send: {"source_ip":["evt.Parsed.source_ip"]}'
+}