diff --git a/viper.go b/viper.go
index 5d26730..7f87f04 100644
--- a/viper.go
+++ b/viper.go
@@ -1941,17 +1941,22 @@ func (v *Viper) getConfigFile() (string, error) {
 	return v.configFile, nil
 }
 
-func (v *Viper) searchInPath(in string) (filename string) {
+func (v *Viper) searchInPath(in string) (filename string, err error) {
+	var lastError error
 	jww.DEBUG.Println("Searching for config in ", in)
 	for _, ext := range SupportedExts {
 		jww.DEBUG.Println("Checking for", filepath.Join(in, v.configName+"."+ext))
-		if b, _ := exists(v.fs, filepath.Join(in, v.configName+"."+ext)); b {
+		b, err := exists(v.fs, filepath.Join(in, v.configName+"."+ext))
+		fmt.Printf("%s %t %s\n", filepath.Join(in, v.configName+"."+ext), b, err)
+		if err != nil {
+			lastError = err
+		} else if b {
 			jww.DEBUG.Println("Found: ", filepath.Join(in, v.configName+"."+ext))
-			return filepath.Join(in, v.configName+"."+ext)
+			return filepath.Join(in, v.configName+"."+ext), nil
 		}
 	}
 
-	return ""
+	return "", lastError
 }
 
 // Search all configPaths for any config file.
@@ -1959,13 +1964,23 @@ func (v *Viper) searchInPath(in string) (filename string) {
 func (v *Viper) findConfigFile() (string, error) {
 	jww.INFO.Println("Searching for config in ", v.configPaths)
 
+	var lastError error
 	for _, cp := range v.configPaths {
-		file := v.searchInPath(cp)
+		file, err := v.searchInPath(cp)
 		if file != "" {
 			return file, nil
 		}
+		if err != nil {
+			lastError = err
+		}
 	}
-	return "", ConfigFileNotFoundError{v.configName, fmt.Sprintf("%s", v.configPaths)}
+
+	// If there was no more-specific error, assume this was a not-found error
+	if lastError == nil {
+		lastError = ConfigFileNotFoundError{v.configName, fmt.Sprintf("%s", v.configPaths)}
+	}
+
+	return "", lastError
 }
 
 // Debug prints all configuration registries for debugging
diff --git a/viper_test.go b/viper_test.go
index 8bbba76..2016561 100644
--- a/viper_test.go
+++ b/viper_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ package viper
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -1018,6 +1019,31 @@ func TestWrongDirsSearchNotFound(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, `default`, v.GetString(`key`))
 }
 
+func TestNoPermissionDirs(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpdir := t.TempDir()
+
+	v := New()
+	v.SetDefault(`key`, `default`)
+
+	// Make an fs with an un-readable /directory
+	v.fs = afero.NewBasePathFs(afero.NewOsFs(), tmpdir)
+	err := v.fs.Mkdir("/directory", 000)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Error from fs.Mkdir: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	v.AddConfigPath("/directory")
+	err = v.ReadInConfig()
+
+	if !errors.Is(err, os.ErrPermission) {
+		t.Fatalf("error should have been a permissions error")
+	}
+
+	// Even though config did not load and the error might have
+	// been ignored by the client, the default still loads
+	assert.Equal(t, `default`, v.GetString(`key`))
+}
+
 func TestWrongDirsSearchNotFoundForMerge(t *testing.T) {
 
 	_, config, cleanup := initDirs(t)