diff --git a/web/config.py b/web/config.py
index 4774043..5b73fd3 100644
--- a/web/config.py
+++ b/web/config.py
@@ -884,6 +884,12 @@ if os.path.exists(system_config_dir + '/config_system.py'):
         user_config_settings.update(config_system_settings)
     except ImportError:
         pass
+    except PermissionError:
+        print(f"Permission denied to open {str(system_config_dir + '/config_system.py')}. \n \
+              If you are running pgadmin4-desktopmode please make sure you disable  \n \
+              the pgadmin NixOS module first. If you rely on settings in \n \
+              {str(system_config_dir + '/config_system.py')}, please check the correct permissions.")
+        pass

 # Update settings for 'LOG_FILE', 'SQLITE_PATH', 'SESSION_DB_PATH',
 # 'AZURE_CREDENTIAL_CACHE_DIR', 'KERBEROS_CCACHE_DIR', 'STORAGE_DIR'