diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ad1c845..7674147 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-### (Next)
+### 1.6.3 (Next)
+- Warn on automatic formatting errors returned for non-config Terraform files.
 
 ### 1.6.2
 - Refactor auto formatting config options.
diff --git a/lib/main.js b/lib/main.js
index 99d04ed..f34f274 100644
--- a/lib/main.js
+++ b/lib/main.js
@@ -123,14 +123,17 @@ export default {
 
           // auto-format the target
           helpers.exec(atom.config.get('linter-terraform-syntax.terraformExecutablePath'), fmtArgs, { cwd: dir }).catch(error => {
-            // catch format errors and display as pulsar warning
-            atom.notifications.addWarning(
-              'An error occurred during automatic formatting.',
-              {
-                detail: error.message,
-                dismissable: true
-              }
-            );
+            // verify this is not a config file since validate returns for those files
+            if (!(/\.tf$/.exec(editorFile))) {
+              // catch format errors and display as pulsar warning
+              atom.notifications.addWarning(
+                'An error occurred during automatic formatting.',
+                {
+                  detail: error.message,
+                  dismissable: true
+                }
+              );
+            }
           });
         }