diff --git a/.yarn/versions/a0ea31c2.yml b/.yarn/versions/a0ea31c2.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2d6a48f178d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.yarn/versions/a0ea31c2.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+releases:
+  "@yarnpkg/cli": patch
+  "@yarnpkg/core": patch
+
+declined:
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-compat"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-constraints"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-dlx"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-essentials"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-exec"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-file"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-git"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-github"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-http"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-init"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-interactive-tools"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-link"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-nm"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-npm"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-npm-cli"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-pack"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-patch"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-pnp"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-pnpm"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-stage"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-typescript"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-version"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-workspace-tools"
+  - "@yarnpkg/builder"
+  - "@yarnpkg/doctor"
+  - "@yarnpkg/extensions"
+  - "@yarnpkg/nm"
+  - "@yarnpkg/pnpify"
+  - "@yarnpkg/sdks"
diff --git a/packages/yarnpkg-core/sources/Configuration.ts b/packages/yarnpkg-core/sources/Configuration.ts
index 0b76f83918a9..41eddf5df04d 100644
--- a/packages/yarnpkg-core/sources/Configuration.ts
+++ b/packages/yarnpkg-core/sources/Configuration.ts
@@ -1406,15 +1406,15 @@ export class Configuration {
       const rcPath = ppath.join(currentCwd, rcFilename as PortablePath);
 
       if (xfs.existsSync(rcPath)) {
-        const content = await xfs.readFilePromise(rcPath, `utf8`);
-
         let data;
+        let content;
         try {
+          content = await xfs.readFilePromise(rcPath, `utf8`);
           data = parseSyml(content) as any;
         } catch (error) {
           let tip = ``;
 
-          if (content.match(/^\s+(?!-)[^:]+\s+\S+/m))
+          if (content?.match(/^\s+(?!-)[^:]+\s+\S+/m))
             tip = ` (in particular, make sure you list the colons after each key name)`;
 
           throw new UsageError(`Parse error when loading ${rcPath}; please check it's proper Yaml${tip}`);