diff --git a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
index 8d0bc9b56..0e5a427ee 100644
--- a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
+++ b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
@@ -267,8 +267,13 @@ bool CmdLineParser::ParseFromArgs(int argc, const char* const argv[])
             _settings->_errorsOnly = true;
 
         // Append userdefined code to checked source code
-        else if (strncmp(argv[i], "--append=", 9) == 0)
-            _settings->append(9 + argv[i]);
+        else if (strncmp(argv[i], "--append=", 9) == 0) {
+            const std::string filename = 9 + argv[i];
+            if (!_settings->append(filename)) {
+                PrintMessage("cppcheck: Couldn't open the file: \"" + filename + "\".");
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
 
         else if (strncmp(argv[i], "--enable=", 9) == 0) {
             const std::string errmsg = _settings->addEnabled(argv[i] + 9);
diff --git a/lib/settings.cpp b/lib/settings.cpp
index a0029e358..2b30f4176 100644
--- a/lib/settings.cpp
+++ b/lib/settings.cpp
@@ -118,14 +118,18 @@ bool Settings::isEnabled(const std::string &str) const
 }
 
 
-void Settings::append(const std::string &filename)
+bool Settings::append(const std::string &filename)
 {
     _append = "\n";
     std::ifstream fin(filename.c_str());
+    if (!fin.is_open()) {
+        return false;
+    }
     std::string line;
     while (std::getline(fin, line)) {
         _append += line + "\n";
     }
+    return true;
 }
 
 std::string Settings::append() const
diff --git a/lib/settings.h b/lib/settings.h
index f98553f5c..2d55bee8e 100644
--- a/lib/settings.h
+++ b/lib/settings.h
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ public:
     std::list<std::string> _includePaths;
 
     /** @brief assign append code (--append) */
-    void append(const std::string &filename);
+    bool append(const std::string &filename);
 
     /** @brief get append code (--append) */
     std::string append() const;