diff --git a/mercurial/dispatch.py b/mercurial/dispatch.py
--- a/mercurial/dispatch.py
+++ b/mercurial/dispatch.py
@@ -828,7 +828,7 @@
             ui.setconfig(section, name, value, b'--config')
             configs.append((section, name, value))
         except (IndexError, ValueError):
-            raise error.Abort(
+            raise error.ConfigError(
                 _(
                     b'malformed --config option: %r '
                     b'(use --config section.name=value)'
diff --git a/tests/test-globalopts.t b/tests/test-globalopts.t
--- a/tests/test-globalopts.t
+++ b/tests/test-globalopts.t
@@ -216,20 +216,20 @@
   $ hg --cwd c --config paths.quuxfoo=bar paths | grep quuxfoo > /dev/null && echo quuxfoo
   quuxfoo
   $ hg --cwd c --config '' tip -q
-  abort: malformed --config option: '' (use --config section.name=value)
-  [255]
+  config error: malformed --config option: '' (use --config section.name=value)
+  [30]
   $ hg --cwd c --config a.b tip -q
-  abort: malformed --config option: 'a.b' (use --config section.name=value)
-  [255]
+  config error: malformed --config option: 'a.b' (use --config section.name=value)
+  [30]
   $ hg --cwd c --config a tip -q
-  abort: malformed --config option: 'a' (use --config section.name=value)
-  [255]
+  config error: malformed --config option: 'a' (use --config section.name=value)
+  [30]
   $ hg --cwd c --config a.= tip -q
-  abort: malformed --config option: 'a.=' (use --config section.name=value)
-  [255]
+  config error: malformed --config option: 'a.=' (use --config section.name=value)
+  [30]
   $ hg --cwd c --config .b= tip -q
-  abort: malformed --config option: '.b=' (use --config section.name=value)
-  [255]
+  config error: malformed --config option: '.b=' (use --config section.name=value)
+  [30]
 
 Testing --debug:
 
diff --git a/tests/test-legacy-exit-code.t b/tests/test-legacy-exit-code.t
--- a/tests/test-legacy-exit-code.t
+++ b/tests/test-legacy-exit-code.t
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
   [255]
 
   $ hg st --config a=b
-  abort: malformed --config option: 'a=b' (use --config section.name=value)
+  config error: malformed --config option: 'a=b' (use --config section.name=value)
   [255]
 
   $ echo b > a