diff --git a/mysql_db b/mysql_db
index 07d4374546b..1e98c3676c0 100755
--- a/mysql_db
+++ b/mysql_db
@@ -47,10 +47,10 @@ def db_create(cursor, db):
 def load_mycnf():
     config = ConfigParser.RawConfigParser()
     mycnf = os.path.expanduser('~/.my.cnf')
-    config.read(mycnf)
     try:
+        config.readfp(open(mycnf))
         creds = dict(user=config.get('client', 'user'),passwd=config.get('client', 'pass'))
-    except ConfigParser.NoOptionError:
+    except (ConfigParser.NoOptionError, IOError):
         return False
     return creds
 
diff --git a/mysql_user b/mysql_user
index 385f48faa94..7ae3cb6363c 100755
--- a/mysql_user
+++ b/mysql_user
@@ -145,10 +145,10 @@ def privileges_grant(cursor, user,host,db_table,priv):
 def load_mycnf():
     config = ConfigParser.RawConfigParser()
     mycnf = os.path.expanduser('~/.my.cnf')
-    config.read(mycnf)
     try:
+        config.readfp(open(mycnf))
         creds = dict(user=config.get('client', 'user'),passwd=config.get('client', 'pass'))
-    except ConfigParser.NoOptionError:
+    except (ConfigParser.NoOptionError, IOError):
         return False
     return creds