diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1504dfbc..1b783d40 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -13,10 +13,6 @@
 - Elasticsearch and OpenSearch connections are now tracked and cleaned up on reload via `_close_output_clients()`.
 - Extracted `_parse_config_file()` and `_init_output_clients()` from `_main()` in `cli.py` to support config reload and reduce code duplication.
 
-### Changed
-
-- Configuration validation errors now raise `ConfigurationError` instead of calling `logger.critical()` and `sys.exit()` directly, making them recoverable during reload.
-
 ### Fixed
 
 - `get_index_prefix()` crashed on forensic reports with `TypeError` due to `report()` instead of `report[]` dict access.
diff --git a/parsedmarc/cli.py b/parsedmarc/cli.py
index 110e24a6..68614a00 100644
--- a/parsedmarc/cli.py
+++ b/parsedmarc/cli.py
@@ -1627,7 +1627,7 @@ def _main():
         try:
             index_prefix_domain_map = _parse_config_file(args.config_file, opts)
         except ConfigurationError as e:
-            logger.error(str(e))
+            logger.critical(str(e))
             exit(-1)
 
     logger.setLevel(logging.ERROR)
@@ -1673,7 +1673,7 @@ def _main():
         logger.exception("OpenSearch Error")
         exit(1)
     except ConfigurationError as e:
-        logger.error(str(e))
+        logger.critical(str(e))
         exit(1)
     except Exception as error_:
         logger.error("Output client error: {0}".format(error_))
diff --git a/tests.py b/tests.py
index 739cf5cd..02d76fb6 100755
--- a/tests.py
+++ b/tests.py
@@ -1446,7 +1446,7 @@ mailbox = shared@example.com
                 parsedmarc.cli._main()
 
         self.assertEqual(system_exit.exception.code, -1)
-        mock_logger.error.assert_called_once_with(
+        mock_logger.critical.assert_called_once_with(
             "certificate_path setting missing from the msgraph config section"
         )
         mock_graph_connection.assert_not_called()
@@ -1518,7 +1518,7 @@ user = owner@example.com
                 parsedmarc.cli._main()
 
         self.assertEqual(system_exit.exception.code, -1)
-        mock_logger.error.assert_called_once_with(
+        mock_logger.critical.assert_called_once_with(
             "password setting missing from the msgraph config section"
         )
         mock_graph_connection.assert_not_called()
@@ -1675,7 +1675,7 @@ mailbox = shared@example.com
                 parsedmarc.cli._main()
 
         self.assertEqual(system_exit.exception.code, -1)
-        mock_logger.error.assert_called_once_with(
+        mock_logger.critical.assert_called_once_with(
             "client_secret setting missing from the msgraph config section"
         )
         mock_graph_connection.assert_not_called()
@@ -1707,7 +1707,7 @@ mailbox = shared@example.com
                 parsedmarc.cli._main()
 
         self.assertEqual(system_exit.exception.code, -1)
-        mock_logger.error.assert_called_once_with(
+        mock_logger.critical.assert_called_once_with(
             "tenant_id setting missing from the msgraph config section"
         )
         mock_graph_connection.assert_not_called()
@@ -1739,7 +1739,7 @@ tenant_id = tenant-id
                 parsedmarc.cli._main()
 
         self.assertEqual(system_exit.exception.code, -1)
-        mock_logger.error.assert_called_once_with(
+        mock_logger.critical.assert_called_once_with(
             "mailbox setting missing from the msgraph config section"
         )
         mock_graph_connection.assert_not_called()
@@ -1809,7 +1809,7 @@ mailbox = shared@example.com
                 parsedmarc.cli._main()
 
         self.assertEqual(system_exit.exception.code, -1)
-        mock_logger.error.assert_called_once_with(
+        mock_logger.critical.assert_called_once_with(
             "tenant_id setting missing from the msgraph config section"
         )
         mock_graph_connection.assert_not_called()
@@ -1840,7 +1840,7 @@ tenant_id = tenant-id
                 parsedmarc.cli._main()
 
         self.assertEqual(system_exit.exception.code, -1)
-        mock_logger.error.assert_called_once_with(
+        mock_logger.critical.assert_called_once_with(
             "mailbox setting missing from the msgraph config section"
         )
         mock_graph_connection.assert_not_called()
@@ -1872,7 +1872,7 @@ certificate_path = /tmp/msgraph-cert.pem
                 parsedmarc.cli._main()
 
         self.assertEqual(system_exit.exception.code, -1)
-        mock_logger.error.assert_called_once_with(
+        mock_logger.critical.assert_called_once_with(
             "tenant_id setting missing from the msgraph config section"
         )
         mock_graph_connection.assert_not_called()
@@ -1904,7 +1904,7 @@ certificate_path = /tmp/msgraph-cert.pem
                 parsedmarc.cli._main()
 
         self.assertEqual(system_exit.exception.code, -1)
-        mock_logger.error.assert_called_once_with(
+        mock_logger.critical.assert_called_once_with(
             "mailbox setting missing from the msgraph config section"
         )
         mock_graph_connection.assert_not_called()