diff --git a/gns3server/modules/dynamips/backends/vm.py b/gns3server/modules/dynamips/backends/vm.py
index c105aa0f..1da7e50c 100644
--- a/gns3server/modules/dynamips/backends/vm.py
+++ b/gns3server/modules/dynamips/backends/vm.py
@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ class VM(object):
             if private_config_base64:
                 response["private_config_base64"] = private_config_base64
         except DynamipsError:
-            self.send_custom_error("unable to extract configs")
+            self.send_custom_error("unable to extract configs from the NVRAM")
             return
 
         if not response:
diff --git a/gns3server/modules/iou/__init__.py b/gns3server/modules/iou/__init__.py
index d00b614b..a3f0c47d 100644
--- a/gns3server/modules/iou/__init__.py
+++ b/gns3server/modules/iou/__init__.py
@@ -782,6 +782,10 @@ class IOU(IModule):
         if not iou_instance:
             return
 
+        if not iou_instance.initial_config:
+            self.send_custom_error("unable to export the initial-config because it doesn't exist")
+            return
+
         response = {}
         initial_config_path = os.path.join(iou_instance.working_dir, iou_instance.initial_config)
         try: