diff --git a/lib/pry/pry_class.rb b/lib/pry/pry_class.rb
index e784285e..88134dc1 100644
--- a/lib/pry/pry_class.rb
+++ b/lib/pry/pry_class.rb
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ class Pry
     expanded = Pathname.new(File.expand_path(file)).realpath.to_s
     # For rbx 1.9 mode [see rubinius issue #2165]
     File.exist?(expanded) ? expanded : nil
-  rescue Errno::ENOENT
+  rescue Errno::ENOENT, Errno::EACCES
     nil
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/pryrc_spec.rb b/spec/pryrc_spec.rb
index 3315527e..6d802c8d 100644
--- a/spec/pryrc_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/pryrc_spec.rb
@@ -37,6 +37,17 @@ describe Pry do
       end
     end
 
+    it "should not load the pryrc if pryrc's directory permissions do not allow this" do
+      Dir.mktmpdir do |dir|
+        FileUtils.chmod 0, dir
+        Pry::LOCAL_RC_FILE.replace File.join(dir, '.pryrc')
+        puts Pry::LOCAL_RC_FILE
+        Pry.config.should_load_rc = true
+        expect { Pry.start(self, :input => StringIO.new("exit-all\n"), :output => StringIO.new) }.to_not raise_error
+        FileUtils.chmod 777, dir
+      end
+    end
+
     it "should not load the pryrc if it cannot expand ENV[HOME]" do
       old_home = ENV['HOME']
       ENV['HOME'] = nil