diff --git a/Framework/Kernel/src/ConfigService.cpp b/Framework/Kernel/src/ConfigService.cpp
index f4cefcdd3cb605ea8cb99d419904e9e17ae91890..fc97ecc67f977329b035fe88c83974a894a7b293 100644
--- a/Framework/Kernel/src/ConfigService.cpp
+++ b/Framework/Kernel/src/ConfigService.cpp
@@ -1780,7 +1780,7 @@ ConfigServiceImpl::getFacilityFilenames(const std::string &fName) {
     p.append("Facilities.xml");
     std::string filename = p.toString();
     Poco::File fileObj(filename);
-    // stop when you find the first one
+
     if (fileObj.exists())
       returnPaths.push_back(filename);
   }
@@ -1857,10 +1857,14 @@ void ConfigServiceImpl::updateFacilities(const std::string &fName) {
       attemptIndex++;
       // move on to the next file index if available
       if (attemptIndex == fileNames.size()) {
-        // Throw an exception as we have run out of files to try
-        throw std::runtime_error(
+        std::string errorMessage =
             "No more Facilities.xml files can be found, Mantid will not be "
-            "able to start, Sorry.  Try reinstalling Mantid.");
+            "able to start, Sorry.  Try reinstalling Mantid.";
+		//This is one of the few times that both logging a messge and throwing might make sense
+		// as the error reporter tends to swallow the thrown message.
+        g_log.error() << errorMessage << "\n";
+        // Throw an exception as we have run out of files to try
+        throw std::runtime_error(errorMessage);
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/docs/source/release/v4.2.0/framework.rst b/docs/source/release/v4.2.0/framework.rst
index 6d5185ece9a6a4de32ba9051677e5f5ae688cefb..4d349c0f8cf026f9763a4e3c40ed0a9f298be330 100644
--- a/docs/source/release/v4.2.0/framework.rst
+++ b/docs/source/release/v4.2.0/framework.rst
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ Algorithms
 
 Instrument Definition Files
 ---------------------------
-* Mantid is now resilient to corrupted Facilities.xml files, which could sometimes happen occaisionally while downloading an updated file.  If Mantid finds a corrupt file it will now fall back to the originally installed file, an the corrupted one should be re-downloaded.
+* Mantid is now resilient to corrupted Facilities.xml files, which could sometimes happen occasionally while downloading an updated file.  If Mantid finds a corrupt file it will now fall back to the originally installed file, and the corrupted one should be re-downloaded.
 * A definition file for the NEAT instrument at HZB as been added along with an entry in the facilities file.
 
 Data Objects