diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/env/config/config_env.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/env/config/config_env.rs
index 9e91e77f48..ec41bf2537 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/env/config/config_env.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/env/config/config_env.rs
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ impl Command for ConfigEnv {
         nu_config.push("env.nu");
 
         let name = Spanned {
-            item: get_editor(engine_state, stack),
+            item: get_editor(engine_state, stack)?,
             span: Span { start: 0, end: 0 },
         };
 
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/env/config/config_nu.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/env/config/config_nu.rs
index 6eb9ff63d1..55a6c98ab6 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/env/config/config_nu.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/env/config/config_nu.rs
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ impl Command for ConfigNu {
         nu_config.push("config.nu");
 
         let name = Spanned {
-            item: get_editor(engine_state, stack),
+            item: get_editor(engine_state, stack)?,
             span: Span { start: 0, end: 0 },
         };
 
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/env/config/utils.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/env/config/utils.rs
index 91df864a61..f0c07a6f70 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/env/config/utils.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/env/config/utils.rs
@@ -1,17 +1,20 @@
 use nu_protocol::engine::{EngineState, Stack};
 
-pub(crate) fn get_editor(engine_state: &EngineState, stack: &mut Stack) -> String {
+pub(crate) fn get_editor(
+    engine_state: &EngineState,
+    stack: &mut Stack,
+) -> Result<String, nu_protocol::ShellError> {
     let config = engine_state.get_config();
     let env_vars = stack.get_env_vars(engine_state);
     if !config.buffer_editor.is_empty() {
-        config.buffer_editor.clone()
+        Ok(config.buffer_editor.clone())
     } else if let Some(value) = env_vars.get("EDITOR") {
-        value.as_string().expect("Unknown type")
+        value.as_string()
     } else if let Some(value) = env_vars.get("VISUAL") {
-        value.as_string().expect("Unknown type")
+        value.as_string()
     } else if cfg!(target_os = "windows") {
-        "notepad".to_string()
+        Ok("notepad".to_string())
     } else {
-        "nano".to_string()
+        Ok("nano".to_string())
     }
 }