diff --git a/satpy/readers/__init__.py b/satpy/readers/__init__.py
index 3a05bd0c16..ef0d8713c3 100644
--- a/satpy/readers/__init__.py
+++ b/satpy/readers/__init__.py
@@ -563,16 +563,9 @@ def load_readers(filenames=None, reader=None, reader_kwargs=None):
         else:
             readers_files = remaining_filenames
 
-        try:
-            reader_instance = load_reader(
-                    reader_configs,
-                    **reader_kwargs[None if reader is None else reader[idx]])
-        except (KeyError, IOError) as err:
-            LOG.info("Cannot use %s", str(reader_configs))
-            LOG.debug(str(err))
+        reader_instance = _get_reader_instance(reader, reader_configs, idx, **reader_kwargs)
+        if reader_instance is None:
             continue
-        except yaml.YAMLError as err:
-            _log_yaml_error(reader_configs, err)
 
         if not readers_files:
             # we weren't given any files for this reader
@@ -592,6 +585,21 @@ def load_readers(filenames=None, reader=None, reader_kwargs=None):
     return reader_instances
 
 
+def _get_reader_instance(reader, reader_configs, idx, **reader_kwargs):
+    reader_instance = None
+    try:
+        reader_instance = load_reader(
+            reader_configs,
+            **reader_kwargs[None if reader is None else reader[idx]])
+    except (KeyError, IOError) as err:
+        LOG.info("Cannot use %s", str(reader_configs))
+        LOG.debug(str(err))
+    except yaml.YAMLError as err:
+        _log_yaml_error(reader_configs, err)
+
+    return reader_instance
+
+
 def _log_yaml_error(reader_configs, err):
     LOG.error("Problem with %s", str(reader_configs))
     LOG.error(str(err))
diff --git a/satpy/tests/test_readers.py b/satpy/tests/test_readers.py
index a3aef9114e..bff268fdd2 100644
--- a/satpy/tests/test_readers.py
+++ b/satpy/tests/test_readers.py
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ def test_yaml_error_message(self, load_reader):
         load_reader.side_effect = yaml.YAMLError(error_message)
 
         with self._caplog.at_level(logging.ERROR):
-            with pytest.raises(UnboundLocalError):
+            with pytest.raises(match=ValueError):
                 _ = load_readers(filenames=filenames, reader="avhrr_l1b_eps")
             assert error_message in self._caplog.text