diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1ed4f2ba..6fe55d00 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ For a list of breaking changes, check [here](#breaking-changes).
 A preview of the next release can be installed from
 [babashka-dev-builds](https://github.com/babashka/babashka-dev-builds).
 
+## 0.8.1 (TBD)
+
+- [#1041](https://github.com/babashka/babashka/issues/1041): Improve error message when regex literal in EDN config
+
 ## 0.8.0 (2022-04-04)
 
 ### New
diff --git a/src/babashka/main.clj b/src/babashka/main.clj
index c33473ae..268985a0 100644
--- a/src/babashka/main.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/main.clj
@@ -964,6 +964,13 @@ Use bb run --help to show this help output.
                  (and (= minor-current minor-min)
                       (>= patch-current patch-min)))))))
 
+(defn load-edn [string]
+  (try (edn/read-string string)
+    (catch java.lang.RuntimeException e
+      (if (re-find #"No dispatch macro for: \"" (.getMessage e))
+        (throw (ex-info "Invalid regex literal found in EDN config, use re-pattern instead" {}))
+        (throw e)))))
+
 (defn main [& args]
   (let [[args global-opts] (parse-global-opts args)
         {:keys [:jar] :as file-opt} (when (some-> args first io/file .isFile)
@@ -977,7 +984,7 @@ Use bb run --help to show this help output.
         bb-edn (when bb-edn-file
                  (System/setProperty "babashka.config" bb-edn-file)
                  (let [raw-string (slurp bb-edn-file)
-                       edn (edn/read-string raw-string)
+                       edn (load-edn raw-string)
                        edn (assoc edn
                                   :raw raw-string
                                   :file bb-edn-file)
diff --git a/test/babashka/bb_edn_test.clj b/test/babashka/bb_edn_test.clj
index 69a3a7a7..30a9bac2 100644
--- a/test/babashka/bb_edn_test.clj
+++ b/test/babashka/bb_edn_test.clj
@@ -200,6 +200,12 @@
       (is (thrown-with-msg?
            Exception #"Cyclic task: b"
            (bb "run" "b")))))
+  (testing "friendly regex literal error handling"
+    (test-utils/with-config
+     "{:tasks {something (clojure.string/split \"1-2\" #\"-\")}}"
+     (is (thrown-with-msg?
+          Exception #"Invalid regex literal"
+          (bb "run" "something")))))
   (testing "doc"
     (test-utils/with-config '{:tasks {b {:doc "Beautiful docstring"}}}
       (let [s (test-utils/bb nil "doc" "b")]