diff --git a/apps/gpu/LBM/DrivenCavityMultiGPU/DrivenCavityMultiGPU.cpp b/apps/gpu/LBM/DrivenCavityMultiGPU/DrivenCavityMultiGPU.cpp
index 5a1ad9800262a12cc8a21a93f6f04c601fd98323..acab426b4868cc736710c883776c5626ec6b5753 100755
--- a/apps/gpu/LBM/DrivenCavityMultiGPU/DrivenCavityMultiGPU.cpp
+++ b/apps/gpu/LBM/DrivenCavityMultiGPU/DrivenCavityMultiGPU.cpp
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-void multipleLevel(vf::basics::ConfigurationFile& config)
+void runVirtualFluids(const vf::basics::ConfigurationFile& config)
 {
     vf::gpu::Communicator& communicator = vf::gpu::Communicator::getInstance();
 
@@ -516,8 +516,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     if (argv != NULL) {
 
         try {
+            VF_LOG_TRACE("For the default config path to work, execute the app from the project root.");
             vf::basics::ConfigurationFile config = vf::basics::ConfigurationFile::loadConfig(argc, argv, "./apps/gpu/LBM/DrivenCavityMultiGPU/configDrivenCavityMultiGPU.txt");
-            multipleLevel(config);
+            runVirtualFluids(config);
 
             //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
         } catch (const spdlog::spdlog_ex &ex) {
diff --git a/apps/gpu/LBM/MusselOyster/MusselOyster.cpp b/apps/gpu/LBM/MusselOyster/MusselOyster.cpp
index 5b6456c499b62af04615e4d708f895acae161236..b583633b50542795fe4b27aca42c08cca1a5331c 100644
--- a/apps/gpu/LBM/MusselOyster/MusselOyster.cpp
+++ b/apps/gpu/LBM/MusselOyster/MusselOyster.cpp
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ const std::string simulationName("MusselOyster");
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-void multipleLevel(vf::basics::ConfigurationFile& config)
+void runVirtualFluids(const vf::basics::ConfigurationFile& config)
 {
     vf::gpu::Communicator &communicator = vf::gpu::Communicator::getInstance();
 
@@ -583,8 +583,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     if (argv != NULL) {
 
         try {
+            VF_LOG_TRACE("For the default config path to work, execute the app from the project root.");
             vf::basics::ConfigurationFile config = vf::basics::ConfigurationFile::loadConfig(argc, argv, "./apps/gpu/LBM/MusselOyster/configMusselOyster.txt");
-            multipleLevel(config);
+            runVirtualFluids(config);
 
             //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
         } catch (const spdlog::spdlog_ex &ex) {
diff --git a/apps/gpu/LBM/SphereGPU/Sphere.cpp b/apps/gpu/LBM/SphereGPU/Sphere.cpp
index 3c4a7fb92e8299454402cb927e7f03f71bcf09fd..707c3ab9cb7de038a94010e69e6f77f9799b4f7f 100644
--- a/apps/gpu/LBM/SphereGPU/Sphere.cpp
+++ b/apps/gpu/LBM/SphereGPU/Sphere.cpp
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         GridScalingFactory scalingFactory = GridScalingFactory();
         vf::basics::ConfigurationFile config;
         if (useConfigFile) {
+            VF_LOG_TRACE("For the default config path to work, execute the app from the project root.");
             vf::basics::ConfigurationFile config = vf::basics::ConfigurationFile::loadConfig(argc, argv, "./apps/gpu/LBM/SphereGPU/config.txt");
             para = std::make_shared<Parameter>(&config);
         } else {
diff --git a/apps/gpu/LBM/SphereScaling/SphereScaling.cpp b/apps/gpu/LBM/SphereScaling/SphereScaling.cpp
index d7b6ddbe808b507a39a84ce3dfe5b0a347c0fcc4..da80302e9e9b5b6f43c7eb3eea0ae8be08f22b93 100755
--- a/apps/gpu/LBM/SphereScaling/SphereScaling.cpp
+++ b/apps/gpu/LBM/SphereScaling/SphereScaling.cpp
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-void multipleLevel(vf::basics::ConfigurationFile& config)
+void runVirtualFluids(const vf::basics::ConfigurationFile& config)
 {
     vf::gpu::Communicator& communicator = vf::gpu::Communicator::getInstance();
 
@@ -657,8 +657,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     if (argv != NULL) {
 
         try {
+            VF_LOG_INFO("For the default config path to work, execute the app from the project root.");
             vf::basics::ConfigurationFile config = vf::basics::ConfigurationFile::loadConfig(argc, argv, "./apps/gpu/LBM/SphereScaling/config.txt");
-            multipleLevel(config);
+            runVirtualFluids(config);
 
             //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
         } catch (const spdlog::spdlog_ex &ex) {
diff --git a/src/basics/config/ConfigurationFile.cpp b/src/basics/config/ConfigurationFile.cpp
index 6e6ba21c0cec5de886b6ad125a662adacb9f1654..547468cd2fd6aadccbdc5017230fcf6cdb803733 100644
--- a/src/basics/config/ConfigurationFile.cpp
+++ b/src/basics/config/ConfigurationFile.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <fstream>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <filesystem>
 
 #include <basics/utilities/UbException.h>
 
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ bool ConfigurationFile::load(const std::string& file)
 
    if (!inFile.good())
    {
-      UB_THROW(UbException(UB_EXARGS, "Cannot read configuration file "+file+"!"));
+      UB_THROW(UbException(UB_EXARGS, "Cannot read configuration file " + file + "! Your current directory is " + std::filesystem::current_path().string() + "."));
    }
 
    while (inFile.good() && ! inFile.eof())
diff --git a/src/basics/config/ConfigurationFile.h b/src/basics/config/ConfigurationFile.h
index aed29f31efd21077e9ceb1bd979020087f9b8909..8ca12306e0ef321832efb19a2a428e6dc753df41 100644
--- a/src/basics/config/ConfigurationFile.h
+++ b/src/basics/config/ConfigurationFile.h
@@ -70,20 +70,20 @@ public:
    template<class T>
    T getValue(const std::string& key, T defaultValue) const;
 
-   static ConfigurationFile loadConfig(int argc, char *argv[], std::filesystem::path configPath = "./config.txt")
+   static ConfigurationFile loadConfig(int argc, char *argv[], std::string configPath = "./config.txt")
    {
       // the config file's default path can be replaced by passing a command line argument
 
       if (argc > 1) 
       {
          configPath = argv[1];
-         VF_LOG_INFO("Using command line argument for config path: {}", configPath.string());
+         VF_LOG_INFO("Using command line argument for config path: {}", configPath);
       } else {
-         VF_LOG_INFO("Using default config path: {}", configPath.string());
+         VF_LOG_INFO("Using default config path: {}", configPath);
       }
 
       vf::basics::ConfigurationFile config;
-      config.load(configPath.string());
+      config.load(configPath);
       return config;
    }