diff --git a/src/relayer/RelayerClientHelper.ts b/src/relayer/RelayerClientHelper.ts
index aa133a2ec..a132df02b 100644
--- a/src/relayer/RelayerClientHelper.ts
+++ b/src/relayer/RelayerClientHelper.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { typeguards, utils as sdkUtils } from "@across-protocol/sdk-v2";
+import { utils as sdkUtils } from "@across-protocol/sdk-v2";
 import winston from "winston";
 import { AcrossApiClient, BundleDataClient, InventoryClient, ProfitClient, TokenClient } from "../clients";
 import { AdapterManager, CrossChainTransferClient } from "../clients/bridges";
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import {
   updateSpokePoolClients,
 } from "../common";
 import { SpokePoolClientsByChain } from "../interfaces";
-import { isDefined, readFile, Signer } from "../utils";
+import { Signer } from "../utils";
 import { RelayerConfig } from "./RelayerConfig";
 
 export interface RelayerClients extends Clients {
@@ -115,23 +115,6 @@ export async function constructRelayerClients(
     adapterManager
   );
 
-  // If an external inventory configuration was defined, read it in now before instantiating the InventoryClient.
-  if (isDefined(config.externalInventoryConfig)) {
-    const _inventoryConfig = await readFile(config.externalInventoryConfig);
-    try {
-      config.inventoryConfig = JSON.parse(_inventoryConfig);
-    } catch (err) {
-      const msg = typeguards.isError(err) ? err.message : (err as Record<string, unknown>)?.code;
-      throw new Error(`Inventory config error in ${config.externalInventoryConfig} (${msg ?? "unknown error"})`);
-    }
-    logger.debug({
-      at: "Relayer#constructRelayerClients",
-      message: "Updated Inventory config.",
-      source: config.externalInventoryConfig,
-      inventoryConfig: config.inventoryConfig,
-    });
-  }
-
   const inventoryClient = new InventoryClient(
     signerAddr,
     logger,
diff --git a/src/relayer/RelayerConfig.ts b/src/relayer/RelayerConfig.ts
index 7f4eccb20..7c7277dc0 100644
--- a/src/relayer/RelayerConfig.ts
+++ b/src/relayer/RelayerConfig.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
-import { BigNumber, toBNWei, assert, isDefined, toBN, replaceAddressCase, ethers } from "../utils";
+import { typeguards } from "@across-protocol/sdk-v2";
+import { BigNumber, toBNWei, assert, isDefined, readFileSync, toBN, replaceAddressCase, ethers } from "../utils";
 import { CommonConfig, ProcessEnv } from "../common";
 import * as Constants from "../common/Constants";
 import { InventoryConfig } from "../interfaces";
 
 export class RelayerConfig extends CommonConfig {
-  readonly externalInventoryConfig?: string;
-  inventoryConfig: InventoryConfig;
-
+  readonly inventoryConfig: InventoryConfig;
   readonly debugProfitability: boolean;
   // Whether token price fetch failures will be ignored when computing relay profitability.
   // If this is false, the relayer will throw an error when fetching prices fails.
@@ -71,14 +70,20 @@ export class RelayerConfig extends CommonConfig {
       ? JSON.parse(SLOW_DEPOSITORS).map((depositor) => ethers.utils.getAddress(depositor))
       : [];
 
+    this.minRelayerFeePct = toBNWei(MIN_RELAYER_FEE_PCT || Constants.RELAYER_MIN_FEE_PCT);
+
     assert(
       !isDefined(RELAYER_EXTERNAL_INVENTORY_CONFIG) || !isDefined(RELAYER_INVENTORY_CONFIG),
       "Concurrent inventory management configurations detected."
     );
-    this.externalInventoryConfig = RELAYER_EXTERNAL_INVENTORY_CONFIG;
-    this.inventoryConfig = JSON.parse(RELAYER_INVENTORY_CONFIG ?? "{}");
-
-    this.minRelayerFeePct = toBNWei(MIN_RELAYER_FEE_PCT || Constants.RELAYER_MIN_FEE_PCT);
+    try {
+      this.inventoryConfig = isDefined(RELAYER_EXTERNAL_INVENTORY_CONFIG)
+        ? JSON.parse(readFileSync(RELAYER_EXTERNAL_INVENTORY_CONFIG))
+        : JSON.parse(RELAYER_INVENTORY_CONFIG ?? "{}");
+    } catch (err) {
+      const msg = typeguards.isError(err) ? err.message : (err as Record<string, unknown>)?.code;
+      throw new Error(`Inventory config error (${msg ?? "unknown error"})`);
+    }
 
     if (Object.keys(this.inventoryConfig).length > 0) {
       this.inventoryConfig = replaceAddressCase(this.inventoryConfig); // Cast any non-address case addresses.
@@ -92,7 +97,7 @@ export class RelayerConfig extends CommonConfig {
       this.inventoryConfig.wrapEtherTargetPerChain ??= {};
       assert(
         this.inventoryConfig.wrapEtherThreshold.gte(this.inventoryConfig.wrapEtherTarget),
-        `default wrapEtherThreshold ${this.inventoryConfig.wrapEtherThreshold} must be >= default wrapEtherTarget ${this.inventoryConfig.wrapEtherTarget}}`
+        `default wrapEtherThreshold ${this.inventoryConfig.wrapEtherThreshold} must be >= default wrapEtherTarget ${this.inventoryConfig.wrapEtherTarget}`
       );
 
       // Validate the per chain target and thresholds for wrapping ETH:
@@ -141,6 +146,7 @@ export class RelayerConfig extends CommonConfig {
         });
       });
     }
+
     this.debugProfitability = DEBUG_PROFITABILITY === "true";
     this.relayerGasPadding = toBNWei(RELAYER_GAS_PADDING || Constants.DEFAULT_RELAYER_GAS_PADDING);
     this.relayerGasMultiplier = toBNWei(RELAYER_GAS_MULTIPLIER || Constants.DEFAULT_RELAYER_GAS_MULTIPLIER);
diff --git a/src/utils/fsUtils.ts b/src/utils/fsUtils.ts
index 64cf99c16..18b38b715 100644
--- a/src/utils/fsUtils.ts
+++ b/src/utils/fsUtils.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,17 @@
 import * as fs from "fs/promises";
+import { readFileSync as _readFileSync } from "node:fs";
 import { typeguards } from "@across-protocol/sdk-v2";
 
+export function readFileSync(fileName: string): string {
+  try {
+    return _readFileSync(fileName, { encoding: "utf8" });
+  } catch (err) {
+    // @dev fs methods can return errors that are not Error objects (i.e. errno).
+    const msg = typeguards.isError(err) ? err.message : (err as Record<string, unknown>)?.code;
+    throw new Error(`Unable to read ${fileName} (${msg ?? "unknown error"})`);
+  }
+}
+
 export async function readFile(fileName: string): Promise<string> {
   try {
     return await fs.readFile(fileName, { encoding: "utf8" });