diff --git a/roles/validate-tempest/files/bugcheck/bugcheck.py b/roles/validate-tempest/files/bugcheck/bugcheck.py
index b4110e417..64829f045 100644
--- a/roles/validate-tempest/files/bugcheck/bugcheck.py
+++ b/roles/validate-tempest/files/bugcheck/bugcheck.py
@@ -139,6 +139,11 @@ class BugVerifyCmd(object):
         try:
             with open(self.args.skip_file) as f:
                 skip = yaml.safe_load(f)
+        except yaml.constructor.ConstructorError:
+            LOG.error('Invalid yaml file {}'.format(self.args.skip_file))
+        except IOError:
+            LOG.error('File not found {}'.format(self.args.skip_file))
+        else:
             for t in skip.get('known_failures'):
                 bug = {'test': t.get('test'), 'reason': t.get('reason')}
                 if t.get('lp'):
@@ -146,12 +151,8 @@ class BugVerifyCmd(object):
                 if t.get('bz'):
                     bug['bz'] = t.get('bz')
                 known_failures.append(bug)
-        except yaml.constructor.ConstructorError:
-            LOG.error('Invalid yaml file {}'.format(self.args.skip_file))
-        except IOError:
-            LOG.error('File not found {}'.format(self.args.skip_file))
-        finally:
-            return known_failures
+
+        return known_failures
 
     def _print_yaml(self, known_failures):
         return yaml.dump({'known_failures': known_failures},
diff --git a/roles/validate-tempest/files/tempestmail/tempestmail.py b/roles/validate-tempest/files/tempestmail/tempestmail.py
index 826fc553f..156eff86b 100755
--- a/roles/validate-tempest/files/tempestmail/tempestmail.py
+++ b/roles/validate-tempest/files/tempestmail/tempestmail.py
@@ -318,15 +318,14 @@ class TempestMailCmd(object):
         known_failures = []
         try:
             skip = yaml.safe_load(open(self.args.skip_file))
+        except yaml.constructor.ConstructorError:
+            self.log.error('Invalid yaml file {}'.format(self.args.skip_file))
+        else:
             for t in skip.get('known_failures'):
                 known_failures.append({'test': t.get('test'),
                                        'reason': t.get('reason')})
-        except yaml.constructor.ConstructorError:
-            self.log.error('Invalid yaml file {}'.format(self.args.skip_file))
-        except Exception:
-            pass
-        finally:
-            return known_failures
+
+        return known_failures
 
     def checkJobs(self):
         data = []
@@ -388,8 +387,8 @@ class TempestMailCmd(object):
                                    'reason': t.get('reason')})
 
         if self.args.skip_file:
-            known_failures = \
-                (known_failures + self.load_skip_file(self.args.skip_file))
+            known_failures = (
+                known_failures + self.load_skip_file(self.args.skip_file))
 
         newconfig.known_failures = known_failures
         newconfig.api_server = config.get('api_server')