diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 529df083..2c4e66ab 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Package: hipercow
 Title: High Performance Computing
-Version: 1.0.32
+Version: 1.0.33
 Authors@R: c(person("Rich", "FitzJohn", role = c("aut", "cre"),
                     email = "rich.fitzjohn@gmail.com"),
              person("Wes", "Hinsley", role = "aut"),
diff --git a/R/configuration.R b/R/configuration.R
index ae53190a..3a35aab3 100644
--- a/R/configuration.R
+++ b/R/configuration.R
@@ -83,7 +83,15 @@ configuration_drivers <- function(root) {
     ## because it's useful to report, and this is where we'd want it
     ## reported. We could add this into the configuration itself, but
     ## that causes some pain for the testing there.
-    ret$windows$username <- windows_username()
+    ret$windows$username <- tryCatch(
+      windows_username(),
+      error = function(e) {
+        cli::cli_warn(
+               c("Failed to read windows username",
+                 i = "Try 'windows_username()' to reproduce separately"),
+               parent = e)
+        "(???)"
+      })
   }
   ret
 }
diff --git a/drivers/windows/DESCRIPTION b/drivers/windows/DESCRIPTION
index a2ceee3c..20a3c50a 100644
--- a/drivers/windows/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/drivers/windows/DESCRIPTION
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Package: hipercow.windows
 Title: DIDE HPC Support for Windows
-Version: 1.0.32
+Version: 1.0.33
 Authors@R: c(person("Rich", "FitzJohn", role = c("aut", "cre"),
                     email = "rich.fitzjohn@gmail.com"),
              person("Wes", "Hinsley", role = "aut"),
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-configuration.R b/tests/testthat/test-configuration.R
index afb7fe0a..f10a4249 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-configuration.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-configuration.R
@@ -136,3 +136,30 @@ test_that("can add windows username to configuration", {
   cmp$windows$username <- "alice"
   expect_equal(res, cmp)
 })
+
+
+test_that("don't error if windows username lookup fails", {
+  elsewhere_register()
+  path_here <- withr::local_tempdir()
+  path_there <- withr::local_tempdir()
+  init_quietly(path_here)
+  init_quietly(path_there)
+  root <- hipercow_root(path_here)
+  suppressMessages(
+    hipercow_configure("elsewhere", path = path_there, root = path_here))
+
+  mock_username <- mockery::mock(stop("error looking up windows username"))
+  mockery::stub(configuration_drivers, "windows_username", mock_username)
+
+  root$config <- c(root$config, list(windows = list(a = 1, b = 2)))
+  warn <- expect_warning(
+    res <- configuration_drivers(root),
+    "Failed to read windows username")
+  mockery::expect_called(mock_username, 1)
+  cmp <- root$config
+  cmp$windows$username <- "(???)"
+  expect_equal(res, cmp)
+
+  expect_equal(conditionMessage(warn$parent),
+               "error looking up windows username")
+})