diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1db04c03..e5129d41 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - Create `/etc/systemd/network/10-persistent-net-<netdev>.link` file per network device
 - Fix the issue that the same tag added in `node set` is ignored. #967
 - Change too-verbose warning message level from `Warn` to `Debug`. #1025
+- Fixed a bug where error occurs when editing node. #1024
 
 ### Changed
 
diff --git a/internal/app/wwctl/node/edit/main.go b/internal/app/wwctl/node/edit/main.go
index 7c955861..328fe9cd 100644
--- a/internal/app/wwctl/node/edit/main.go
+++ b/internal/app/wwctl/node/edit/main.go
@@ -21,7 +21,11 @@ import (
 )
 
 func CobraRunE(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-	canWrite := apiutil.CanWriteConfig()
+	canWrite, err := apiutil.CanWriteConfig()
+	if err != nil {
+		wwlog.Error("While checking whether can write config, err: %w", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
 	if !canWrite.CanWriteConfig {
 		wwlog.Error("Can't write to config exiting")
 		os.Exit(1)
@@ -112,8 +116,7 @@ func CobraRunE(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			if yes {
 				err = apinode.NodeDelete(&wwapiv1.NodeDeleteParameter{NodeNames: nodeList, Force: true})
 				if err != nil {
-					wwlog.Error("Problem deleting nodes before modification: %s", err)
-					return err
+					wwlog.Verbose("Problem deleting nodes before modification %s", err)
 				}
 				buffer, _ = yaml.Marshal(modifiedNodeMap)
 				newHash := apinode.Hash()
diff --git a/internal/app/wwctl/node/edit/root.go b/internal/app/wwctl/node/edit/root.go
index 61cc9111..86958d33 100644
--- a/internal/app/wwctl/node/edit/root.go
+++ b/internal/app/wwctl/node/edit/root.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ var (
 			for _, node := range nodes {
 				node_names = append(node_names, node.Id.Get())
 			}
+
 			return node_names, cobra.ShellCompDirectiveNoFileComp
 		},
 	}
diff --git a/internal/app/wwctl/profile/edit/main.go b/internal/app/wwctl/profile/edit/main.go
index 34212480..ab1f5551 100644
--- a/internal/app/wwctl/profile/edit/main.go
+++ b/internal/app/wwctl/profile/edit/main.go
@@ -21,7 +21,11 @@ import (
 )
 
 func CobraRunE(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-	canWrite := apiutil.CanWriteConfig()
+	canWrite, err := apiutil.CanWriteConfig()
+	if err != nil {
+		wwlog.Error("While checking whether can write config, err: %w", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
 	if !canWrite.CanWriteConfig {
 		wwlog.Error("Can't write to config exiting")
 		os.Exit(1)
@@ -112,7 +116,7 @@ func CobraRunE(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 				err = apiprofile.ProfileDelete(&wwapiv1.NodeDeleteParameter{NodeNames: pList, Force: true})
 
 				if err != nil {
-					wwlog.Verbose("Problem deleting nodes before modification %s")
+					wwlog.Verbose("Problem deleting nodes before modification %s", err)
 				}
 				buffer, _ = yaml.Marshal(modifiedProfileMap)
 				newHash := apinode.Hash()
diff --git a/internal/pkg/api/util/util.go b/internal/pkg/api/util/util.go
index 3e65ed1c..bdcbdd41 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/api/util/util.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/api/util/util.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package util
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"syscall"
 
 	"github.com/manifoldco/promptui"
@@ -28,14 +29,22 @@ func ConfirmationPrompt(label string) (yes bool) {
 /*
 Simple check if the config can be written in case wwctl isn't run as root
 */
-func CanWriteConfig() (canwrite *wwapiv1.CanWriteConfig) {
+func CanWriteConfig() (canwrite *wwapiv1.CanWriteConfig, err error) {
 	canwrite = new(wwapiv1.CanWriteConfig)
-	err := syscall.Access(node.ConfigFile, syscall.O_RDWR)
+	// node is not initialized yet
+	if node.ConfigFile == "" {
+		_, err := node.New()
+		if err != nil {
+			canwrite.CanWriteConfig = false
+			return canwrite, fmt.Errorf("unable to initialize the node %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+	err = syscall.Access(node.ConfigFile, syscall.O_RDWR)
 	if err != nil {
 		wwlog.Warn("Couldn't open %s:%s", node.ConfigFile, err)
 		canwrite.CanWriteConfig = false
 	} else {
 		canwrite.CanWriteConfig = true
 	}
-	return canwrite
+	return canwrite, err
 }