diff --git a/.task/checksum/go-build b/.task/checksum/go-build
index aed43fb..fb78ec6 100644
--- a/.task/checksum/go-build
+++ b/.task/checksum/go-build
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0bbb9b59233e7c3a6b58764d03788b82
+e832d011a7759af5da2bf569d9d999ac
diff --git a/cmd/server/main.go b/cmd/server/main.go
index 1c217ca..810c6dd 100644
--- a/cmd/server/main.go
+++ b/cmd/server/main.go
@@ -21,17 +21,28 @@ func NewCoordinator(config *viper.Viper, ch chan error) coordinator {
 	return server.NewCentralCoordinator(config, ch)
 }
 
-func NewConfig(fname string) *viper.Viper {
-	return config.LoadConfig(fname)
+func LoadConfig(file, path, ext string) (*viper.Viper, error) {
+	return config.LoadConfig(file, path, ext)
 }
 
 func main() {
-	// lets get this bread
+
 	gracefulShutdown := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
 	signal.Notify(gracefulShutdown, syscall.SIGINT, syscall.SIGTERM)
 
-	// config file
-	conf := NewConfig("server")
+	userHome, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+
+	configPath := fmt.Sprintf("%s/.config/FRMS", userHome)
+	configFile := "server"
+	configExt := "yaml"
+	conf, err := LoadConfig(configFile, configPath, configExt)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
 
 	errCh := make(chan error)
 
diff --git a/internal/pkg/config/config.go b/internal/pkg/config/config.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4338b37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+// package Config wraps the viper library to setup/manage files for FRMS
+package config
+
+import (
+	"FRMS/internal/pkg/logging"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/viper"
+)
+
+// LoadConfig loads the file at path/file into a viper object
+// Expects config file to be yaml
+func LoadConfig(file, path, ext string) (*viper.Viper, error) {
+
+	logging.Debug(logging.DStart, "CON Loading config for %s", file)
+
+	config := viper.New()
+
+	configFile := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s.%s", path, file, ext)
+
+	config.SetConfigName(file)
+	config.AddConfigPath(path)
+	config.SetConfigType(ext)
+
+	// Sets env vars
+	config.AutomaticEnv()
+
+	// create config directory if it doesn't exist
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(path, 0750); err != nil && !os.IsExist(err) {
+		return config, err
+	}
+
+	// attempt to create an empty config incase it doesn't exist
+	if err := config.SafeWriteConfigAs(configFile); err != nil {
+		// if error thrown because file exists, fine to ignore
+		if _, ok := err.(viper.ConfigFileAlreadyExistsError); !ok {
+			return config, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	if err := config.ReadInConfig(); err != nil {
+		fmt.Printf("read error %v\n", config)
+		return config, err
+	}
+
+	fmt.Printf("Found %s\n", config.ConfigFileUsed())
+	logging.Debug(logging.DStart, "CON Loaded configs from %#V", config.ConfigFileUsed())
+
+	// returning config object
+	return config, nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/pkg/config/load.go b/internal/pkg/config/load.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 22568ac..0000000
--- a/internal/pkg/config/load.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,46 +0,0 @@
-package config
-
-/*
-Load.go contains methods to load values from config, flags and env.
-*/
-
-import (
-	"FRMS/internal/pkg/logging"
-	"fmt"
-
-	"github.com/spf13/viper"
-)
-
-func LoadConfig(fname string) *viper.Viper {
-	// Demarshalls a given filename into the struct
-	// returns nil if successful
-	config := viper.New()
-	configPath := "$HOME/FRMS/internal/configs"
-	logging.Debug(logging.DStart, "Loading config for %s", fname)
-	config.SetConfigName(fname)
-	config.SetConfigType("yaml")
-	//viper.AddConfigPath("/etc/frms/config")
-	config.AddConfigPath(configPath)
-	// struct and env vars
-
-	// Sets env vars
-	config.AutomaticEnv()
-
-	// reading
-	if err := config.ReadInConfig(); err != nil {
-		if _, ok := err.(viper.ConfigFileNotFoundError); ok {
-			// no config file found
-			fmt.Printf("No config file found! creating empty one at %s.\n", configPath)
-			if err = config.WriteConfigAs(configPath); err != nil {
-				panic(err)
-			}
-		} else {
-			panic(err)
-		}
-	}
-
-	logging.Debug(logging.DStart, "CON Loaded configs from %v", config.ConfigFileUsed())
-
-	// returning config object
-	return config
-}