diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index c42c678..c13e346 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/gopherjs/gopherjs v0.0.0-20200217142428-fce0ec30dd00 // indirect
 	github.com/jacobsa/go-serial v0.0.0-20180131005756-15cf729a72d4
 	github.com/jfreymuth/pulse v0.0.0-20200608153616-84b2d752b9d4
+	github.com/kirsle/configdir v0.0.0-20170128060238-e45d2f54772f // indirect
 	github.com/lxn/win v0.0.0-20191128105842-2da648fda5b4
 	github.com/micmonay/keybd_event v1.1.1 // indirect
 	github.com/mitchellh/go-ps v1.0.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index ef8bbd5..468443c 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ github.com/jstemmer/go-junit-report v0.0.0-20190106144839-af01ea7f8024/go.mod h1
 github.com/jtolds/gls v4.20.0+incompatible h1:xdiiI2gbIgH/gLH7ADydsJ1uDOEzR8yvV7C0MuV77Wo=
 github.com/jtolds/gls v4.20.0+incompatible/go.mod h1:QJZ7F/aHp+rZTRtaJ1ow/lLfFfVYBRgL+9YlvaHOwJU=
 github.com/julienschmidt/httprouter v1.2.0/go.mod h1:SYymIcj16QtmaHHD7aYtjjsJG7VTCxuUUipMqKk8s4w=
+github.com/kirsle/configdir v0.0.0-20170128060238-e45d2f54772f h1:dKccXx7xA56UNqOcFIbuqFjAWPVtP688j5QMgmo6OHU=
+github.com/kirsle/configdir v0.0.0-20170128060238-e45d2f54772f/go.mod h1:4rEELDSfUAlBSyUjPG0JnaNGjf13JySHFeRdD/3dLP0=
 github.com/kisielk/errcheck v1.1.0/go.mod h1:EZBBE59ingxPouuu3KfxchcWSUPOHkagtvWXihfKN4Q=
 github.com/kisielk/gotool v1.0.0/go.mod h1:XhKaO+MFFWcvkIS/tQcRk01m1F5IRFswLeQ+oQHNcck=
 github.com/konsorten/go-windows-terminal-sequences v1.0.1/go.mod h1:T0+1ngSBFLxvqU3pZ+m/2kptfBszLMUkC4ZK/EgS/cQ=
diff --git a/pkg/deej/config.go b/pkg/deej/config.go
index 4f93b5a..dd05ad6 100644
--- a/pkg/deej/config.go
+++ b/pkg/deej/config.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/kirsle/configdir"
 	"github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
@@ -48,14 +49,9 @@ type CanonicalConfig struct {
 }
 
 const (
-	userConfigFilepath     = "config.yaml"
-	internalConfigFilepath = "preferences.yaml"
-
 	userConfigName     = "config"
 	internalConfigName = "preferences"
 
-	userConfigPath = "."
-
 	configType = "yaml"
 
 	configKeySliderMapping       = "slider_mapping"
@@ -74,8 +70,37 @@ const (
 	defaultBaudRate = 9600
 )
 
-// has to be defined as a non-constant because we're using path.Join
-var internalConfigPath = path.Join(".", logDirectory)
+var userConfigFilename = userConfigName+"."+configType
+var userConfigPath = func() string {
+	configPath := configdir.LocalConfig("reeemiks")
+	err := util.EnsureDirExists(configPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	// Check if we need to make XDG path
+	// do existing config file check here
+	// if XDG config doesn't exist and rel path does, move rel path to XDG
+	// if XDG config does exist and rel config does exist, warn user
+	// if XDG config doesn't exist and rel config doesn't exist, create XDG path
+
+	configFile := path.Join(configPath, userConfigFilename)
+	xdg_exists := util.FileExists(configFile)
+	rel_exists := util.FileExists(userConfigFilename)
+
+	if !xdg_exists && rel_exists {
+		util.MoveFile(userConfigFilename,configFile)
+	} else if xdg_exists && rel_exists {
+		fmt.Printf("I'm ignoring your config relative to my binary, your config is located at: %s", configFile)
+	} else if !xdg_exists && !rel_exists {
+		fmt.Errorf("Config file doesn't exist: %s", configFile)
+	}
+
+
+	return configPath
+}()
+var userConfigFilepath = path.Join(userConfigPath, userConfigFilename)
+var internalConfigPath = path.Join(userConfigPath, logDirectory)
+var internalConfigFilepath = path.Join(userConfigPath, "preferences.yaml")
 
 var defaultSliderMapping = func() *sliderMap {
 	emptyMap := newSliderMap()
@@ -97,7 +122,7 @@ func NewConfig(logger *zap.SugaredLogger, notifier Notifier) (*CanonicalConfig,
 
 	// distinguish between the user-provided config (config.yaml) and the internal config (logs/preferences.yaml)
 	userConfig := viper.New()
-	userConfig.SetConfigName(userConfigName)
+	userConfig.SetConfigName(userConfigFilename)
 	userConfig.SetConfigType(configType)
 	userConfig.AddConfigPath(userConfigPath)
 
@@ -129,9 +154,9 @@ func (cc *CanonicalConfig) Load() error {
 	if !util.FileExists(userConfigFilepath) {
 		cc.logger.Warnw("Config file not found", "path", userConfigFilepath)
 		cc.notifier.Notify("Can't find configuration!",
-			fmt.Sprintf("%s must be in the same directory as deej. Please re-launch", userConfigFilepath))
+			fmt.Sprintf("Config must be located at %s . Please re-launch", userConfigFilepath))
 
-		return fmt.Errorf("config file doesn't exist: %s", userConfigFilepath)
+		return fmt.Errorf("Config file doesn't exist: %s", userConfigFilepath)
 	}
 
 	// load the user config
diff --git a/pkg/deej/util/util.go b/pkg/deej/util/util.go
index 44abf0c..1b421de 100644
--- a/pkg/deej/util/util.go
+++ b/pkg/deej/util/util.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package util
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"math"
+	"io"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"os/signal"
@@ -31,6 +32,46 @@ func FileExists(filename string) bool {
 	return !info.IsDir()
 }
 
+func MoveFile(src, dst string) error {
+    in, err := os.Open(src)
+    if err != nil {
+        return fmt.Errorf("Couldn't open source file: %s", err)
+    }
+
+    out, err := os.Create(dst)
+    if err != nil {
+        in.Close()
+        return fmt.Errorf("Couldn't open dest file: %s", err)
+    }
+    defer out.Close()
+
+    _, err = io.Copy(out, in)
+    in.Close()
+    if err != nil {
+        return fmt.Errorf("Writing to output file failed: %s", err)
+    }
+
+    err = out.Sync()
+    if err != nil {
+        return fmt.Errorf("Sync error: %s", err)
+    }
+
+    si, err := os.Stat(src)
+    if err != nil {
+        return fmt.Errorf("Stat error: %s", err)
+    }
+    err = os.Chmod(dst, si.Mode())
+    if err != nil {
+        return fmt.Errorf("Chmod error: %s", err)
+    }
+
+    err = os.Remove(src)
+    if err != nil {
+        return fmt.Errorf("Failed removing original file: %s", err)
+    }
+    return nil
+}
+
 // Linux returns true if we're running on Linux
 func Linux() bool {
 	return runtime.GOOS == "linux"