diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 84123d1..11f0d4c 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -45,12 +45,21 @@ func main() {
 			showVersionInfo()
 			return
 
+		case "init":
+			tui.RunInitWizard()
+			return
+
 		case "help", "-help", "--help", "-h":
 			printHelp()
 			return
 		}
 	}
 
+	if !tui.ConfigFound {
+		fmt.Println("No tuido configuration found. Run `tuido init` to set up.")
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
 	var showVersion = flag.Bool("version", false, "show version and platform information")
 	flag.Usage = printHelp
 	flag.Parse()
@@ -117,6 +126,7 @@ Commands:
     --max N                 Limit output to N items
   create <text>           Create a new todo item
   add <text>              Alias for create
+  init                    Create a local or global config (interactive)
   version                 Show version and platform information
   help                    Show this help
 
diff --git a/tui/config.go b/tui/config.go
index cbb2e14..8ec7e33 100644
--- a/tui/config.go
+++ b/tui/config.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bufio"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 )
@@ -44,17 +45,6 @@ var runConfig config = config{
 	frictionThreshold: 5,
 }
 
-func adoptConfigSettings(location string) {
-	config := parseConfigIfExists(location)
-
-	if config != nil {
-		runConfig.extensions = append(runConfig.extensions, config.extensions...)
-		if config.writeto != "" {
-			runConfig.writeto = config.writeto
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 func parseConfigIfExists(configPath string) *config {
 
 	if config, err := os.Open(configPath); err == nil {
@@ -106,6 +96,83 @@ func parseConfig(file *os.File) config {
 	return cfg
 }
 
+func (cfg config) hasSettings() bool {
+	return len(cfg.extensions) > 0 || cfg.writeto != ""
+}
+
+// RunInitWizard interactively creates a local or global tuido config file.
+func RunInitWizard() {
+	reader := bufio.NewReader(os.Stdin)
+
+	fmt.Print("Configure locally (./.tuido) or globally (~/.config/tuido.conf)? [l/g]: ")
+	choice, _ := reader.ReadString('\n')
+	isLocal := strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(choice)) != "g"
+
+	var configPath, defaultWriteto string
+	if isLocal {
+		cwd, _ := os.Getwd()
+		configPath = filepath.Join(cwd, ".tuido")
+		defaultWriteto = filepath.Join(cwd, ".tuido")
+	} else {
+		cfgDir, _ := os.UserConfigDir()
+		configPath = filepath.Join(cfgDir, "tuido.conf")
+		home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
+		defaultWriteto = filepath.Join(home, ".tuido")
+	}
+
+	fmt.Printf("Where should new items be written? [%s]: ", defaultWriteto)
+	writeto, _ := reader.ReadString('\n')
+	writeto = strings.TrimSpace(writeto)
+	if writeto == "" {
+		writeto = defaultWriteto
+	}
+
+	defaultExt := strings.Join(runConfig.extensions, ",")
+	fmt.Printf("File extensions to scan (comma-separated)? [%s]: ", defaultExt)
+	extInput, _ := reader.ReadString('\n')
+	extInput = strings.TrimSpace(extInput)
+	if extInput == "" {
+		extInput = defaultExt
+	}
+
+	if err := writeConfigFile(configPath, extInput, writeto); err != nil {
+		fmt.Printf("Error writing config to %s: %v\n", configPath, err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	fmt.Printf("Config written to %s\n", configPath)
+}
+
+// writeConfigFile writes config lines to path, preserving any non-config
+// content (todo items) that already exists below the config header.
+func writeConfigFile(path, extensions, writeto string) error {
+	var itemLines []string
+	if f, err := os.Open(path); err == nil {
+		defer f.Close()
+		scanner := bufio.NewScanner(f)
+		pastConfig := false
+		for scanner.Scan() {
+			line := scanner.Text()
+			if !pastConfig {
+				parts := strings.SplitN(line, "=", 2)
+				if len(parts) == 2 {
+					continue
+				}
+				pastConfig = true
+			}
+			itemLines = append(itemLines, line)
+		}
+	}
+
+	var sb strings.Builder
+	sb.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("extensions=%s\n", extensions))
+	sb.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("writeto=%s\n", writeto))
+	for _, line := range itemLines {
+		sb.WriteString(line + "\n")
+	}
+
+	return os.WriteFile(path, []byte(sb.String()), 0644)
+}
+
 func GetConfigExtensions() []string {
 	return runConfig.extensions
 }
diff --git a/tui/init.go b/tui/init.go
index ea8e66f..6d27776 100644
--- a/tui/init.go
+++ b/tui/init.go
@@ -8,45 +8,61 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
+// ConfigFound is true if a local or global config was loaded at startup.
+// When false, the caller should prompt the user to run `tuido init`.
+var ConfigFound bool
+
 func init() {
-	rand.Seed(time.Now().Unix()) // a fresh set of tag colors on each run. Spice of life.
+	rand.Seed(time.Now().Unix())
 
 	home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Printf("error getting user home dir: %s", err)
 	}
-	tuidoDir := filepath.Join(home, ".tuido")
-	runConfig.writeto = tuidoDir
+	runConfig.writeto = filepath.Join(home, ".tuido")
 
-	loadFromDefaultConfigLocation()
+	ConfigFound = loadConfig()
 
-	// make sure the write target exists
 	_, err = os.Open(runConfig.writeto)
 	if err != nil {
 		err = os.Mkdir(runConfig.writeto, 0777)
 		if err != nil {
-			fmt.Printf("error creating appDirectory %s': %v\n",
-				runConfig.writeto, err)
+			fmt.Printf("error creating appDirectory %s': %v\n", runConfig.writeto, err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// loadConfig loads configuration with priority: cwd .tuido > global config.
+// Returns true if any config was found.
+func loadConfig() bool {
+	cwd, err := os.Getwd()
+	if err == nil {
+		if cfg := parseConfigIfExists(filepath.Join(cwd, ".tuido")); cfg != nil && cfg.hasSettings() {
+			applyConfig(cfg)
+			return true
 		}
 	}
+	return loadFromDefaultConfigLocation()
 }
 
-func loadFromDefaultConfigLocation() {
+func loadFromDefaultConfigLocation() bool {
 	cfgDir, err := os.UserConfigDir()
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Println("error seeking configdir")
-		return
+		return false
 	}
+	cfg := parseConfigIfExists(filepath.Join(cfgDir, "tuido.conf"))
+	if cfg == nil || !cfg.hasSettings() {
+		return false
+	}
+	applyConfig(cfg)
+	return true
+}
 
-	cfgPath := filepath.Join(cfgDir, "tuido.conf")
-	cfg := parseConfigIfExists(cfgPath)
-
-	if cfg != nil {
-		if len(cfg.extensions) != 0 {
-			runConfig.extensions = cfg.extensions
-		}
-		if cfg.writeto != "" {
-			runConfig.writeto = cfg.writeto
-		}
+func applyConfig(cfg *config) {
+	if len(cfg.extensions) != 0 {
+		runConfig.extensions = cfg.extensions
+	}
+	if cfg.writeto != "" {
+		runConfig.writeto = cfg.writeto
 	}
 }
diff --git a/tui/tui.go b/tui/tui.go
index f4154cd..4ea55de 100644
--- a/tui/tui.go
+++ b/tui/tui.go
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ func Run() {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
-	adoptConfigSettings(filepath.Join(wrkdirStr, ".tuido"))
 	// [ ] read cli flags for added extensions / extension specificity
 
 	files := make(map[string]struct{})