diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ca06eba6b38c..22c26163e815 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -76,6 +76,12 @@ bootstrap_peers = ["<multiaddress>"]
 
 Example of a [multiaddress](https://github.com/multiformats/multiaddr): `"/ip4/54.186.82.90/tcp/1347/p2p/12D3K1oWKNF7vNFEhnvB45E9mw2B5z6t419W3ziZPLdUDVnLLKGs"`
 
+Forest will look for config files in the following order and priority:
+ * Paths passed to the command line via the `--config` flag.
+ * The environment variable `FOREST_CONFIG_PATH`, if no config was passed through command line arguments.
+ * If none of the above are found, Forest will look in the systems default configuration directory (`$XDG_CONFIG_HOME` on Linux systems).
+ * After all locations are exhausted and a config file is not found, a default configuration is assumed and used.
+
 ### Logging
 
 The Forest logger uses [Rust's log filtering options](https://doc.rust-lang.org/1.1.0/log/index.html#filtering-results) with the `RUST_LOG` environment variable.
diff --git a/forest/src/cli/mod.rs b/forest/src/cli/mod.rs
index 59adbe063716..eb70efd78244 100644
--- a/forest/src/cli/mod.rs
+++ b/forest/src/cli/mod.rs
@@ -160,10 +160,7 @@ impl CliOpts {
                 // Parse and return the configuration file
                 read_toml(&toml)?
             }
-            None => match find_default_config() {
-                Some(cfg) => cfg,
-                None => Config::default(),
-            },
+            None => find_default_config().unwrap_or_default(),
         };
         if let Some(genesis_file) = &self.genesis {
             cfg.genesis_file = Some(genesis_file.to_owned());