diff --git a/commands/commandeer.go b/commands/commandeer.go
index 08f959579b0..7b0c416522e 100644
--- a/commands/commandeer.go
+++ b/commands/commandeer.go
@@ -108,9 +108,6 @@ type rootCommand struct {
 	buildWatch  bool
 	environment string
 
-	// File format to read or write (TOML, YAML, JSON).
-	format string
-
 	// Common build flags.
 	baseURL              string
 	gc                   bool
@@ -408,12 +405,6 @@ func (r *rootCommand) PreRun(cd, runner *simplecobra.Commandeer) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	switch r.format {
-	case "json", "toml", "yaml":
-		// OK
-	default:
-		return fmt.Errorf("unsupported format %q; must be one of json, toml or yaml", r.format)
-	}
 
 	loggers.PanicOnWarning.Store(r.panicOnWarning)
 	r.commonConfigs = lazycache.New[int32, *commonConfig](lazycache.Options{MaxEntries: 5})
@@ -485,7 +476,6 @@ Complete documentation is available at https://gohugo.io/.`
 
 	// Configure persistent flags
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&r.source, "source", "s", "", "filesystem path to read files relative from")
-	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&r.format, "format", "toml", "preferred file format (toml, yaml or json)")
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().SetAnnotation("source", cobra.BashCompSubdirsInDir, []string{})
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringP("destination", "d", "", "filesystem path to write files to")
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().SetAnnotation("destination", cobra.BashCompSubdirsInDir, []string{})
diff --git a/commands/config.go b/commands/config.go
index ce3ad04fa74..5cbcdff2ae0 100644
--- a/commands/config.go
+++ b/commands/config.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -40,6 +41,8 @@ func newConfigCommand() *configCommand {
 type configCommand struct {
 	r *rootCommand
 
+	format string
+
 	commands []simplecobra.Commander
 }
 
@@ -67,7 +70,7 @@ func (c *configCommand) Run(ctx context.Context, cd *simplecobra.Commandeer, arg
 		return err
 	}
 
-	format := strings.ToLower(c.r.format)
+	format := strings.ToLower(c.format)
 
 	switch format {
 	case "json":
@@ -83,6 +86,8 @@ func (c *configCommand) Run(ctx context.Context, cd *simplecobra.Commandeer, arg
 			return parser.InterfaceToConfig(m, metadecoders.YAML, os.Stdout)
 		case "toml":
 			return parser.InterfaceToConfig(m, metadecoders.TOML, os.Stdout)
+		default:
+			return fmt.Errorf("unsupported format: %q", format)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -93,6 +98,8 @@ func (c *configCommand) Init(cd *simplecobra.Commandeer) error {
 	cmd := cd.CobraCommand
 	cmd.Short = "Print the site configuration"
 	cmd.Long = `Print the site configuration, both default and custom settings.`
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&c.format, "format", "toml", "preferred file format (toml, yaml or json)")
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/commands/new.go b/commands/new.go
index 8a2b0229348..d021be0274a 100644
--- a/commands/new.go
+++ b/commands/new.go
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ func newNewCommand() *newCommand {
 	var (
 		force       bool
 		contentType string
+		format      string
 	)
 
 	var c *newCommand
@@ -67,6 +68,8 @@ func newNewCommand() *newCommand {
 					cmd.Flags().StringVarP(&contentType, "kind", "k", "", "content type to create")
 					cmd.Flags().String("editor", "", "edit new content with this editor, if provided")
 					cmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&force, "force", "f", false, "overwrite file if it already exists")
+					cmd.Flags().StringVar(&format, "format", "toml", "preferred file format (toml, yaml or json)")
+
 				},
 			},
 			&simpleCommand{
@@ -118,7 +121,7 @@ Use ` + "`hugo new [contentPath]`" + ` to create new content.`,
 							return errors.New(createpath + " already exists and is not empty. See --force.")
 
 						case !isEmpty && force:
-							all := append(dirs, filepath.Join(createpath, "hugo."+r.format))
+							all := append(dirs, filepath.Join(createpath, "hugo."+format))
 							for _, path := range all {
 								if exists, _ := helpers.Exists(path, sourceFs); exists {
 									return errors.New(path + " already exists")
@@ -133,7 +136,7 @@ Use ` + "`hugo new [contentPath]`" + ` to create new content.`,
 						}
 					}
 
-					c.newSiteCreateConfig(sourceFs, createpath, r.format)
+					c.newSiteCreateConfig(sourceFs, createpath, format)
 
 					// Create a default archetype file.
 					helpers.SafeWriteToDisk(filepath.Join(archeTypePath, "default.md"),