diff --git a/calendar/teachingdates/config/cli.py b/calendar/teachingdates/config/cli.py
index d31072f..86d1fa8 100644
--- a/calendar/teachingdates/config/cli.py
+++ b/calendar/teachingdates/config/cli.py
@@ -1,10 +1,45 @@
 import argparse
 import datetime
 import importlib.resources as pkg_resources
+from os import mkdir
+from pathlib import Path
+from shutil import copyfile
+
 import yaml
 
 from teachingdates import PROG
 
+CONFIG_FILENAME = "config.yml"
+CONFIG_DIR = Path.home().joinpath(".config", PROG)
+CONFIG_FILE = CONFIG_DIR.joinpath(CONFIG_FILENAME)
+
+
+def load_config(file=None):
+    """Load the configuration file.
+
+    If no file is specified, try the default configuration in
+    ~/.config. If that doesn't exist, copy the default configuration
+    from teachingdates.config.
+    """
+    cfg = None
+    if not file:
+        file = CONFIG_FILE
+        if not CONFIG_FILE.exists():
+            CONFIG_DIR.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+            configmgr = pkg_resources.path(
+                "teachingdates.config", CONFIG_FILENAME)
+            with configmgr as f:
+                copyfile(f, CONFIG_FILE)
+                print("{prog}: created new configuration file at "
+                    "'{f}'".format(prog=PROG, f=str(CONFIG_FILE)))
+    try:
+        with open(file) as f:
+            cfg = yaml.safe_load(f.read())
+    except FileNotFoundError as e:
+        print("{prog}: error: no such file '{f}'".format(prog=PROG, f=file))
+    return file, cfg
+
+
 def parse_command_line():
     """Parse command-line arguments.
 
@@ -79,19 +114,16 @@
     args.style = style_map[args.style]
 
     # Load the default config if none is explicitly specified.
-    if not args.config_file:
-        args.config_file = "default.yml"
-        args.config = yaml.safe_load(
-            pkg_resources.read_text("teachingdates.config", args.config_file))
-    else:
-        with open(args.config_file) as cfg:
-            args.config = yaml.safe_load(cfg.read())
+    args.config_file, args.config = load_config(file=args.config_file)
+    if not args.config:
+        parser.exit(2, "{prog}: error: failed to load configuration "
+            "from '{f}'\n".format(prog=PROG, f=args.config_file))
 
     if args.style == "calendar":
         # --paper is irrelevant
         if args.paper:
             print("{prog}: warning: --paper/-p is ignored for "
-                "'calendar' style\n".format(prog=PROG))
+                "'calendar' style".format(prog=PROG))
         # --teaching-period is required
         if not args.period:
             parser.exit(2, "{prog}: error: --teaching-period/-t "
@@ -102,7 +134,7 @@
         if args.paper or args.period:
             print("{prog}: warning: --paper/-p and "
                 "--teaching-period/-t are ignored for 'iso' "
-                "style\n".format(prog=PROG))
+                "style".format(prog=PROG))
 
     elif args.style == "lecture":
         # both --paper and --teaching-period are required