diff --git a/config-parser/config-parser-common/src/common.rs b/config-parser/config-parser-common/src/common.rs
index 9f263d5..db2ad93 100644
--- a/config-parser/config-parser-common/src/common.rs
+++ b/config-parser/config-parser-common/src/common.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #![allow(dead_code)]
 
-use std::{collections::HashMap, ops::IndexMut};
+use std::collections::HashMap;
 
 /// Holds config, value is either a `String` or a nested `ConfigMap`
 pub type ConfigMap = HashMap<String, ConfigElement>;
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ pub enum ConfigElement {
     Nested(ConfigMap),
 }
 
+/// parse toml'ish file into a structure (`ConfigMap`)
+/// as an intermediate step to parsing the configuration
 pub fn parse_config_file(input: &String) -> (ConfigMap, Vec<String>) {
     let mut config = ConfigMap::new();
     let mut pointer: &mut ConfigMap = &mut config;
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index fbbb296..77fdffb 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -129,9 +129,7 @@ impl Config {
         let mut config_file = match config_dir() {
             Some(value) => value,
             None => {
-                return Err(Error::other(
-                    "-- failed to retrieve configuration directory",
-                ))
+                return Err(Error::other("-- failed to retrieve configuration directory"))
             }
         };
         // expand path to configuration file and default configuration file
@@ -143,7 +141,7 @@ impl Config {
         if !default_file.is_file() {
             let mut default_string = Self::DEFAULT_FILE_HEADER.to_string();
             default_string.push_str(&config.to_string());
-            _ = fs::write(default_file, default_string);
+            _ = fs::write(&default_file, default_string);
         }
 
         // parse configuration file and populate config struct
@@ -154,6 +152,13 @@ impl Config {
                 Err(error) => return Err(error),
             };
             _ = config.parse_from_string(&config_str);
+        } else {
+            let default_config = match fs::read_to_string(&default_file) {
+                Ok(value) => value,
+                Err(error) => return Err(error),
+            };
+            _ = fs::write(&config_file, &default_config);
+            _ = config.parse_from_string(&default_config);
         }
 
         if styles_as_ansi_sequences {
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index dc83c5d..513f33b 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
         Err(error) => {
             // config object is not ready at this point so the style
             // has to be created by hand
-            print!("echo -e '{}{}{}' && false", generate_style_sequence(None, Some(COLORS.fg.red), None), error, RESET_SEQ);
+            output.push_error(&error.to_string());
+            output.print_output(None);
             return Ok(())
         }
     };
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
                     output.push_error(&error.to_string());
                 },
             }
-            output.print_output(&config);
+            output.print_output(Some(&config));
             return Ok(());
         }
     };
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
         Ok(value) => value,
         Err(error) => {
             output.push_error(&error.to_string());
-            output.print_output(&config);
+            output.print_output(Some(&config));
             return Ok(());
         }
     };
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
     }
 
     // print output and command
-    output.print_output(&config);
+    output.print_output(Some(&config));
 
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/src/output.rs b/src/output.rs
index ea078b9..98d72c1 100644
--- a/src/output.rs
+++ b/src/output.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #![allow(unused)]
 
+use clap::builder::EnumValueParser;
+
 use super::config::*;
 
 use std::backtrace::Backtrace;
@@ -56,7 +58,13 @@ impl Output {
 
     /// format and print styled output
     /// NOTE - this will execute any commands held by `command`
-    pub fn print_output(&self, config: &Config) {
+    pub fn print_output(&self, config: Option<&Config>) {
+        let default = Config::default();
+        let config = if let Some(value) = config {
+            value
+        } else {
+            &default
+        };
         let mut info: String = self.info.iter().map(|entry| format!("echo '{}'", entry)).collect::<Vec<String>>().join(" && ");
         let mut warning: String = self.warning.iter().map(|entry| format!("echo '{}'", entry)).collect::<Vec<String>>().join(" && ");
         let mut error: String = self.error.iter().map(|entry| format!("echo '{}'", entry)).collect::<Vec<String>>().join(" && ");