diff --git a/default-config.js b/default-config.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0ef710bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/default-config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+module.exports = {
+  config: {
+    // default font size for all tabs
+    fontSize: '12px',
+
+    // font family with optional fallbacks
+    fontFamily: 'Menlo, "DejaVu Sans Mono", "Lucida Console", monospace',
+
+    // terminal cursor background color
+    cursorColor: '#F81CE5',
+
+    // terminal background color
+    backgroundColor: '#000',
+
+    // some color overrides. see http://bit.ly/29k1iU2 for
+    // the full list
+    colors: [
+      '#000000',
+      '#ff0000',
+      '#33ff00',
+      '#ffff00',
+      '#0066ff',
+      '#cc00ff',
+      '#00ffff',
+      '#d0d0d0',
+      '#808080',
+      '#ff0000',
+      '#33ff00',
+      '#ffff00',
+      '#0066ff',
+      '#cc00ff',
+      '#00ffff',
+      '#ffffff'
+    ]
+  },
+
+  plugins: []
+};
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index e5346434..2c60f306 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const genUid = require('uid2');
 const { resolve } = require('path');
 const isDev = require('electron-is-dev');
 const AutoUpdater = require('./auto-updater');
+const initConfig = require('./init-config');
 
 if (isDev) {
   console.log('running in dev mode');
@@ -30,6 +31,8 @@ app.on('window-all-closed', () => {
   // terminal is closed
 });
 
+const configFile = initConfig();
+
 let winCount = 0;
 
 app.on('ready', () => {
diff --git a/init-config.js b/init-config.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e7cd1309
--- /dev/null
+++ b/init-config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+const { homedir } = require('os');
+const { resolve } = require('path');
+const { statSync, readFileSync, writeFileSync } = require('fs');
+
+module.exports = function initConfig () {
+  const file = resolve(homedir(), '.hyperterm.js');
+
+  try {
+    statSync(file);
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.log('stat error', file, err.message);
+    const defaultConfig = readFileSync(resolve(__dirname, 'default-config.js'));
+    try {
+      console.log('attempting to write default config to', file);
+      writeFileSync(file, defaultConfig);
+    } catch (err) {
+      throw new Error(`Failed to write config to ${file}`);
+    }
+  }
+
+  return file;
+};