diff --git a/src/cli/cli.go b/src/cli/cli.go
index d1f535e76..8f00c52a5 100644
--- a/src/cli/cli.go
+++ b/src/cli/cli.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 
 	"github.com/alcionai/corso/cli/backup"
+	"github.com/alcionai/corso/cli/config"
 	"github.com/alcionai/corso/cli/repo"
 )
 
@@ -31,19 +32,8 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 func initConfig() {
-	if cfgFile != "" {
-		// Use config file from the flag.
-		viper.SetConfigFile(cfgFile)
-	} else {
-		// Find home directory.
-		home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
-		cobra.CheckErr(err)
-
-		// Search config in home directory with name ".corso" (without extension).
-		viper.AddConfigPath(home)
-		viper.SetConfigType("toml")
-		viper.SetConfigName(".corso")
-	}
+	err := config.InitConfig(cfgFile)
+	cobra.CheckErr(err)
 
 	if err := viper.ReadInConfig(); err == nil {
 		fmt.Println("Using config file:", viper.ConfigFileUsed())
diff --git a/src/cli/config/config.go b/src/cli/config/config.go
index 44bf1a38e..239344b74 100644
--- a/src/cli/config/config.go
+++ b/src/cli/config/config.go
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 package config
 
 import (
+	"os"
+	"path"
+	"strings"
+
 	"github.com/alcionai/corso/pkg/repository"
 	"github.com/alcionai/corso/pkg/storage"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -18,6 +22,40 @@ const (
 	TenantIDKey = "tenantid"
 )
 
+func InitConfig(configFilePath string) error {
+	// Configure default config file location
+	if configFilePath == "" {
+		// Find home directory.
+		home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		// Search config in home directory with name ".corso" (without extension).
+		viper.AddConfigPath(home)
+		viper.SetConfigType("toml")
+		viper.SetConfigName(".corso")
+		return nil
+	}
+	// Use a custom file location
+
+	viper.SetConfigFile(configFilePath)
+	// We also configure the path, type and filename
+	// because `viper.SafeWriteConfig` needs these set to
+	// work correctly (it does not use the configured file)
+	viper.AddConfigPath(path.Dir(configFilePath))
+
+	fileName := path.Base(configFilePath)
+	ext := path.Ext(configFilePath)
+	if len(ext) == 0 {
+		return errors.New("config file requires an extension e.g. `toml`")
+	}
+	fileName = strings.TrimSuffix(fileName, ext)
+	viper.SetConfigType(ext[1:])
+	viper.SetConfigName(fileName)
+	return nil
+}
+
 // WriteRepoConfig currently just persists corso config to the config file
 // It does not check for conflicts or existing data.
 func WriteRepoConfig(s3Config storage.S3Config, account repository.Account) error {
diff --git a/src/cli/config/config_test.go b/src/cli/config/config_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bdeb39950
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/config/config_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+package config_test
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"path"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/alcionai/corso/cli/config"
+	"github.com/alcionai/corso/pkg/repository"
+	"github.com/alcionai/corso/pkg/storage"
+	"github.com/spf13/viper"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/suite"
+)
+
+const (
+	configFileTemplate = `
+bucket = '%s'
+endpoint = 's3.amazonaws.com'
+prefix = 'test-prefix'
+provider = 'S3'
+tenantid = '%s'
+`
+)
+
+type ConfigSuite struct {
+	suite.Suite
+}
+
+func TestConfigSuite(t *testing.T) {
+	suite.Run(t, new(ConfigSuite))
+}
+
+func (suite *ConfigSuite) TestReadRepoConfigBasic() {
+	// Generate test config file
+	b := "test-bucket"
+	tID := "6f34ac30-8196-469b-bf8f-d83deadbbbba"
+	testConfigData := fmt.Sprintf(configFileTemplate, b, tID)
+	testConfigFilePath := path.Join(suite.T().TempDir(), "corso.toml")
+	err := ioutil.WriteFile(testConfigFilePath, []byte(testConfigData), 0700)
+	assert.NoError(suite.T(), err)
+
+	// Configure viper to read test config file
+	viper.SetConfigFile(testConfigFilePath)
+
+	// Read and validate config
+	s3Cfg, account, err := config.ReadRepoConfig()
+	assert.NoError(suite.T(), err)
+	assert.Equal(suite.T(), b, s3Cfg.Bucket)
+	assert.Equal(suite.T(), tID, account.TenantID)
+}
+
+func (suite *ConfigSuite) TestWriteReadConfig() {
+	// Configure viper to read test config file
+	tempDir := suite.T().TempDir()
+	testConfigFilePath := path.Join(tempDir, "corso.toml")
+	err := config.InitConfig(testConfigFilePath)
+	assert.NoError(suite.T(), err)
+
+	s3Cfg := storage.S3Config{Bucket: "bucket"}
+	account := repository.Account{TenantID: "6f34ac30-8196-469b-bf8f-d83deadbbbbd"}
+	err = config.WriteRepoConfig(s3Cfg, account)
+	assert.NoError(suite.T(), err)
+
+	readS3Cfg, readAccount, err := config.ReadRepoConfig()
+	assert.NoError(suite.T(), err)
+	assert.Equal(suite.T(), s3Cfg, readS3Cfg)
+	assert.Equal(suite.T(), account, readAccount)
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/repo/s3.go b/src/cli/repo/s3.go
index b627f65be..251ac9b13 100644
--- a/src/cli/repo/s3.go
+++ b/src/cli/repo/s3.go
@@ -120,10 +120,9 @@ func connectS3Cmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	// TODO: Merge/Validate any local configuration here to make sure there are no conflicts
 	// For now - just reading/logging the local config here (a successful repo connect will overwrite)
 	localS3Cfg, localAccount, err := config.ReadRepoConfig()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+	if err == nil {
+		fmt.Printf("ConfigFile - %s\n\tbucket:\t%s\n\ttenantID:\t%s\n", viper.ConfigFileUsed(), localS3Cfg.Bucket, localAccount.TenantID)
 	}
-	fmt.Printf("ConfigFile - %s\n\tbucket:\t%s\n\ttenantID:\t%s\n", viper.ConfigFileUsed(), localS3Cfg.Bucket, localAccount.TenantID)
 
 	a := repository.Account{
 		TenantID:     m365.TenantID,