diff --git a/include/utils/file.hpp b/include/utils/file.hpp
index 439c41ee..2fc37355 100644
--- a/include/utils/file.hpp
+++ b/include/utils/file.hpp
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ namespace file_util {
   bool is_fifo(const string& filename);
   vector<string> glob(string pattern);
   const string expand(const string& path);
+  string get_config_path();
 
   template <typename... Args>
   decltype(auto) make_file_descriptor(Args&&... args) {
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index f0048310..c3f1d441 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -106,11 +106,10 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 
     if (cli->has("config")) {
       confpath = cli->get("config");
-    } else if (env_util::has("XDG_CONFIG_HOME")) {
-      confpath = env_util::get("XDG_CONFIG_HOME") + "/polybar/config";
-    } else if (env_util::has("HOME")) {
-      confpath = env_util::get("HOME") + "/.config/polybar/config";
     } else {
+      confpath = file_util::get_config_path();
+    }
+    if (confpath.empty()) {
       throw application_error("Define configuration using --config=PATH");
     }
 
diff --git a/src/utils/file.cpp b/src/utils/file.cpp
index 56f6b552..97fc27d5 100644
--- a/src/utils/file.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/file.cpp
@@ -274,6 +274,26 @@ namespace file_util {
     }
     return ret;
   }
+
+  /*
+   * Search for polybar config and returns the path if found
+   */
+  string get_config_path() {
+    string confpath;
+    if (env_util::has("XDG_CONFIG_HOME")) {
+      confpath = env_util::get("XDG_CONFIG_HOME") + "/polybar/config";
+      if (exists(confpath)) {
+        return confpath;
+      }
+    }
+    if (env_util::has("HOME")) {
+      confpath = env_util::get("HOME") + "/.config/polybar/config";
+      if (exists(confpath)) {
+        return confpath;
+      }
+    }
+    return "";
+  }
 }  // namespace file_util
 
 POLYBAR_NS_END