diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 168cc09..b6025d8 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 Mastodon.py >= 1.5.1
+pyxdg >= 0.27
diff --git a/tootgopher.py b/tootgopher.py
index 9365033..a8b00c6 100755
--- a/tootgopher.py
+++ b/tootgopher.py
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@ import json
 import os
 import tempfile
 from subprocess import call
+from xdg import BaseDirectory
 
 # load JSON config file
 def load_config() -> dict:
-    with open('config.json') as f:
+    with open(f"{BaseDirectory.xdg_config_home}/tootgopher/config.json") as f:
         config_data = json.load(f)
     return config_data