diff --git a/src/core/commands/config.js b/src/core/commands/config.js
index 766f80b..e86f9d9 100755
--- a/src/core/commands/config.js
+++ b/src/core/commands/config.js
@@ -1,14 +1,13 @@
 import {Command} from 'commander';
-import Config from '../file-config.js';
 import Fs from '../filesystem.js';
 
-let config = new Config(process.cwd());
-
-function cfgCmd() {
+function cfgCmd(configLoader) {
     const cfgCmd = new Command('config', 'edit the configuration file in your default editor')
     .option('-l, --local', 'edit the local configuration file')
     .action((options, program) => {
 
+let config = configLoader();
+
 if (program.opts().local) {
     config.assertLocalConfig();
 }
diff --git a/src/core/config.js b/src/core/config.js
index 4cd3cb7..c53a460 100755
--- a/src/core/config.js
+++ b/src/core/config.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ const defaults = {
     token: false,
     project: false,
     from: "1970-01-01",
-    to: dayjs().format(),
+    to: dayjs().add(1, 'day').format('YYYY-MM-DD'),
     iids: false,
     closed: false,
     milestone: false,
diff --git a/src/core/file-config.js b/src/core/file-config.js
index cb58488..02969a0 100755
--- a/src/core/file-config.js
+++ b/src/core/file-config.js
@@ -2,11 +2,10 @@ import fs from 'fs';
 import path from 'path';
 import os from 'os';
 import Config from './config.js';
-import { load as yamlLoad } from 'js-yaml';
+import { load as yamlLoad, dump as yamlDump } from 'js-yaml';
 import hash from 'hash-sum';
 import Fs from './filesystem.js';
 import envPaths from 'env-paths';
-import Cli from './cli.js';
 
 const readYaml = file => yamlLoad(fs.readFileSync(file, 'utf8'));
 
@@ -18,12 +17,16 @@ class FileConfig extends Config {
     /**
      * construct
      * @param workDir
+     * @param load set to false to skip parsing the config files, e.g. when
+     *   recovering from a broken config to still resolve its paths
      */
-    constructor(workDir) {
+    constructor(workDir, recover) {
         super();
-        this.assertGlobalConfig();
+        this.assertGlobalConfig(recover);
         this.workDir = workDir;
-        this.data = Object.assign(this.data, this.localExists() ? this.parseLocal() : this.parseGlobal());
+        if(!recover) {
+            this.data = Object.assign(this.data, this.localExists() ? this.parseLocal() : this.parseGlobal());
+        }
         if (!fs.existsSync(this.frameDir)) fs.mkdirSync(this.frameDir, { recursive: true });
         this.cache = {
             delete: this._cacheDelete,
@@ -41,7 +44,8 @@ class FileConfig extends Config {
         try {
             return readYaml(this.global);
         } catch (e) {
-            Cli.error(`Error parsing configuration: "${this.global}"`, e);
+            e.message = `Error parsing configuration: "${this.global}": ${e.message}`;
+            throw e;
         }
     }
 
@@ -50,24 +54,27 @@ class FileConfig extends Config {
      * @returns {Object}
      */
     parseLocal() {
+        let local;
         try {
-            let local = Object.assign({extend: true}, readYaml(this.local));
-
-            if (local.extend === true) {
-                let global = this.parseGlobal();
-                local = Object.assign(global ? global : {}, local);
-            } else if (local.extend) {
-                try {
-                    local = Object.assign(readYaml(local.extend), local);
-                } catch (e) {
-                    Cli.error(`Error parsing configuration: "${local.extend}"`, e);
-                }
-            }
-
-            return local;
+            local = Object.assign({extend: true}, readYaml(this.local));
         } catch (e) {
-            Cli.error(`Error parsing configuration: "${this.local}"`, e);
+            e.message = `Error parsing configuration: "${this.local}": ${e.message}`;
+            throw e;
         }
+
+        if (local.extend === true) {
+            let global = this.parseGlobal();
+            local = Object.assign(global ? global : {}, local);
+        } else if (local.extend) {
+            try {
+                local = Object.assign(readYaml(local.extend), local);
+            } catch (e) {
+                e.message = `Error parsing configuration: "${local.extend}": ${e.message}`;
+                throw e;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return local;
     }
 
     localExists() {
@@ -85,7 +92,7 @@ class FileConfig extends Config {
         }
     }
 
-    assertGlobalConfig() {
+    assertGlobalConfig(recover) {
         if(!fs.existsSync(this.globalDir) && fs.existsSync(this.oldGlobalDir)) {
             fs.renameSync(this.oldGlobalDir, this.globalDir);
         }
@@ -94,7 +101,7 @@ class FileConfig extends Config {
 
         if (!fs.existsSync(this.globalDir)) fs.mkdirSync(this.globalDir, { recursive: true });
         if (!fs.existsSync(this.cacheDir)) fs.mkdirSync(this.cacheDir, { recursive: true });
-        if (!fs.existsSync(this.global)) fs.appendFileSync(this.global, '');
+        if (recover && !fs.existsSync(this.global)) fs.appendFileSync(this.global, yamlDump(this.data));
     }
 
     assertLocalConfig() {
diff --git a/src/gtt.js b/src/gtt.js
index 70805d0..cdeeab7 100755
--- a/src/gtt.js
+++ b/src/gtt.js
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import version from './version.js';
 
 import { program } from 'commander';
 
+import Config from './core/file-config.js';
+import Cli from './core/cli.js';
 import config from './core/commands/config.js';
 import start from './timekeeping/commands/start.js';
 import create from './timekeeping/commands/create.js';
@@ -19,22 +21,37 @@ import delCmd from './timekeeping/commands/delete.js';
 import archive from './timekeeping/commands/archive.js';
 import report from './reporting/commands/report.js';
 
+/**
+ * build the config, only called once a command actually runs
+ * @param recover if true, fall back to a config with unparsed data instead
+ *   of exiting when the config file fails to parse (used by the config
+ *   command itself, so it stays usable to fix a broken file)
+ * @returns {Config}
+ */
+function loadConfig(recover = false) {
+    try {
+        return new Config(process.cwd(), recover);
+    } catch (e) {
+        Cli.error(`${e.message}`);
+    }
+}
+
 program
     .version(version)
-    .addCommand(start())
-    .addCommand(create())
-    .addCommand(status())
-    .addCommand(stop())
-    .addCommand(resume())
-    .addCommand(cancel())
-    .addCommand(list())
-    .addCommand(log())
-    .addCommand(sync())
-    .addCommand(edit())
-    .addCommand(delCmd())
-    .addCommand(archive())
-    .addCommand(report())
-    .addCommand(config())
+    .addCommand(start(loadConfig))
+    .addCommand(create(loadConfig))
+    .addCommand(status(loadConfig))
+    .addCommand(stop(loadConfig))
+    .addCommand(resume(loadConfig))
+    .addCommand(cancel(loadConfig))
+    .addCommand(list(loadConfig))
+    .addCommand(log(loadConfig))
+    .addCommand(sync(loadConfig))
+    .addCommand(edit(loadConfig))
+    .addCommand(delCmd(loadConfig))
+    .addCommand(archive(loadConfig))
+    .addCommand(report(loadConfig))
+    .addCommand(config(() => loadConfig(true)))
     .parse(process.argv);
 
     
diff --git a/src/reporting/commands/report.js b/src/reporting/commands/report.js
index 624dad3..9c97dca 100755
--- a/src/reporting/commands/report.js
+++ b/src/reporting/commands/report.js
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import {Command} from 'commander';
 import dayjs from '../../core/dayjs.js';
 import Cli from '../../core/cli.js';
 import Args from '../../core/args.js';
-import Config from '../../core/file-config.js';
 import Report from '../api/report.js';
 import Owner from '../../core/owner.js';
 import ReportCollection from '../api/reportCollection.js';
@@ -28,7 +27,7 @@ function collect(val, arr) {
 }
 
 
-function report() {
+function report(configLoader) {
     const report = new Command('report', 'generate a report for the given project and issues')
     .arguments('[project] [ids...]')
     .option('-e --type <type>', 'specify the query type: project, user, group')
@@ -81,7 +80,7 @@ function report() {
     .action(async (project, ids, options, program) => {
 
 // init helpers
-let config = new Config(process.cwd());
+let config = configLoader();
 let args = new Args(program.args);
 
 // overwrite config with args and opts
diff --git a/src/timekeeping/commands/archive.js b/src/timekeeping/commands/archive.js
index 62cc0b9..e9c3ca7 100644
--- a/src/timekeeping/commands/archive.js
+++ b/src/timekeeping/commands/archive.js
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 import fs from 'fs';
 import {Command} from 'commander';
-import Config from '../../core/file-config.js';
 import Cli from '../../core/cli.js';
 import Fs from '../../core/filesystem.js';
 import Zip from '../../core/zip.js';
 import Timekeeper from '../timekeeper.js';
 
-function archive() {
+function archive(configLoader) {
     const archive = new Command('archive', 'archive synced time records into yearly zip files (filesYYYY.zip), one folder per month')
         .option('--year <year>', 'only archive the given year')
         .option('--verbose', 'show verbose output')
@@ -14,7 +13,7 @@ function archive() {
 
 Cli.verbose = program.opts().verbose;
 
-let config = new Config(process.cwd()),
+let config = configLoader(),
     timekeeper = new Timekeeper(config),
     year = program.opts().year;
 
diff --git a/src/timekeeping/commands/cancel.js b/src/timekeeping/commands/cancel.js
index 36d937f..2a467a1 100755
--- a/src/timekeeping/commands/cancel.js
+++ b/src/timekeeping/commands/cancel.js
@@ -1,18 +1,17 @@
 import {Command} from 'commander';
 import pc from 'picocolors';
 import dayjs from '../../core/dayjs.js';
-import Config from '../../core/file-config.js';
 import Cli from '../../core/cli.js';
 import Timekeeper from '../timekeeper.js';
 
-function cancel() {
+function cancel(configLoader) {
   const cancel = new Command('cancel', 'cancel and discard active monitoring time')
     .option('--verbose', 'show verbose output')
     .action((options, program) => {
 
 Cli.verbose = program.opts().verbose;
 
-let config = new Config(process.cwd());
+let config = configLoader();
 let timekeeper = new Timekeeper(config);
 
 timekeeper.cancel()
diff --git a/src/timekeeping/commands/create.js b/src/timekeeping/commands/create.js
index 685b284..13dd006 100755
--- a/src/timekeeping/commands/create.js
+++ b/src/timekeeping/commands/create.js
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 import pc from 'picocolors';
 import dayjs from '../../core/dayjs.js';
 import {Command} from 'commander';
-import Config from '../../core/file-config.js';
 import Cli from '../../core/cli.js';
 import Timekeeper from '../timekeeper.js';
 
 
-function create() {
+function create(configLoader) {
     const create = new Command('create', 'start monitoring time for the given project and create a new issue or merge request with the given title')
     .arguments('[project] [title]')
     .option('-t, --type <type>', 'specify resource type: issue, merge_request')
@@ -15,7 +14,7 @@ function create() {
 
 Cli.verbose = program.opts().verbose;
 
-let config = new Config(process.cwd()),
+let config = configLoader(),
     timekeeper = new Timekeeper(config),
     type = program.opts().type ? program.opts().type : 'issue',
     title = program.args.length === 1 ? program.args[0] : program.args[1],
diff --git a/src/timekeeping/commands/delete.js b/src/timekeeping/commands/delete.js
index df92773..1075b71 100755
--- a/src/timekeeping/commands/delete.js
+++ b/src/timekeeping/commands/delete.js
@@ -1,16 +1,15 @@
 import { Command } from 'commander';
 import Frame from '../storage/frame.js';
-import Config from '../../core/file-config.js';
 import Cli from '../../core/cli.js';
 import Fs from '../../core/filesystem.js';
 import pc from 'picocolors';
 
-function delCmd() {
+function delCmd(configLoader) {
     const delCmd = new Command('delete', 'delete time record by the given id')
         .arguments('[id]')
         .action((id, opts, program) => {
 
-            let config = new Config(process.cwd());
+            let config = configLoader();
 
             if (!id && -Infinity === (id = Fs.newest(config.frameDir).name))
                 Cli.error('No record found.');
diff --git a/src/timekeeping/commands/edit.js b/src/timekeeping/commands/edit.js
index b265eca..b4b0b55 100755
--- a/src/timekeeping/commands/edit.js
+++ b/src/timekeeping/commands/edit.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import {Command} from 'commander';
-import Config from '../../core/file-config.js';
 import Cli from '../../core/cli.js';
 import Fs from '../../core/filesystem.js';
 import Time from '../../core/time.js';
@@ -207,7 +206,7 @@ function showInteractiveMenu(frames) {
   });
 }
 
-function edit() {
+function edit(configLoader) {
   const edit = new Command('edit', 'edit time record by the given id')
     .arguments('[id]')
     .option('-f, --following <number>', 'edit also the following (by ctime) of the given [id]')
@@ -217,7 +216,7 @@ function edit() {
     .option('--this_week', 'only list entries for this week')
     .action((id, opts ,program) => {
 
-let config = new Config(process.cwd());
+let config = configLoader();
 let timeFormat = config.set('timeFormat', program.opts().time_format).get('timeFormat', 'log');
 let timekeeper = new Timekeeper(config);
 const listSize = program.opts().listsize;
diff --git a/src/timekeeping/commands/list.js b/src/timekeeping/commands/list.js
index 9963c95..5da1ac6 100755
--- a/src/timekeeping/commands/list.js
+++ b/src/timekeeping/commands/list.js
@@ -3,11 +3,10 @@ import pc from 'picocolors';
 import Table from 'cli-table';
 
 
-import Config from '../../core/file-config.js';
 import cli from '../../core/cli.js';
 import Timekeeper from '../timekeeper.js';
 
-function list() {
+function list(configLoader) {
   const list = new Command('list', 'list all open issues or merge requests')
     .arguments('[project]')
     .option('--verbose', 'show verbose output')
@@ -20,10 +19,10 @@ function list() {
     .option('--token <token>', 'API access token')
     .action((aproject, options, program) => {
 
-let config = new Config(process.cwd())
+let config = configLoader()
         .set('url', program.opts().url)
-        .set('token', program.opts().token),
-    timekeeper = new Timekeeper(config),
+        .set('token', program.opts().token);
+let timekeeper = new Timekeeper(config),
     type = program.opts().type ? program.opts().type : 'issue',
     project = program.args[0];
 
diff --git a/src/timekeeping/commands/log.js b/src/timekeeping/commands/log.js
index 4fd0d3c..e1ee396 100755
--- a/src/timekeeping/commands/log.js
+++ b/src/timekeeping/commands/log.js
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 import {Command} from 'commander';
 import pc from 'picocolors';
 import dayjs from '../../core/dayjs.js';
-import Config from '../../core/file-config.js';
 import Cli from '../../core/cli.js';
 import Time from '../../core/time.js';
 import Timekeeper from '../timekeeper.js';
 import mergeRequest from '../api/mergeRequest.js';
 
-function log() {
+function log(configLoader) {
   const log = new Command('log', 'log recorded time records')
     .option('--verbose', 'show verbose output')
     .option('--hours_per_day <hours>', 'hours per day for human readable time formats')
@@ -17,8 +16,8 @@ function log() {
 
 Cli.verbose = program.opts().verbose;
 
-let config = new Config(process.cwd()).set('hoursPerDay', program.opts().hours_per_day),
-    timekeeper = new Timekeeper(config),
+let config = configLoader().set('hoursPerDay', program.opts().hours_per_day);
+let timekeeper = new Timekeeper(config),
     timeFormat = config.set('timeFormat', program.opts().time_format).get('timeFormat', 'log');
 
 function toHumanReadable(input) {
diff --git a/src/timekeeping/commands/resume.js b/src/timekeeping/commands/resume.js
index 3e92261..885faf9 100755
--- a/src/timekeeping/commands/resume.js
+++ b/src/timekeeping/commands/resume.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import { Command } from 'commander';
 import pc from 'picocolors';
 import dayjs from '../../core/dayjs.js';
-import Config from '../../core/file-config.js';
 import Cli from '../../core/cli.js';
 import Timekeeper from '../timekeeper.js';
 import Fs from '../../core/filesystem.js';
@@ -23,7 +22,7 @@ function resumeFrame(timekeeper, frame) {
         .catch(error => Cli.error(error));
 }
 
-function resume() {
+function resume(configLoader) {
     const resume = new Command('resume', 'resume monitoring time for last stopped record')
         .arguments('[project]')
         .option('--verbose', 'show verbose output')
@@ -32,8 +31,8 @@ function resume() {
 
             Cli.verbose = program.opts().verbose;
 
-            let config = new Config(process.cwd()).set('project', project),
-                timekeeper = new Timekeeper(config);
+            let config = configLoader().set('project', project);
+            let timekeeper = new Timekeeper(config);
 
             if (!config.get('project'))
                 Cli.error('No project set');
diff --git a/src/timekeeping/commands/start.js b/src/timekeeping/commands/start.js
index 8082793..8a57b4c 100755
--- a/src/timekeeping/commands/start.js
+++ b/src/timekeeping/commands/start.js
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 import pc from 'picocolors';
 import dayjs from '../../core/dayjs.js';
 import {Command} from 'commander';
-import Config from '../../core/file-config.js';
 import Cli from '../../core/cli.js';
 import Timekeeper from '../timekeeper.js';
 
 
-function start() {
+function start(configLoader) {
     const start = new Command('start', 'start monitoring time for the given project and resource id')
     .arguments('[project] [id]')
     .option('-t, --type <type>', 'specify resource type: issue, merge_request')
@@ -18,7 +17,7 @@ function start() {
 
 Cli.verbose = program.opts().verbose;
 
-let config = new Config(process.cwd()),
+let config = configLoader(),
     timekeeper = new Timekeeper(config),
     type = program.opts().type ? program.opts().type : 'issue',
     id = program.args.length === 1 ? parseInt(program.args[0]) : parseInt(program.args[1]),
diff --git a/src/timekeeping/commands/status.js b/src/timekeeping/commands/status.js
index ac921a5..6da9a38 100755
--- a/src/timekeeping/commands/status.js
+++ b/src/timekeeping/commands/status.js
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 import {Command} from 'commander';
 import pc from 'picocolors';
 import dayjs from '../../core/dayjs.js';
-import Config from '../../core/file-config.js';
 import Cli from '../../core/cli.js';
 import Timekeeper from '../timekeeper.js';
 
 
-function status() {
+function status(configLoader) {
     const status = new Command('status', 'shows if time monitoring is running')
     .option('--verbose', 'show verbose output')
     .option('-s', 'short output')
@@ -14,8 +13,7 @@ function status() {
 
 Cli.verbose = program.opts().verbose;
 
-let config = new Config(process.cwd()),
-    timekeeper = new Timekeeper(config);
+let timekeeper = new Timekeeper(configLoader());
 
 timekeeper.status()
     .then(frames => {
diff --git a/src/timekeeping/commands/stop.js b/src/timekeeping/commands/stop.js
index f3ff72f..b7bf362 100755
--- a/src/timekeeping/commands/stop.js
+++ b/src/timekeeping/commands/stop.js
@@ -1,20 +1,18 @@
 import {Command} from 'commander';
 import pc from 'picocolors';
 import dayjs from '../../core/dayjs.js';
-import Config from '../../core/file-config.js';
 import Cli from '../../core/cli.js';
 import Timekeeper from '../timekeeper.js';
 
 
-function stop() {
+function stop(configLoader) {
     const stop = new Command('stop', 'stop monitoring time')
     .option('--verbose', 'show verbose output')
     .action((options, program) => {
 
 Cli.verbose = program.opts().verbose;
 
-let config = new Config(process.cwd()),
-    timekeeper = new Timekeeper(config);
+let timekeeper = new Timekeeper(configLoader());
 
 timekeeper.stop()
     .then(frames => {
diff --git a/src/timekeeping/commands/sync.js b/src/timekeeping/commands/sync.js
index 2415549..67b38c3 100755
--- a/src/timekeeping/commands/sync.js
+++ b/src/timekeeping/commands/sync.js
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 import {Command} from 'commander';
-import Config from '../../core/file-config.js';
 import Cli from '../../core/cli.js';
 import Timekeeper from '../timekeeper.js';
 import Owner from '../../core/owner.js';
 
-function sync() {
+function sync(configLoader) {
     const sync = new Command('sync', 'sync local time records to GitLab')
     .option('--url <url>', 'URL to GitLabs API')
     .option('--token <token>', 'API access token')
@@ -13,10 +12,10 @@ function sync() {
 
 Cli.verbose = program.opts().verbose;
 
-let config = new Config(process.cwd())
+let config = configLoader()
         .set('url', program.opts().url)
-        .set('token', program.opts().token),
-timekeeper = new Timekeeper(config),
+        .set('token', program.opts().token);
+let timekeeper = new Timekeeper(config),
 owner = new Owner(config);
 
 timekeeper.syncInit()