diff --git a/bin/pwnagotchi b/bin/pwnagotchi
index 9cd77d8..3b69026 100755
--- a/bin/pwnagotchi
+++ b/bin/pwnagotchi
@@ -15,8 +15,7 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
 
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
 
-    parser.add_argument('-C', '--config', action='store', dest='config',
-                        default=os.path.join(os.path.dirname(pwnagotchi.__file__), 'defaults.yml'),
+    parser.add_argument('-C', '--config', action='store', dest='config', default='/etc/pwnagotchi/default.yml',
                         help='Main configuration file.')
     parser.add_argument('-U', '--user-config', action='store', dest='user_config', default='/etc/pwnagotchi/config.yml',
                         help='If this file exists, configuration will be merged and this will override default values.')
diff --git a/pwnagotchi/utils.py b/pwnagotchi/utils.py
index bde9fd9..4afcc69 100644
--- a/pwnagotchi/utils.py
+++ b/pwnagotchi/utils.py
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ import time
 import subprocess
 import yaml
 import json
+import shutil
+
+import pwnagotchi
 
 
 # https://stackoverflow.com/questions/823196/yaml-merge-in-python
@@ -21,6 +24,28 @@ def merge_config(user, default):
 
 
 def load_config(args):
+    default_config_path = os.path.dirname(args.config)
+    if not os.path.exists(default_config_path):
+        os.makedirs(default_config_path)
+
+    ref_defaults_file = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(pwnagotchi.__file__), 'defaults.yml')
+    ref_defaults_data = None
+
+    if not os.path.exists(args.config):
+        # logging not configured here yet
+        print("copying %s to %s ..." % (ref_defaults_file, args.config))
+        shutil.copy(ref_defaults_file, args.config)
+    else:
+        with open(ref_defaults_file) as fp:
+            ref_defaults_data = fp.read()
+
+        with open(args.config) as fp:
+            defaults_data = fp.read()
+
+        if ref_defaults_data != defaults_data:
+            print("!!! file in %s is different than release defaults, overwriting !!!" % args.config)
+            shutil.copy(ref_defaults_file, args.config)
+
     with open(args.config) as fp:
         config = yaml.safe_load(fp)