diff --git a/cmd/interactsh-client/main.go b/cmd/interactsh-client/main.go
index 8a749c43..b116092c 100644
--- a/cmd/interactsh-client/main.go
+++ b/cmd/interactsh-client/main.go
@@ -86,6 +86,19 @@ func main() {
 		flagSet.BoolVarP(&healthcheck, "hc", "health-check", false, "run diagnostic check up"),
 	)
 
+	// If a custom config path is provided via -config, tell goflags before
+	// Parse() so it doesn't try to create/read the default config location.
+	for i := 1; i < len(os.Args); i++ {
+		if (os.Args[i] == "-config" || os.Args[i] == "--config") && i+1 < len(os.Args) {
+			flagSet.SetConfigFilePath(os.Args[i+1])
+			break
+		}
+		if strings.HasPrefix(os.Args[i], "-config=") || strings.HasPrefix(os.Args[i], "--config=") {
+			flagSet.SetConfigFilePath(strings.SplitN(os.Args[i], "=", 2)[1])
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
 	if err := flagSet.Parse(); err != nil {
 		gologger.Fatal().Msgf("Could not parse options: %s\n", err)
 	}
@@ -133,12 +146,6 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if fileutil.FileExists(cliOptions.Config) {
-		if err := flagSet.MergeConfigFile(cliOptions.Config); err != nil {
-			gologger.Fatal().Msgf("Could not read config: %s\n", err)
-		}
-	}
-
 	var outputFile *os.File
 	var err error
 	if cliOptions.Output != "" {
diff --git a/cmd/interactsh-server/main.go b/cmd/interactsh-server/main.go
index e7344f55..a4412cbb 100644
--- a/cmd/interactsh-server/main.go
+++ b/cmd/interactsh-server/main.go
@@ -110,6 +110,19 @@ func main() {
 		flagSet.BoolVarP(&cliOptions.Verbose, "verbose", "v", false, "display verbose interaction"),
 	)
 
+	// If a custom config path is provided via -config, tell goflags before
+	// Parse() so it doesn't try to create/read the default config location.
+	for i := 1; i < len(os.Args); i++ {
+		if (os.Args[i] == "-config" || os.Args[i] == "--config") && i+1 < len(os.Args) {
+			flagSet.SetConfigFilePath(os.Args[i+1])
+			break
+		}
+		if strings.HasPrefix(os.Args[i], "-config=") || strings.HasPrefix(os.Args[i], "--config=") {
+			flagSet.SetConfigFilePath(strings.SplitN(os.Args[i], "=", 2)[1])
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
 	if err := flagSet.Parse(); err != nil {
 		gologger.Fatal().Msgf("Could not parse options: %s\n", err)
 	}
@@ -136,12 +149,6 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if cliOptions.Config != defaultConfigLocation {
-		if err := flagSet.MergeConfigFile(cliOptions.Config); err != nil {
-			gologger.Fatal().Msgf("Could not read config: %s\n", err)
-		}
-	}
-
 	if len(cliOptions.Domains) == 0 {
 		gologger.Fatal().Msgf("No domains specified\n")
 	}