diff --git a/docs/user/configuration.rst b/docs/user/configuration.rst
index e05197d..c3b9908 100644
--- a/docs/user/configuration.rst
+++ b/docs/user/configuration.rst
@@ -15,7 +15,12 @@ Configuration files use Python syntax.  For an introduction, please
 visit the :ref:`tutorial`.
 
 Palladium uses an environment variable called ``PALLADIUM_CONFIG`` to
-look up the location of the configuration file.
+look up the location of one or more configuration files.  If
+``PALLADIUM_CONFIG`` is not set, Palladium will try to find a
+configuration file at these locations:
+
+- ``palladium-config.py``
+- ``etc/palladium-config.py``
 
 Variables
 =========
diff --git a/palladium/config.py b/palladium/config.py
index f3cb278..a5a2146 100644
--- a/palladium/config.py
+++ b/palladium/config.py
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@
   refer to the manual for more details.
 """
 
+DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE_LOCATIONS = (
+    'palladium-config.py',
+    os.path.join('etc', 'palladium-config.py'),
+    )
+
 
 class Config(dict):
     """A dictionary that represents the app's configuration.
@@ -212,7 +217,15 @@ def _get_config(**extra):
     if not _config.initialized:
         _config.update(extra)
         _config.initialized = True
+
         fnames = os.environ.get('PALLADIUM_CONFIG')
+        if fnames is None:
+            for fname in DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE_LOCATIONS:
+                if os.path.exists(fname):  # pragma: no cover
+                    fnames = fname
+                    print("Using configuration at {}".format(fname))
+                    break
+
         if fnames is not None:
             configs = []
             fnames = [fname.strip() for fname in fnames.split(',')]
diff --git a/palladium/tests/test_config.py b/palladium/tests/test_config.py
index a3ab706..02fec6b 100644
--- a/palladium/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/palladium/tests/test_config.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from contextlib import contextmanager
 from functools import reduce
 import operator
 import os
@@ -38,6 +39,14 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.cfg = get_config().copy()
 
 
+@contextmanager
+def cwd(path):
+    before = os.getcwd()
+    os.chdir(path)
+    yield
+    os.chdir(before)
+
+
 def test_config_class_keyerror():
     from palladium.config import Config
     with pytest.raises(KeyError) as e:
@@ -71,7 +80,7 @@ def get_config(self):
 
     @pytest.fixture
     def config1_fname(self, tmpdir):
-        path = tmpdir.join('config1.py')
+        path = tmpdir.join('palladium-config.py')
         path.write("""{
             'env': environ['ENV1'],
             'here': here,
@@ -100,6 +109,13 @@ def config3_fname(self, tmpdir):
     def test_extras(self, get_config):
         assert get_config(foo='bar')['foo'] == 'bar'
 
+    def test_default_config(self, get_config, config1_fname, monkeypatch):
+        here = os.path.dirname(config1_fname)
+        monkeypatch.setitem(os.environ, 'ENV1', 'one')
+        with cwd(here):
+            config = get_config()
+        assert config['here'] == here
+
     def test_variables(self, get_config, config1_fname, monkeypatch):
         monkeypatch.setitem(os.environ, 'PALLADIUM_CONFIG', config1_fname)
         monkeypatch.setitem(os.environ, 'ENV1', 'one')
diff --git a/palladium/tests/test_persistence.py b/palladium/tests/test_persistence.py
index ef18502..071ab25 100644
--- a/palladium/tests/test_persistence.py
+++ b/palladium/tests/test_persistence.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def test_read(self, File):
             patch('palladium.persistence.pickle.load') as load:
             lm.return_value = [{'version': 99}]
             lp.return_value = {'active-model': '99'}
-            exists.return_value = True
+            exists.side_effect = lambda fn: fn == '/models/model-99.pkl.gz'
             open.return_value = MagicMock()
             result = File('/models/model-{version}').read()
             open.assert_called_with('/models/model-99.pkl.gz', 'rb')
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ def test_read_with_version(self, File):
             patch('palladium.persistence.gzip.open') as gzopen,\
             patch('palladium.persistence.pickle.load') as load:
             lm.return_value = [{'version': 99}]
-            exists.return_value = True
+            exists.side_effect = lambda fn: fn == '/models/model-432.pkl.gz'
             open.return_value = MagicMock()
             result = File('/models/model-{version}').read(432)
             open.assert_called_with('/models/model-432.pkl.gz', 'rb')