diff --git a/cmd/yamlfmt/config.go b/cmd/yamlfmt/config.go
index 07b722f..4ba279a 100644
--- a/cmd/yamlfmt/config.go
+++ b/cmd/yamlfmt/config.go
@@ -17,10 +17,13 @@ import (
 	"github.com/mitchellh/mapstructure"
 )
 
-const (
-	configFileName string = ".yamlfmt"
-	configHomeDir  string = "yamlfmt"
-)
+var configFileNames = collections.Set[string]{
+	".yamlfmt":     {},
+	"yamlfmt.yml":  {},
+	"yamlfmt.yaml": {},
+}
+
+const configHomeDir string = "yamlfmt"
 
 var (
 	errNoConfFlag       = errors.New("config path not specified in --conf")
@@ -80,17 +83,17 @@ func getConfigPath() (string, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Second priority: in the working directory
-	configPath, err = getConfigPathFromWd()
-	// In this scenario, no error constitutes a failure state,
-	// so we continue to the next fallback.
+	configPath, err = getConfigPathFromDirTree()
+	// In this scenario, no errors are considered a failure state,
+	// so we continue to the next fallback if there are no errors.
 	if err == nil {
 		return configPath, nil
 	}
 
 	// Third priority: in home config directory
 	configPath, err = getConfigPathFromConfigHome()
-	// In this scenario, no error constitutes a failure state,
-	// so we continue to the next fallback.
+	// In this scenario, no errors are considered a failure state,
+	// so we continue to the next fallback if there are no errors.
 	if err == nil {
 		return configPath, nil
 	}
@@ -101,20 +104,49 @@ func getConfigPath() (string, error) {
 }
 
 func getConfigPathFromFlag() (string, error) {
+	// If there is a path specified in the conf flag, that takes precedence
 	configPath := *flagConf
 	if configPath == "" {
 		return configPath, errNoConfFlag
 	}
-	return configPath, validatePath(configPath)
+	// Then we check if we want the global config
+	if *flagGlobalConf {
+		return getConfigPathFromXdgConfigHome()
+	}
+
+	return "", validatePath(configPath)
 }
 
-func getConfigPathFromWd() (string, error) {
+// This function searches up the directory tree until it finds
+// a config file.
+func getConfigPathFromDirTree() (string, error) {
 	wd, err := os.Getwd()
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
-	configPath := filepath.Join(wd, configFileName)
-	return configPath, validatePath(configPath)
+	absPath, err := filepath.Abs(wd)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	dir := absPath
+	for dir != filepath.Dir(dir) {
+		configPath, err := getConfigPathFromDir(dir)
+		if err == nil {
+			return configPath, nil
+		}
+		dir = filepath.Dir(dir)
+	}
+	return "", errConfPathNotExist
+}
+
+func getConfigPathFromDir(dir string) (string, error) {
+	for filename := range configFileNames {
+		configPath := filepath.Join(dir, filename)
+		if err := validatePath(configPath); err == nil {
+			return configPath, nil
+		}
+	}
+	return "", errConfPathNotExist
 }
 
 func getConfigPathFromConfigHome() (string, error) {
@@ -137,8 +169,8 @@ func getConfigPathFromXdgConfigHome() (string, error) {
 		}
 		configHome = filepath.Join(home, ".config")
 	}
-	homeConfigPath := filepath.Join(configHome, configHomeDir, configFileName)
-	return homeConfigPath, validatePath(homeConfigPath)
+	homeConfigPath := filepath.Join(configHome, configHomeDir)
+	return getConfigPathFromDir(homeConfigPath)
 }
 
 func getConfigPathFromAppDataLocal() (string, error) {
@@ -148,8 +180,8 @@ func getConfigPathFromAppDataLocal() (string, error) {
 		// so this should only happen to sickos with broken setups.
 		return "", errNoConfigHome
 	}
-	homeConfigPath := filepath.Join(configHome, configHomeDir, configFileName)
-	return homeConfigPath, validatePath(homeConfigPath)
+	homeConfigPath := filepath.Join(configHome, configHomeDir)
+	return getConfigPathFromDir(homeConfigPath)
 }
 
 func validatePath(path string) error {
diff --git a/cmd/yamlfmt/flags.go b/cmd/yamlfmt/flags.go
index cb7aac6..dda3647 100644
--- a/cmd/yamlfmt/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/yamlfmt/flags.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
+	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/google/yamlfmt/command"
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ operation without performing it.`)
 	flagIn              *bool   = flag.Bool("in", false, "Format yaml read from stdin and output to stdout")
 	flagVersion         *bool   = flag.Bool("version", false, "Print yamlfmt version")
 	flagConf            *string = flag.String("conf", "", "Read yamlfmt config from this path")
+	flagGlobalConf      *bool   = flag.Bool("global_conf", false, globalConfFlagMessage())
 	flagDoublestar      *bool   = flag.Bool("dstar", false, "Use doublestar globs for include and exclude")
 	flagQuiet           *bool   = flag.Bool("quiet", false, "Print minimal output to stdout")
 	flagContinueOnError *bool   = flag.Bool("continue_on_error", false, "Continue to format files that didn't fail instead of exiting with code 1.")
@@ -67,12 +69,12 @@ func configureHelp() {
 	Arguments:
 
 	Glob paths to yaml files
-			Send any number of paths to yaml files specified in doublestar glob format (see: https://github.com/bmatcuk/doublestar). 
+			Send any number of paths to yaml files specified in doublestar glob format (see: https://github.com/bmatcuk/doublestar).
 			Any flags must be specified before the paths.
 
 	- or /dev/stdin
 			Passing in a single - or /dev/stdin will read the yaml from stdin and output the formatted result to stdout
-		
+
 	Flags:`)
 		flag.PrintDefaults()
 	}
@@ -98,3 +100,11 @@ func isStdinArg() bool {
 	arg := flag.Args()[0]
 	return arg == "-" || arg == "/dev/stdin"
 }
+
+func globalConfFlagMessage() string {
+	varName := "XDG_CONFIG_HOME"
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		varName = "LOCALAPPDATA"
+	}
+	return fmt.Sprintf("Use global yamlfmt config from %s", varName)
+}
diff --git a/cmd/yamlfmt/main.go b/cmd/yamlfmt/main.go
index e2ba177..877049b 100644
--- a/cmd/yamlfmt/main.go
+++ b/cmd/yamlfmt/main.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/google/yamlfmt/formatters/basic"
 )
 
-var version string = "0.10.0"
+var version string = "0.11.0"
 
 func main() {
 	if err := run(); err != nil {
diff --git a/docs/command-usage.md b/docs/command-usage.md
index 9611e9d..f6c3354 100644
--- a/docs/command-usage.md
+++ b/docs/command-usage.md
@@ -77,9 +77,10 @@ The string array flags can be a bit confusing. See the [String Array Flags](#str
 | Name             | Flag          | Type     | Example                                                   | Description |
 |:-----------------|:--------------|:---------|:----------------------------------------------------------|:------------|
 | Config File Path | `-conf`       | string   | `yamlfmt -conf ./config/.yamlfmt`                         | Specify a path to read a [configuration file](./config-file.md) from. |
+| Global Config    | `-global_conf`| bool     | `yamlfmt -global_conf ./config/.yamlfmt`                  | Force yamlfmt to use the configuration file from the system config directory. |
 | Doublstar        | `-dstar`      | boolean  | `yamlfmt -dstar "**/*.yaml"`                              | Enable [Doublstar](./paths.md#doublestar) path collection mode. |
 | Exclude          | `-exclude`    | []string | `yamlfmt -exclude ./not/,these_paths.yaml`                | Patterns to exclude from path collection. These add to exclude patterns specified in the [config file](./config-file.md) |
-| Extensions       | `-extensions` | []string | `yamlfmt -extensions yaml,yml`                            | Extensions to use in standard path collection. Has no effect in Doublestar mode. These add to extensions specified in the [config file](./config-file.md) 
+| Extensions       | `-extensions` | []string | `yamlfmt -extensions yaml,yml`                            | Extensions to use in standard path collection. Has no effect in Doublestar mode. These add to extensions specified in the [config file](./config-file.md)
 | Formatter Config | `-formatter`  | []string | `yamlfmt -formatter indent=2,include_document_start=true` | Provide configuration values for the formatter. See [Formatter Configuration Options](./config-file.md#basic-formatter) for options. Each field is specified as `configkey=value`. |
 
 #### String Array Flags
diff --git a/docs/config-file.md b/docs/config-file.md
index c5acd77..ed0f704 100644
--- a/docs/config-file.md
+++ b/docs/config-file.md
@@ -1,15 +1,22 @@
-# Configuration With .yamlfmt
+# Configuration File
 
 ## Config File Discovery
 
-The config file is discovered in the following priority order:
+The config file is a file named `.yamlfmt`, `yamlfmt.yaml`, or `yamlfmt.yml` that contains a valid yamlfmt configuration. The config file is discovered in the following priority order:
 
-1. Specified in the `--conf` flag (if this is an invalid path or doesn't exist, the tool will fail)
-2. A `.yamlfmt` file in the current working directory
-3. A `yamlfmt` folder with a `.yamlfmt` file in the system config directory (`$XDG_CONFIG_HOME`, `$HOME/.config`, `%LOCALAPPDATA%`) e.g. `$HOME/.config/yamlfmt/.yamlfmt`
+1. Specified in the `-conf` flag (if this is an invalid path or doesn't exist, the tool will fail)
+1. A config file in the current working directory
+1. The first config file found up the tree step by step from the current working directory
+1. A `yamlfmt` folder with a config file in the system config directory (`$XDG_CONFIG_HOME`, `$HOME/.config`, `%LOCALAPPDATA%`) e.g. `$HOME/.config/yamlfmt/.yamlfmt`
 
 If none of these are found, the tool's default configuration will be used.
 
+### Config File Discovery Caveats
+
+If the flag `-global_conf` is passed, all other steps will be circumvented and the config file will be discovered from the system config directory. See [the command line flag docs](./command-usage.md#configuration-flags).
+
+In the `-conf` flag, the config file will be named anything. As long as it's valid yaml, yamlfmt will read it as a config file. This can be useful for applying unique configs to different directories in a project. The automatic discovery paths do need to use one of the known names.
+
 ## Command
 
 The command package defines the main command engine that `cmd/yamlfmt` uses. It uses the top level configuration that any run of the yamlfmt command will use.