diff --git a/app.js b/app.js
index 8ad89c8ade..665944644b 100644
--- a/app.js
+++ b/app.js
@@ -82,8 +82,7 @@ if (!nconf.get('help') && !nconf.get('setup') && !nconf.get('install') && !nconf
 	displayHelp();
 };
 
-
-function start() {
+function loadConfig() {
 	nconf.file({
 		file: configFile
 	});
@@ -92,13 +91,18 @@ function start() {
 		themes_path: path.join(__dirname, 'node_modules')
 	});
 
+	// Ensure themes_path is a full filepath
+	nconf.set('themes_path', path.resolve(__dirname, nconf.get('themes_path')));
+}
+
+
+function start() {
+	loadConfig();
+
 	nconf.set('url', nconf.get('base_url') + (nconf.get('use_port') ? ':' + nconf.get('port') : '') + nconf.get('relative_path'));
 	nconf.set('upload_url', path.join(path.sep, nconf.get('relative_path'), 'uploads', path.sep));
 	nconf.set('base_dir', __dirname);
 
-	// Ensure themes_path is a full filepath
-	nconf.set('themes_path', path.resolve(__dirname, nconf.get('themes_path')));
-
 	winston.info('Time: ' + new Date());
 	winston.info('Initializing NodeBB v' + pkg.version);
 	winston.info('* using configuration stored in: ' + configFile);
@@ -157,16 +161,14 @@ function start() {
 }
 
 function setup() {
+	loadConfig();
+
 	if (nconf.get('setup')) {
 		winston.info('NodeBB Setup Triggered via Command Line');
 	} else {
 		winston.warn('Configuration not found, starting NodeBB setup');
 	}
 
-	nconf.file({
-		file: __dirname + '/config.json'
-	});
-
 	var install = require('./src/install');
 
 	winston.info('Welcome to NodeBB!');
@@ -185,9 +187,7 @@ function setup() {
 }
 
 function upgrade() {
-	nconf.file({
-		file: __dirname + '/config.json'
-	});
+	loadConfig();
 
 	var meta = require('./src/meta');
 
@@ -199,9 +199,7 @@ function upgrade() {
 }
 
 function reset() {
-	nconf.file({
-		file: __dirname + '/config.json'
-	});
+	loadConfig();
 
 	var meta = require('./src/meta'),
 		db = require('./src/database'),