diff --git a/src/com/sheepit/client/SettingsLoader.java b/src/com/sheepit/client/SettingsLoader.java
index 0237335..d49a61a 100644
--- a/src/com/sheepit/client/SettingsLoader.java
+++ b/src/com/sheepit/client/SettingsLoader.java
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ import com.sheepit.client.hardware.gpu.GPU;
 import com.sheepit.client.hardware.gpu.GPUDevice;
 import com.sheepit.client.standalone.GuiText;
 import com.sheepit.client.standalone.GuiTextOneLine;
+import com.sheepit.client.os.OS;
+import com.sheepit.client.os.Linux;
+import com.sheepit.client.os.Mac;
 import lombok.Data;
 
 @Data
@@ -128,7 +131,7 @@ public class SettingsLoader {
 	
 	public SettingsLoader(String path_) {
 		if (path_ == null) {
-			path = getDefaultFilePath();
+			path = OS.getOS().getDefaultConfigFilePath();
 		}
 		else {
 			path = path_;
@@ -140,7 +143,7 @@ public class SettingsLoader {
 		Integer maxRenderTime_, String cacheDir_, Boolean autoSignIn_, Boolean useSysTray_, Boolean isHeadless,
 		String ui_,	String theme_, Integer priority_) {
 		if (path_ == null) {
-			path = getDefaultFilePath();
+			path = OS.getOS().getDefaultConfigFilePath();
 		}
 		else {
 			path = path_;
@@ -197,10 +200,6 @@ public class SettingsLoader {
 		return option;
 	}
 	
-	public static String getDefaultFilePath() {
-		return System.getProperty("user.home") + File.separator + ".sheepit.conf";
-	}
-	
 	public String getFilePath() {
 		return path;
 	}
diff --git a/src/com/sheepit/client/os/OS.java b/src/com/sheepit/client/os/OS.java
index 744767b..e7ebe24 100644
--- a/src/com/sheepit/client/os/OS.java
+++ b/src/com/sheepit/client/os/OS.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
  */
 package com.sheepit.client.os;
 
+import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -113,4 +114,30 @@ public abstract class OS {
 		}
 		return instance;
 	}
+
+	public String getDefaultConfigFilePath() {
+		String xdgConfigHome = System.getenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME");
+		String userHome = System.getProperty("user.home");
+		// fallback xdg config home should be ~/.config/
+		if (xdgConfigHome == null || xdgConfigHome.isEmpty()) {
+			xdgConfigHome = userHome + File.separator + ".config";
+		}
+		// add the config folder to the path 
+		xdgConfigHome += File.separator + "sheepit";
+		
+		// check if file already exists in ~/.config/sheepit/sheepit.conf
+		File file = new File(xdgConfigHome + File.separator + "sheepit.conf");
+		if (file.exists()) {
+			return file.getAbsolutePath();
+		} 
+		// if it doesn't exist, try $HOME/.sheepit.conf
+		file = new File(userHome + File.separator + ".sheepit.conf");
+		if (file.exists()) {
+			return file.getAbsolutePath();
+		}
+		// if it doesn't exist, create the file in the XDG compliant location
+		file = new File(xdgConfigHome);
+		file.mkdirs();
+		return file.getAbsolutePath() + File.separator + "sheepit.conf";
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/com/sheepit/client/os/Windows.java b/src/com/sheepit/client/os/Windows.java
index fe64f0e..fc81485 100644
--- a/src/com/sheepit/client/os/Windows.java
+++ b/src/com/sheepit/client/os/Windows.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
  */
 package com.sheepit.client.os;
 
+import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -175,4 +176,8 @@ public class Windows extends OS {
 					String.format("Windows::shutdownComputer Unable to execute the command 'shutdown /s /f /t 60...' command. Exception %s", e.getMessage()));
 		}
 	}
+
+	@Override public String getDefaultConfigFilePath() {
+		return System.getProperty("user.home") + File.separator + ".sheepit.conf";
+	}
 }