diff --git a/.vcmrc b/.vcmrc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..21f1456
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.vcmrc
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+{
+  "helpMessage": "\nPlease fix your commit message (and consider using http://npm.im/commitizen)\n",
+  "types": [
+    "feat",
+    "fix",
+    "docs",
+    "style",
+    "refactor",
+    "perf",
+    "test",
+    "chore",
+    "revert",
+    "custom"
+  ],
+  "warnOnFail": false,
+  "autoFix": false
+}
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f445ecc..ca0688f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -29,7 +29,21 @@ Validates that your commit message follows this format:
 
 ### options
 
-You can specify options in `package.json`
+You can specify options in `.vcmrc`
+
+```js
+{
+  "types": ["feat", "fix", "docs", "style", "refactor", "perf", "test", "chore", "revert"], // default
+  "warnOnFail": false, // default
+  "maxSubjectLength": 100, // default
+  "subjectPattern": ".+", // default
+  "subjectPatternErrorMsg": "subject does not match subject pattern!", // default
+  "helpMessage": "", // default
+  "autoFix": false // default
+}
+```
+
+or in `package.json`
 
 ```javascript
 {
@@ -47,6 +61,8 @@ You can specify options in `package.json`
 }
 ```
 
+`.vcmrc` has precedence, if it does not exist, then `package.json` will be used.
+
 #### types
 
 These are the types that are allowed for your commit message. If omitted, the value is what is shown above.
diff --git a/lib/config.js b/lib/config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5361804
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+'use strict';
+
+var findup = require('findup');
+var fs = require('fs');
+var resolve = require('path').resolve;
+
+function getConfigObject(filename) {
+  try {
+    var rcFile = findup.sync(process.cwd(), filename);
+    return JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(resolve(rcFile, filename)));
+  } catch (e) {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+function getRcConfig() {
+  return getConfigObject('.vcmrc');
+}
+
+function getPackageConfig() {
+  var configObject = getConfigObject('package.json');
+  return configObject && configObject.config && configObject.config['validate-commit-msg'];
+}
+
+function getConfig() {
+  return getRcConfig() || getPackageConfig() || {};
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  getConfig: getConfig,
+  getRcConfig: getRcConfig,
+  getPackageConfig: getPackageConfig,
+  getConfigObject: getConfigObject
+};
diff --git a/lib/getConfig.js b/lib/getConfig.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 709ee16..0000000
--- a/lib/getConfig.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-'use strict';
-
-var findup = require('findup');
-var fs = require('fs');
-var resolve = require('path').resolve;
-
-module.exports = function getConfig() {
-  var pkgFile = findup.sync(process.cwd(), 'package.json');
-  var pkg = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(resolve(pkgFile, 'package.json')));
-  return pkg && pkg.config && pkg.config['validate-commit-msg'] || {};
-};
diff --git a/lib/validateMessage.js b/lib/validateMessage.js
index 49e5e2d..ae28f5c 100644
--- a/lib/validateMessage.js
+++ b/lib/validateMessage.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 var util = require('util');
 var semverRegex = require('semver-regex');
-var getConfig = require('./getConfig');
+var getConfig = require('./config').getConfig;
 
 var config = getConfig();
 var MAX_LENGTH = config.maxSubjectLength || 100;
diff --git a/test/config.test.js b/test/config.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7be8e99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/config.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+'use strict';
+
+var config = require('../lib/config');
+var expect = require('chai').expect;
+var sinon = require('sinon');
+var fs = require('fs');
+
+function testConfigObject(configObject) {
+  expect(configObject.helpMessage).to.contain('fix your commit');
+}
+
+describe('config', function() {
+  before(function() {
+    sinon.stub(fs, 'readFileSync', function() {
+      return JSON.stringify({
+        config: {
+          'validate-commit-msg': {
+            helpMessage: 'fix your commit'
+          }
+        }
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('getPackageConfig', function() {
+    it('returns the validate-commit-msg config object if it exists', function() {
+      var configObject = config.getPackageConfig();
+      testConfigObject(configObject);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('getRcConfig', function() {
+    it('returns the config object if it exists', function() {
+      fs.readFileSync.restore();
+      sinon.stub(fs, 'readFileSync', function() {
+        return JSON.stringify({
+          helpMessage: 'fix your commit'
+        });
+      });
+      var configObject = config.getRcConfig();
+      testConfigObject(configObject);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('getConfig', function() {
+    it('returns .vcmrc config by default', function() {
+      var configObject = config.getConfig();
+      testConfigObject(configObject);
+    });
+
+    it('spec name', function() {
+      sinon.stub(config, 'getRcConfig', function() {
+        throw null;
+      });
+      var configObject = config.getConfig();
+      testConfigObject(configObject);
+      config.getRcConfig.restore();
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('getConfigObject', function() {
+    it('returns config object given filename', function() {
+      fs.readFileSync.restore();
+      sinon.stub(fs, 'readFileSync', function() {
+        return JSON.stringify({
+          helpMessage: 'fix your commit'
+        });
+      });
+      var configObject = config.getConfigObject('package.json');
+      expect(configObject.helpMessage).to.equal('fix your commit');
+    });
+
+    it('returns null on error', function() {
+      fs.readFileSync.restore();
+      sinon.stub(fs, 'readFileSync', function() {
+        throw new Error();
+      });
+      var configObject = config.getConfigObject('package.json');
+      expect(configObject).to.equal(null);
+    });
+  });
+
+  after(function() {
+    fs.readFileSync.restore();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/getConfig.test.js b/test/getConfig.test.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 5720071..0000000
--- a/test/getConfig.test.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-'use strict';
-
-var getConfig = require('../lib/getConfig');
-var expect = require('chai').expect;
-
-describe('getConfig', function() {
-  it('returns the validate-commit-msg config object if exists', function() {
-    var config = getConfig();
-    expect(config.helpMessage).to.contain('fix your commit message');
-    expect(config.types.length).to.equal(10);
-    expect(config.warnOnFail).to.equal(false);
-    expect(config.autoFix).to.equal(false);
-  });
-});
diff --git a/wallaby.config.js b/wallaby.config.js
index d6492a8..ffe2208 100644
--- a/wallaby.config.js
+++ b/wallaby.config.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module.exports = function() {
   return {
-    files: ['lib/**/*.js', 'package.json'],
+    files: ['lib/**/*.js', 'package.json', '.vcmrc'],
     tests: ['test/**/*.js'],
     env: {
       type: 'node'