diff --git a/src/commit_pattern/mod.rs b/src/commit_pattern/mod.rs
index 230dd78..8541a6e 100644
--- a/src/commit_pattern/mod.rs
+++ b/src/commit_pattern/mod.rs
@@ -83,3 +83,15 @@ impl CommitPattern {
         ]
     }
 }
+
+impl Default for CommitPattern {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            config: Config::default(),
+            commit_types: Self::commit_types(),
+            commit_scopes: Self::commit_scopes(),
+            skip_commit: vec![],
+            msg: Messages::default(),
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/config/mod.rs b/src/config/mod.rs
index 552f462..24be087 100644
--- a/src/config/mod.rs
+++ b/src/config/mod.rs
@@ -2,17 +2,11 @@
 mod tests;
 
 use anyhow::{anyhow, Context, Result};
-use std::fs;
-use std::path::Path;
+use std::fs::File;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 
 use crate::commit_pattern::CommitPattern;
 
-fn get_config_path_content(config_path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Result<String> {
-    let content = fs::read_to_string(config_path)?;
-    Ok(content)
-}
-
 fn select_custom_config_path(config: Option<PathBuf>) -> Result<PathBuf> {
     match config {
         Some(config_path) => {
@@ -35,22 +29,44 @@ fn select_custom_config_path(config: Option<PathBuf>) -> Result<PathBuf> {
     }
 }
 
-fn get_config_path() -> Result<PathBuf> {
+fn search_config_file_on_parents() -> Result<Option<PathBuf>> {
     let current_dir = std::env::current_dir()?;
-    let current_file = current_dir.join("commit.json");
-    if current_file.is_file() {
-        Ok(current_file)
-    } else {
-        let config_file = dirs::config_dir()
-            .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("Could not find config directory"))?
-            .join("commit/commit.json");
-        Ok(config_file)
+    let mut current_dir = current_dir.as_path();
+    loop {
+        let config_file = current_dir.join("commit.json");
+        if config_file.is_file() {
+            return Ok(Some(config_file));
+        }
+        if let Some(parent) = current_dir.parent() {
+            current_dir = parent;
+        } else {
+            break;
+        }
     }
+    Ok(None)
+}
+
+fn get_config_path() -> Result<PathBuf> {
+    Ok(search_config_file_on_parents()?.unwrap_or_else(|| {
+        dirs::config_dir()
+            .expect("Could not find config directory")
+            .join("commit/commit.json")
+    }))
 }
 
 pub fn get_pattern(config_path: Option<PathBuf>) -> Result<CommitPattern> {
     let selected_config_path = select_custom_config_path(config_path)?;
-    let pattern_str =
-        get_config_path_content(selected_config_path).unwrap_or_else(|_| "{}".to_owned());
-    serde_json::from_str(&pattern_str).context("Failed to parse commit pattern from file")
+    if selected_config_path.exists() {
+        let file = File::open(&selected_config_path).context(format!(
+            "Could not open config file: {}",
+            selected_config_path.display()
+        ))?;
+        let reader = std::io::BufReader::new(file);
+        Ok(serde_json::from_reader(reader).context(format!(
+            "Could not parse config file: {}",
+            selected_config_path.display()
+        ))?)
+    } else {
+        Ok(CommitPattern::default())
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/config/tests.rs b/src/config/tests.rs
index fef8fb4..f953ba9 100644
--- a/src/config/tests.rs
+++ b/src/config/tests.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use std::env::set_current_dir;
+use std::{env::set_current_dir, fs::remove_file};
 
 use super::*;
 use assert_fs::prelude::*;
@@ -32,7 +32,15 @@ fn select_custom_config_path_test() -> Result<()> {
 #[serial]
 fn get_config_path_test() -> Result<()> {
     let temp_dir = assert_fs::TempDir::new()?;
-    set_current_dir(temp_dir.path())?;
+    temp_dir.child("commit.json").touch()?;
+    temp_dir.child("some/sub/dir").create_dir_all()?;
+    set_current_dir(temp_dir.path().join("some/sub/dir"))?;
+    let config_path = get_config_path()?;
+    assert_eq!(
+        config_path.to_str(),
+        temp_dir.path().join("commit.json").to_str()
+    );
+    remove_file(temp_dir.path().join("commit.json"))?;
     let config_file = dirs::config_dir()
         .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("Could not find config directory"))?
         .join("commit/commit.json");
@@ -41,23 +49,6 @@ fn get_config_path_test() -> Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
-#[test]
-#[serial]
-fn get_config_path_content_test() -> Result<()> {
-    let temp_dir = assert_fs::TempDir::new()?;
-    let config_file = temp_dir.child("config.json");
-    config_file.touch()?;
-    let config_path = config_file.path();
-    let content = get_config_path_content(config_path)?;
-    assert_eq!(content, "");
-
-    let expected = include_str!("../../commit.json");
-    config_file.write_str(expected)?;
-    let content = get_config_path_content(config_path)?;
-    assert_eq!(content, expected);
-    Ok(())
-}
-
 #[test]
 #[serial]
 fn get_pattern_test() -> Result<()> {