diff --git a/cmd/ipfs/main.go b/cmd/ipfs/main.go
index 0dc7ddf0f..550d9b605 100644
--- a/cmd/ipfs/main.go
+++ b/cmd/ipfs/main.go
@@ -444,12 +444,7 @@ func getConfigRoot(req cmds.Request) (string, error) {
 }
 
 func loadConfig(path string) (*config.Config, error) {
-	r := fsrepo.At(path)
-	if err := r.Open(); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	defer r.Close()
-	return r.Config(), nil
+	return fsrepo.ConfigAt(path)
 }
 
 // startProfiling begins CPU profiling and returns a `stop` function to be
diff --git a/cmd/ipfs/tour.go b/cmd/ipfs/tour.go
index b61cc50f7..168bacc9c 100644
--- a/cmd/ipfs/tour.go
+++ b/cmd/ipfs/tour.go
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ func tourGet(id tour.ID) (*tour.Topic, error) {
 
 // TODO share func
 func writeConfig(path string, cfg *config.Config) error {
+	// NB: This needs to run on the daemon.
 	r := fsrepo.At(path)
 	if err := r.Open(); err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/repo/fsrepo/fsrepo.go b/repo/fsrepo/fsrepo.go
index c8cfd91d9..e73524073 100644
--- a/repo/fsrepo/fsrepo.go
+++ b/repo/fsrepo/fsrepo.go
@@ -51,6 +51,14 @@ func At(repoPath string) *FSRepo {
 	}
 }
 
+func ConfigAt(repoPath string) (*config.Config, error) {
+	configFilename, err := config.Filename(repoPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return load(configFilename)
+}
+
 // Init initializes a new FSRepo at the given path with the provided config.
 func Init(path string, conf *config.Config) error {
 	openerCounter.Lock() // lock must be held to ensure atomicity (prevent Removal)
diff --git a/repo/fsrepo/serialize.go b/repo/fsrepo/serialize.go
index dcbf4ccf1..559c04804 100644
--- a/repo/fsrepo/serialize.go
+++ b/repo/fsrepo/serialize.go
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ func load(filename string) (*config.Config, error) {
 	}
 
 	// tilde expansion on datastore path
+	// TODO why is this here??
 	cfg.Datastore.Path, err = util.TildeExpansion(cfg.Datastore.Path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err