diff --git a/crates/main/main.rs b/crates/main/main.rs
index 0d45fef..2b12b07 100644
--- a/crates/main/main.rs
+++ b/crates/main/main.rs
@@ -18,10 +18,10 @@ Main program for `pacdef`. All internal logic happens in [`pacdef_core`].
 use std::path::Path;
 use std::process::{ExitCode, Termination};
 
-use anyhow::{Context, Result};
+use anyhow::{bail, Context, Result};
 
 use pacdef_core::path::{get_config_path, get_config_path_old_version, get_group_dir};
-use pacdef_core::{get_args, Config, Group, Pacdef};
+use pacdef_core::{get_args, Config, Error as PacdefError, Group, Pacdef};
 
 const MAJOR_UPDATE_MESSAGE: &str = "VERSION UPGRADE
 You seem to have used version 0.x of pacdef before.
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ fn handle_final_result(result: Result<()>) -> ExitCode {
     match result {
         Ok(_) => ExitCode::SUCCESS,
         Err(ref e) => {
-            if let Some(root_error) = e.root_cause().downcast_ref::<pacdef_core::Error>() {
+            if let Some(root_error) = e.root_cause().downcast_ref::<PacdefError>() {
                 eprintln!("{root_error}");
                 ExitCode::FAILURE
             } else {
@@ -56,9 +56,23 @@ fn main_inner() -> Result<()> {
 
     let config_file = get_config_path().context("getting config file")?;
 
-    let config = Config::load(&config_file)
-        .or_else(|_| load_default_config(&config_file))
-        .context("loading config")?;
+    let config = match Config::load(&config_file).context("loading config file") {
+        Ok(config) => config,
+        Err(e) => {
+            if let Some(crate_error) = e.downcast_ref::<PacdefError>() {
+                match crate_error {
+                    PacdefError::ConfigFileNotFound => load_default_config(&config_file)?,
+                    _ => bail!("unexpected error: {crate_error}"),
+                }
+            } else {
+                bail!("unexpected error: {e:?}");
+            }
+        }
+    };
+
+    dbg!(&config);
+    // .or_else(|_| load_default_config(&config_file))
+    // .context("loading config")?;
 
     let group_dir = get_group_dir().context("resolving group dir")?;
     let groups = Group::load(&group_dir, config.warn_not_symlinks)
@@ -73,8 +87,14 @@ fn load_default_config(config_file: &Path) -> Result<Config> {
         println!("{MAJOR_UPDATE_MESSAGE}");
     }
 
-    let default = Config::default();
-    default.save(config_file)?;
+    if !config_file.exists() {
+        create_empty_config_file(config_file)?;
+    }
 
-    Ok(default)
+    Ok(Config::default())
+}
+
+fn create_empty_config_file(config_file: &Path) -> Result<()> {
+    std::fs::File::create(config_file).context("creating empty config file")?;
+    Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/crates/pacdef_core/src/backend/actual/arch.rs b/crates/pacdef_core/src/backend/actual/arch.rs
index e77afd6..6e81fef 100644
--- a/crates/pacdef_core/src/backend/actual/arch.rs
+++ b/crates/pacdef_core/src/backend/actual/arch.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use crate::{impl_backend_constants, Group, Package};
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 pub struct Arch {
     pub(crate) binary: String,
-    pub(crate) aur_rm_args: Option<Vec<String>>,
+    pub(crate) aur_rm_args: Vec<String>,
     pub(crate) packages: HashSet<Package>,
 }
 
@@ -72,9 +72,7 @@ impl Backend for Arch {
         let mut cmd = Command::new(&self.binary);
 
         cmd.args(self.get_switches_remove());
-        if let Some(rm_args) = &self.aur_rm_args {
-            cmd.args(rm_args);
-        }
+        cmd.args(&self.aur_rm_args);
 
         if noconfirm {
             cmd.args(self.get_switches_noconfirm());
@@ -124,7 +122,7 @@ impl Arch {
     pub(crate) fn new() -> Self {
         Self {
             binary: BINARY.to_string(),
-            aur_rm_args: None,
+            aur_rm_args: vec![],
             packages: HashSet::new(),
         }
     }
diff --git a/crates/pacdef_core/src/config.rs b/crates/pacdef_core/src/config.rs
index d791425..dbbec27 100644
--- a/crates/pacdef_core/src/config.rs
+++ b/crates/pacdef_core/src/config.rs
@@ -10,17 +10,30 @@ use serde_derive::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 #[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct Config {
     /// The AUR helper to use for Arch Linux.
+    #[serde(default = "aur_helper")]
     pub aur_helper: String,
     /// Additional arguments to pass to `aur_helper` when removing a package.
-    pub aur_rm_args: Option<Vec<String>>,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub aur_rm_args: Vec<String>,
     /// Install Flatpak packages system-wide
+    #[serde(default = "yes")]
     pub flatpak_systemwide: bool,
     /// Warn the user when a group is not a symlink.
+    #[serde(default = "yes")]
     pub warn_not_symlinks: bool,
     /// Backends the user does not want to use even though the binary exists.
+    #[serde(default)]
     pub disabled_backends: Vec<String>,
 }
 
+fn yes() -> bool {
+    true
+}
+
+fn aur_helper() -> String {
+    "paru".into()
+}
+
 impl Config {
     /// Load the config from the associated file.
     ///
@@ -69,7 +82,7 @@ impl Default for Config {
     fn default() -> Self {
         Self {
             aur_helper: "paru".into(),
-            aur_rm_args: None,
+            aur_rm_args: vec![],
             flatpak_systemwide: true,
             warn_not_symlinks: true,
             disabled_backends: vec![],
diff --git a/crates/pacdef_core/src/core.rs b/crates/pacdef_core/src/core.rs
index 63110d3..4686eee 100644
--- a/crates/pacdef_core/src/core.rs
+++ b/crates/pacdef_core/src/core.rs
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ impl Pacdef {
         {
             if let Some(arch) = backend.as_any_mut().downcast_mut::<crate::backend::Arch>() {
                 arch.binary = self.config.aur_helper.clone();
-                arch.aur_rm_args = self.config.aur_rm_args.take();
+                arch.aur_rm_args = self.config.aur_rm_args.clone();
             }
         }