diff --git a/cmd/all.go b/cmd/all.go
index 3454c14..2aab4ce 100644
--- a/cmd/all.go
+++ b/cmd/all.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ func AddSubcommands(baseCmd *cobra.Command) {
 	baseCmd.AddCommand(
 		addRemoteCmd,
 		applyCmd,
+		newConfigCmd(),
 		newCloneCmd(),
 		editCmd,
 		fetchCmd,
diff --git a/cmd/config.go b/cmd/config.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e58ad39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/config.go
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+func newConfigCmd() *cobra.Command {
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "config key[=value]",
+		Short: "set or get a config value",
+		RunE:  Config,
+	}
+
+	// Set flags
+	cmd.Flags().Bool("global", false, "set/get from global config")
+
+	return cmd
+}
+
+func Config(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+	// Three modes:
+	// - config key - get key
+	// - config key value - set key to value
+	// - config key=value - set key to value
+
+	if len(args) > 1 {
+		return setConfig(args[0], args[1])
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(args[0], "=") {
+		split := strings.SplitN(args[0], "=", 0)
+		return setConfig(split[0], split[1])
+	}
+	return getConfig(args[0])
+}
+
+func getConfig(key string) error {}
+
+func setConfig(key, value string) error {}
diff --git a/cmd/edit.go b/cmd/edit.go
index 775e3b5..c0c15c5 100644
--- a/cmd/edit.go
+++ b/cmd/edit.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/barrettj12/jit/common"
+	"github.com/barrettj12/jit/common/config"
 	"github.com/barrettj12/jit/common/types"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"strings"
@@ -16,6 +17,14 @@ var editCmd = &cobra.Command{
 
 // Edit opens the given branch in the default editor.
 func Edit(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+	editor, err := config.Editor()
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Printf("error getting default editor: %v\n", err)
+	} else {
+		fmt.Printf("default editor is %q\n", editor)
+	}
+	return nil
+
 	branch, err := common.ReqArg(args, 0, "Which branch would you like to edit?")
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/common/config/bindings.go b/common/config/bindings.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b3f32bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/config/bindings.go
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+package config
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+)
+
+// Editor returns the default editor.
+func Editor() (string, error) {
+	editor, err := readRepoConfig[string]("editor")
+	if err != nil {
+		editor, err = readGlobalConfig[string]("editor")
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", errors.New("default editor not set")
+		}
+	}
+	return editor, nil
+}
diff --git a/common/config/config.go b/common/config/config.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc48eaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/config/config.go
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+package config
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/barrettj12/jit/common"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+)
+
+// Read a config value from the repo-specific config file at
+//
+//	<repo-root>/.jit/config.yaml
+//
+// The provided type parameter defines the type that the value will be
+// unmarshalled to.
+func readRepoConfig[T any](key string) (t T, err error) {
+	repoBasePath, err := getRepoBasePath()
+	if err != nil {
+		return t, fmt.Errorf("getting repo base path: %w", err)
+	}
+	repoConfigFilePath := filepath.Join(repoBasePath.Path(), ".jit/config.yaml")
+	return readConfigFile[T](repoConfigFilePath, key)
+}
+
+// Read a config value from the global Jit config file at
+//
+//	$HOME/.jit/config.yaml
+//
+// The provided type parameter defines the type that the value will be
+// unmarshalled to.
+func readGlobalConfig[T any](key string) (t T, err error) {
+	userHomeDir, err := getUserHomeDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		return t, fmt.Errorf("getting user home dir: %w", err)
+	}
+	globalConfigFilePath := filepath.Join(userHomeDir, ".jit/config.yaml")
+	return readConfigFile[T](globalConfigFilePath, key)
+}
+
+// Read a key from a Jit config file. The format of the config file is a
+// uni-level mapping of keys to values. The provided type parameter defines the
+// type that the value will be unmarshalled to.
+func readConfigFile[T any](filePath, key string) (t T, err error) {
+	file, err := os.Open(filePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return t, fmt.Errorf("reading repo config: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	var config map[string]T
+	// We will get an error for values that don't match type T, but we should
+	// ignore this, because we only care about the value corresponding to the
+	// given key.
+	err = yaml.NewDecoder(file).Decode(&config)
+	if _, ok := config[key]; !ok {
+		return t, fmt.Errorf("key %q not defined in config file at %s", key, filePath)
+	}
+	return config[key], nil
+}
+
+func addKeyToConfigFile(filePath, key string, value any) {}
+
+// These methods can be replaced for testing.
+var getRepoBasePath = common.RepoBasePath
+var getUserHomeDir = os.UserHomeDir
diff --git a/common/config/config_test.go b/common/config/config_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d66693d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/config/config_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package config
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// TODO: maybe better to do this in each test to isolate the tests
+func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
+	// Mock out config files
+	tmpDir, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "")
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("failed to create testing dir: %v", err))
+	}
+	defer func() {
+		err := os.RemoveAll(tmpDir)
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Printf("error removing temp dir %q: %v", tmpDir, err)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	getRepoConfigFilePath = func() (string, error) {
+		return filepath.Join(tmpDir, "repoconfig"), nil
+	}
+	getGlobalConfigFilePath = func() (string, error) {
+		return filepath.Join(tmpDir, "globalconfig"), nil
+	}
+
+	m.Run()
+}
diff --git a/common/config/doc.go b/common/config/doc.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c0457e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/config/doc.go
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+// Package config contains utilities for interacting with Jit config.
+// Jit can be configured in several ways:
+//   - environment variables
+//   - global Jit config in $HOME/.jit/config
+//   - repo-specific Jit config in $REPO/.jit/config
+//
+// Jit config is distinct from Git config.
+package config
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index d248f2b..8025f42 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ module github.com/barrettj12/jit
 
 go 1.22
 
-require github.com/spf13/cobra v1.8.1
+require (
+	github.com/spf13/cobra v1.8.1
+	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1
+)
 
 require (
 	github.com/inconshreveable/mousetrap v1.1.0 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 912390a..a01295b 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -6,5 +6,7 @@ github.com/spf13/cobra v1.8.1 h1:e5/vxKd/rZsfSJMUX1agtjeTDf+qv1/JdBF8gg5k9ZM=
 github.com/spf13/cobra v1.8.1/go.mod h1:wHxEcudfqmLYa8iTfL+OuZPbBZkmvliBWKIezN3kD9Y=
 github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5 h1:iy+VFUOCP1a+8yFto/drg2CJ5u0yRoB7fZw3DKv/JXA=
 github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5/go.mod h1:McXfInJRrz4CZXVZOBLb0bTZqETkiAhM9Iw0y3An2Bg=
+gopkg.in/check.v1 v0.0.0-20161208181325-20d25e280405 h1:yhCVgyC4o1eVCa2tZl7eS0r+SDo693bJlVdllGtEeKM=
 gopkg.in/check.v1 v0.0.0-20161208181325-20d25e280405/go.mod h1:Co6ibVJAznAaIkqp8huTwlJQCZ016jof/cbN4VW5Yz0=
+gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 h1:fxVm/GzAzEWqLHuvctI91KS9hhNmmWOoWu0XTYJS7CA=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=