diff --git a/cmd/addRepo.go b/cmd/addRepo.go
index 605884c..d1e5be6 100644
--- a/cmd/addRepo.go
+++ b/cmd/addRepo.go
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ var addRepoCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		return nil
 	},
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		initConfig()
 		PrintMsg("Fetching repository...")
 		name := args[0]
 		repoUrl := args[1]
diff --git a/cmd/helmConcept.go b/cmd/helmConcept.go
index 898c1b9..fbd3de0 100644
--- a/cmd/helmConcept.go
+++ b/cmd/helmConcept.go
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ kable helm concept --directory cert-manager cert-manager --repo jetstack --repoU
 		return nil
 	},
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		initConfig()
 		PrintMsg("Creating concept from helm chart '%s'...", args[0])
 		if err := helm.InitHelmConcept(helm.HelmChart{Name: args[0], Version: chartVersion, Repo: helm.HelmRepo{Name: chartRepoName, URL: chartRepoURL}}, dir); err != nil {
 			PrintError("unable to import helm chart: %s", err)
diff --git a/cmd/helmImport.go b/cmd/helmImport.go
index 994997d..7738834 100644
--- a/cmd/helmImport.go
+++ b/cmd/helmImport.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ kable helm import cert-manager --repo jetstack --repoURL https://charts.jetstack
 		return nil
 	},
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		initConfig()
 		if _, err := concepts.GetConcept("."); err != nil {
 			PrintError("current directory is not a concept directory: %s", err)
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/initConcept.go b/cmd/initConcept.go
index 35401ba..2edd4c1 100644
--- a/cmd/initConcept.go
+++ b/cmd/initConcept.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ var initConceptCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "init",
 	Short: "Initialize a concept in the current folder",
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		initConfig()
 		wd, err := os.Getwd()
 		if err != nil {
 			PrintError("unable to initialize concept dir: %s", err)
diff --git a/cmd/listConcept.go b/cmd/listConcept.go
index 3453d8c..220aa3c 100644
--- a/cmd/listConcept.go
+++ b/cmd/listConcept.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ var listConceptsCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "list",
 	Short: "List all available concepts",
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		initConfig()
 		cis, err := concepts.ListConcepts()
 		if err != nil {
 			PrintError("unable to list concepts: %s", err)
diff --git a/cmd/listRepo.go b/cmd/listRepo.go
index d83447b..2fa060d 100644
--- a/cmd/listRepo.go
+++ b/cmd/listRepo.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ var listReposCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "list",
 	Short: "Lists all available concept repositories",
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		initConfig()
 		repos, err := repositories.ListRepositories()
 		if err != nil {
 			PrintError("cannot list repositories: %s \n", err)
diff --git a/cmd/removeRepo.go b/cmd/removeRepo.go
index 3201bde..6f12c87 100644
--- a/cmd/removeRepo.go
+++ b/cmd/removeRepo.go
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ var removeCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		return nil
 	},
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		initConfig()
 		PrintMsg("Removing repository...")
 		mod, err := repositories.RemoveRepository(args[0])
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/renderConcept.go b/cmd/renderConcept.go
index 96c0e91..b611e6d 100644
--- a/cmd/renderConcept.go
+++ b/cmd/renderConcept.go
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ kable render -l . -o out/
 		return nil
 	},
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		initConfig()
 		conceptIdentifier := concepts.ConceptIdentifier(args[0])
 
 		if printOnly {
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index f864341..7229d6d 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ func Execute() {
 
 func init() {
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&cfgFile, "config", "", "config file (default is $HOME/.kable/userconfig.json)")
-	cobra.OnInitialize(initConfig)
+	//cobra.OnInitialize(initConfig)
 	bindFlags(rootCmd, viper.GetViper())
 }
 
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ func initConfig() {
 	viper.SetEnvPrefix("KABLE")
 
 	viper.AutomaticEnv()
-
 }
 
 // Bind each cobra flag to its associated viper configuration (config file and environment variable)
diff --git a/cmd/serve.go b/cmd/serve.go
index 168cd1f..63b9c66 100644
--- a/cmd/serve.go
+++ b/cmd/serve.go
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ var serveCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Example: `kable serve --server-address 127.0.0.1 --server-port 2020
 	KABLE_SERVERADDRESS=127.0.0.1 KABLE_SERVERPORT kable serve`,
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		initConfig()
 		viper.Set(repositories.StoreKey, repositories.EtcdStoreConfigMap(strings.Split(viper.GetString(etcdEndpoints), ","), viper.GetDuration(etcdTimeout)).Map())
 		api.StartUp(fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", viper.Get(serverAddressKey), viper.Get(serverPortKey)))
 	},
diff --git a/cmd/tidyRepo.go b/cmd/tidyRepo.go
index d65814d..e1fb165 100644
--- a/cmd/tidyRepo.go
+++ b/cmd/tidyRepo.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ var tidyCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "tidy",
 	Short: "Clean up removed, cached repos",
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		initConfig()
 		PrintMsg("Tidying up cached repositories...")
 		err := repositories.TidyCache()
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/ui.go b/cmd/ui.go
index f345a71..68f71d7 100644
--- a/cmd/ui.go
+++ b/cmd/ui.go
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ var uiCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Example: `kable ui --ui-address 127.0.0.1 --ui-port 2020
 	KABLE_UIADDRESS=127.0.0.1 KABLE_UIPORT kable ui`,
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		initConfig()
 		err := ui.StartUp(fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", viper.Get(uiAddressKey), viper.Get(uiPortKey)))
 		if err != nil {
 			PrintError("error occurred while running server: %v", err)
diff --git a/cmd/updateRepo.go b/cmd/updateRepo.go
index 441d7b9..4835f0f 100644
--- a/cmd/updateRepo.go
+++ b/cmd/updateRepo.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ var updateCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "update",
 	Short: "Update all the configured repositories",
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		initConfig()
 		PrintMsg("Updating repositories...")
 		if err := repositories.UpdateRepositories(); err != nil {
 			PrintError("unable to update repositories: %s", err)