diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 05bad2f..191270e 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -5645,17 +5645,22 @@
           "requires": {
             "ansi-regex": "^5.0.0"
           }
+        },
+        "yargs-parser": {
+          "version": "18.1.3",
+          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/yargs-parser/-/yargs-parser-18.1.3.tgz",
+          "integrity": "sha512-o50j0JeToy/4K6OZcaQmW6lyXXKhq7csREXcDwk2omFPJEwUNOVtJKvmDr9EI1fAJZUyZcRF7kxGBWmRXudrCQ==",
+          "requires": {
+            "camelcase": "^5.0.0",
+            "decamelize": "^1.2.0"
+          }
         }
       }
     },
     "yargs-parser": {
-      "version": "18.1.3",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/yargs-parser/-/yargs-parser-18.1.3.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-o50j0JeToy/4K6OZcaQmW6lyXXKhq7csREXcDwk2omFPJEwUNOVtJKvmDr9EI1fAJZUyZcRF7kxGBWmRXudrCQ==",
-      "requires": {
-        "camelcase": "^5.0.0",
-        "decamelize": "^1.2.0"
-      }
+      "version": "20.2.4",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/yargs-parser/-/yargs-parser-20.2.4.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-WOkpgNhPTlE73h4VFAFsOnomJVaovO8VqLDzy5saChRBFQFBoMYirowyW+Q9HB4HFF4Z7VZTiG3iSzJJA29yRA=="
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 9b1ce7a..ca15f7f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@
     "sqlite3": "^5.0.0",
     "tmp": "^0.1.0",
     "transliteration": "^2.1.11",
-    "uuid": "^8.3.0"
+    "uuid": "^8.3.0",
+    "yargs-parser": "^20.2.4"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "eslint": "^7.7.0",
diff --git a/src/cfg.js b/src/cfg.js
index e559d13..be33128 100644
--- a/src/cfg.js
+++ b/src/cfg.js
@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@ const fs = require("fs");
 const path = require("path");
 const Ajv = require("ajv");
 const schema = require("./data/cfg.schema.json");
+const cliOpts = require("./cliOpts");
 
 /** @type {ModmailConfig} */
 let config = {};
 
-// Config files to search for, in priority order
-const configFiles = [
+// Auto-detected config files, in priority order
+const configFilesToSearch = [
   "config.ini",
   "config.json",
   "config.json5",
@@ -20,24 +21,46 @@ const configFiles = [
   "config.json.txt",
 ];
 
-let foundConfigFile;
-for (const configFile of configFiles) {
+let configFileToLoad;
+
+const requestedConfigFile = cliOpts.config || cliOpts.c; // CLI option --config/-c
+if (requestedConfigFile) {
   try {
-    fs.accessSync(__dirname + "/../" + configFile);
-    foundConfigFile = configFile;
-    break;
-  } catch (e) {}
+    // Config files specified with --config/-c are loaded from cwd
+    fs.accessSync(requestedConfigFile);
+    configFileToLoad = requestedConfigFile;
+  } catch (e) {
+    if (e.code === "ENOENT") {
+      console.error(`Specified config file was not found: ${requestedConfigFile}`);
+    } else {
+      console.error(`Error reading specified config file ${requestedConfigFile}: ${e.message}`);
+    }
+
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+} else {
+  for (const configFile of configFilesToSearch) {
+    try {
+      // Auto-detected config files are always loaded from the bot's folder, even if the cwd differs
+      const relativePath = path.relative(process.cwd(), path.resolve(__dirname, "..", configFile));
+      fs.accessSync(relativePath);
+      configFileToLoad = relativePath;
+      break;
+    } catch (e) {}
+  }
 }
 
 // Load config values from a config file (if any)
-if (foundConfigFile) {
-  console.log(`Loading configuration from ${foundConfigFile}...`);
+if (configFileToLoad) {
+  const srcRelativePath = path.resolve(__dirname, process.cwd(), configFileToLoad);
+  console.log(`Loading configuration from ${configFileToLoad}...`);
+
   try {
-    if (foundConfigFile.endsWith(".js")) {
-      config = require(`../${foundConfigFile}`);
+    if (configFileToLoad.endsWith(".js")) {
+      config = require(srcRelativePath);
     } else {
-      const raw = fs.readFileSync(__dirname + "/../" + foundConfigFile, {encoding: "utf8"});
-      if (foundConfigFile.endsWith(".ini") || foundConfigFile.endsWith(".ini.txt")) {
+      const raw = fs.readFileSync(configFileToLoad, {encoding: "utf8"});
+      if (configFileToLoad.endsWith(".ini") || configFileToLoad.endsWith(".ini.txt")) {
         config = require("ini").decode(raw);
       } else {
         config = require("json5").parse(raw);
diff --git a/src/cliOpts.js b/src/cliOpts.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f920e40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cliOpts.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+module.exports = require("yargs-parser")(process.argv.slice(2));