diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index f75b348..07a7da9 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ module.exports.linter = Linter
 
 const os = require('os')
 const path = require('path')
-const pkgConf = require('pkg-conf')
 const fs = require('fs')
+const { cosmiconfigSync } = require('cosmiconfig')
 
 const CACHE_HOME = require('xdg-basedir').cache || os.tmpdir()
 
@@ -151,9 +151,12 @@ Linter.prototype.parseOpts = function (opts) {
   let packageOpts = {}
   let rootPath = null
 
+  // try default search places up to ~
+  const explorerRes = cosmiconfigSync(self.cmd).search(opts.cwd)
+
   if (opts.usePackageJson || opts.useGitIgnore) {
-    packageOpts = pkgConf.sync(self.cmd, { cwd: opts.cwd })
-    const packageJsonPath = pkgConf.filepath(packageOpts)
+    packageOpts = explorerRes ? explorerRes.config : {}
+    const packageJsonPath = explorerRes && explorerRes.filepath
     if (packageJsonPath) rootPath = path.dirname(packageJsonPath)
   }
 
@@ -202,7 +205,7 @@ Linter.prototype.parseOpts = function (opts) {
   if (self.customParseOpts) {
     let rootDir
     if (opts.usePackageJson) {
-      const filePath = pkgConf.filepath(packageOpts)
+      const filePath = explorerRes.filepath
       rootDir = filePath ? path.dirname(filePath) : opts.cwd
     } else {
       rootDir = opts.cwd
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 454e807..ec8b1d5 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -38,10 +38,9 @@
     "test": "standard && tape test/clone.js test/api.js"
   },
   "dependencies": {
+    "cosmiconfig": "^7.0.0",
     "get-stdin": "^8.0.0",
-    "minimist": "^1.2.5",
-    "pkg-conf": "^3.1.0",
-    "xdg-basedir": "^4.0.0"
+    "minimist": "^1.2.5"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "cross-spawn": "^7.0.3",
diff --git a/test/api.js b/test/api.js
index a09c0c2..258430b 100644
--- a/test/api.js
+++ b/test/api.js
@@ -12,6 +12,17 @@ function getStandard () {
   })
 }
 
+function getStandardRcConfig () {
+  return new Linter({
+    // start in dir containing rc file
+    cwd: path.resolve(__dirname, 'lib'),
+    cmd: 'pocketlint',
+    version: '0.0.0',
+    eslint: eslint,
+    eslintConfig: require('../tmp/standard/options').eslintConfig
+  })
+}
+
 test('api: lintFiles', function (t) {
   t.plan(3)
   const standard = getStandard()
@@ -55,3 +66,11 @@ test('api: parseOpts -- avoid self.eslintConfig global mutation', function (t) {
   t.deepEqual(opts.globals, ['what'])
   t.deepEqual(standard.eslintConfig.globals, [])
 })
+
+test('api: parseOpts -- load config from rc file', function (t) {
+  t.plan(2)
+  var standard = getStandardRcConfig()
+  var opts = standard.parseOpts()
+  t.deepEqual(opts.globals, undefined)
+  t.deepEqual(opts.eslintConfig.globals, ['foorc'])
+})
diff --git a/test/lib/.pocketlintrc.js b/test/lib/.pocketlintrc.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..61ed106
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/lib/.pocketlintrc.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+module.exports = {
+  globals: ['foorc']
+}
\ No newline at end of file