diff --git a/src/config_files.rs b/src/config_files.rs
index 847ecfa020..deceeb1cd2 100644
--- a/src/config_files.rs
+++ b/src/config_files.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ pub(crate) fn read_config_file(
     config_file: Option<Spanned<String>>,
     is_perf_true: bool,
     is_env_config: bool,
+    interactive: bool,
 ) {
     // Load config startup file
     if let Some(file) = config_file {
@@ -46,7 +47,13 @@ pub(crate) fn read_config_file(
 
         config_path.push(if is_env_config { ENV_FILE } else { CONFIG_FILE });
 
-        if !config_path.exists() {
+        let config_file = if is_env_config {
+            include_str!("../docs/sample_config/default_env.nu")
+        } else {
+            include_str!("../docs/sample_config/default_config.nu")
+        };
+
+        if !config_path.exists() && interactive {
             let file_msg = if is_env_config {
                 "environment config"
             } else {
@@ -64,12 +71,6 @@ pub(crate) fn read_config_file(
                 .read_line(&mut answer)
                 .expect("Failed to read user input");
 
-            let config_file = if is_env_config {
-                include_str!("../docs/sample_config/default_env.nu")
-            } else {
-                include_str!("../docs/sample_config/default_config.nu")
-            };
-
             match answer.to_lowercase().trim() {
                 "y" | "" => {
                     let mut output = File::create(&config_path).expect("Unable to create file");
@@ -93,6 +94,19 @@ pub(crate) fn read_config_file(
                     return;
                 }
             }
+        } else {
+            // Just use the contents of "default_config.nu" or "default_env.nu"
+            eval_source(
+                engine_state,
+                stack,
+                config_file.as_bytes(),
+                if is_env_config {
+                    "default_env.nu"
+                } else {
+                    "default_config.nu"
+                },
+                PipelineData::new(Span::new(0, 0)),
+            );
         }
 
         eval_config_contents(config_path, engine_state, stack);
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index e063b813cb..c736fe855c 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -206,6 +206,14 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
                     is_perf_true(),
                 );
                 // only want to load config and env if relative argument is provided.
+                config_files::read_config_file(
+                    &mut engine_state,
+                    &mut stack,
+                    binary_args.env_file,
+                    is_perf_true(),
+                    true,
+                    false,
+                );
                 if binary_args.config_file.is_some() {
                     config_files::read_config_file(
                         &mut engine_state,
@@ -213,15 +221,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
                         binary_args.config_file,
                         is_perf_true(),
                         false,
-                    );
-                }
-                if binary_args.env_file.is_some() {
-                    config_files::read_config_file(
-                        &mut engine_state,
-                        &mut stack,
-                        binary_args.env_file,
-                        is_perf_true(),
-                        true,
+                        false,
                     );
                 }
 
@@ -251,6 +251,14 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
                     is_perf_true(),
                 );
                 // only want to load config and env if relative argument is provided.
+                config_files::read_config_file(
+                    &mut engine_state,
+                    &mut stack,
+                    binary_args.env_file,
+                    is_perf_true(),
+                    true,
+                    false,
+                );
                 if binary_args.config_file.is_some() {
                     config_files::read_config_file(
                         &mut engine_state,
@@ -258,15 +266,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
                         binary_args.config_file,
                         is_perf_true(),
                         false,
-                    );
-                }
-                if binary_args.env_file.is_some() {
-                    config_files::read_config_file(
-                        &mut engine_state,
-                        &mut stack,
-                        binary_args.env_file,
-                        is_perf_true(),
-                        true,
+                        false,
                     );
                 }
 
@@ -323,8 +323,15 @@ fn setup_config(
         info!("read_config_file {}:{}:{}", file!(), line!(), column!());
     }
 
-    config_files::read_config_file(engine_state, stack, env_file, is_perf_true(), true);
-    config_files::read_config_file(engine_state, stack, config_file, is_perf_true(), false);
+    config_files::read_config_file(engine_state, stack, env_file, is_perf_true(), true, true);
+    config_files::read_config_file(
+        engine_state,
+        stack,
+        config_file,
+        is_perf_true(),
+        false,
+        true,
+    );
 
     if is_login_shell {
         config_files::read_loginshell_file(engine_state, stack, is_perf_true());