diff --git a/packages/cli/cli.ts b/packages/cli/cli.ts
index 5f10e459..009e491f 100644
--- a/packages/cli/cli.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/cli.ts
@@ -15,18 +15,21 @@ const program = new Command();
 program
   .name("openworkflow")
   .description("OpenWorkflow CLI - learn more at https://openworkflow.dev")
+  .usage("<command> [options]")
   .version(getVersion());
 
 // init
 program
   .command("init")
   .description("initialize OpenWorkflow")
+  .option("--config <path>", "path to OpenWorkflow config file")
   .action(withErrorHandling(init));
 
 // doctor
 program
   .command("doctor")
   .description("check configuration and list available workflows")
+  .option("--config <path>", "path to OpenWorkflow config file")
   .action(withErrorHandling(doctor));
 
 // worker
@@ -41,12 +44,14 @@ workerCmd
     "number of concurrent workflows to process",
     Number.parseInt,
   )
+  .option("--config <path>", "path to OpenWorkflow config file")
   .action(withErrorHandling(workerStart));
 
 // dashboard
 program
   .command("dashboard")
   .description("start the dashboard to view workflow runs")
+  .option("--config <path>", "path to OpenWorkflow config file")
   .action(withErrorHandling(dashboard));
 
 await program.parseAsync(process.argv);
diff --git a/packages/cli/commands.ts b/packages/cli/commands.ts
index 61b98be7..e296485b 100644
--- a/packages/cli/commands.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/commands.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { WorkerConfig, loadConfig } from "./config.js";
+import { WorkerConfig, loadConfig, loadConfigFromPath } from "./config.js";
 import { CLIError } from "./errors.js";
 import {
   CONFIG,
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ const __dirname = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
 
 type BackendChoice = "sqlite" | "postgres" | "both";
 
+interface CommandOptions {
+  config?: string;
+}
+
 /**
  * openworkflow -V | --version
  * @returns the version string, or "-" if it cannot be determined
@@ -57,11 +61,15 @@ export function getVersion(): string {
   return "-";
 }
 
-/** openworkflow init */
-export async function init(): Promise<void> {
+/**
+ * openworkflow init
+ * @param options - Command options
+ */
+export async function init(options: CommandOptions = {}): Promise<void> {
+  const configPath = options.config;
   p.intro("Initializing OpenWorkflow...");
 
-  const { configFile } = await loadConfigWithEnv();
+  const { configFile } = await loadConfigWithEnv(configPath);
   let configFileToDelete: string | null = null;
 
   if (configFile) {
@@ -123,7 +131,7 @@ export async function init(): Promise<void> {
     );
   }
 
-  const configFileName = getConfigFileName(packageJson);
+  const configFileName = configPath ?? getConfigFileName(packageJson);
   const clientFileName = getClientFileName(packageJson);
   const exampleWorkflowFileName = getExampleWorkflowFileName(packageJson);
   const runFileName = getRunFileName(packageJson);
@@ -191,11 +199,15 @@ export async function init(): Promise<void> {
   p.outro("✅ Setup complete!");
 }
 
-/** openworkflow doctor */
-export async function doctor(): Promise<void> {
+/**
+ * openworkflow doctor
+ * @param options - Command options
+ */
+export async function doctor(options: CommandOptions = {}): Promise<void> {
+  const configPath = options.config;
   consola.start("Running OpenWorkflow doctor...");
 
-  const { config, configFile } = await loadConfigWithEnv();
+  const { config, configFile } = await loadConfigWithEnv(configPath);
   if (!configFile) {
     throw new CLIError(
       "No config file found.",
@@ -244,14 +256,19 @@ export async function doctor(): Promise<void> {
   }
 }
 
+export type WorkerStartOptions = WorkerConfig & CommandOptions;
+
 /**
  * openworkflow worker start
- * @param cliOptions - Worker config overrides
+ * @param options - Worker config and command options
  */
-export async function workerStart(cliOptions: WorkerConfig): Promise<void> {
+export async function workerStart(
+  options: WorkerStartOptions = {},
+): Promise<void> {
+  const { config: configPath, ...workerConfig } = options;
   consola.start("Starting worker...");
 
-  const { config, configFile } = await loadConfigWithEnv();
+  const { config, configFile } = await loadConfigWithEnv(configPath);
   if (!configFile) {
     throw new CLIError(
       "No config file found.",
@@ -297,7 +314,7 @@ export async function workerStart(cliOptions: WorkerConfig): Promise<void> {
 
     assertNoDuplicateWorkflows(workflows);
 
-    const workerOptions = mergeDefinedOptions(config.worker, cliOptions);
+    const workerOptions = mergeDefinedOptions(config.worker, workerConfig);
     if (workerOptions.concurrency !== undefined) {
       assertPositiveInteger("concurrency", workerOptions.concurrency);
     }
@@ -323,11 +340,13 @@ export async function workerStart(cliOptions: WorkerConfig): Promise<void> {
 /**
  * openworkflow dashboard
  * Starts the dashboard by delegating to `@openworkflow/dashboard` via npx.
+ * @param options - Command options
  */
-export async function dashboard(): Promise<void> {
+export async function dashboard(options: CommandOptions = {}): Promise<void> {
+  const configPath = options.config;
   consola.start("Starting dashboard...");
 
-  const { configFile } = await loadConfigWithEnv();
+  const { configFile } = await loadConfigWithEnv(configPath);
   if (!configFile) {
     throw new CLIError(
       "No config file found.",
@@ -808,7 +827,11 @@ function getDevDependenciesToInstall(): string[] {
 function createConfigFile(configFileName: string): void {
   const spinner = p.spinner();
   spinner.start("Writing config...");
-  const configDestPath = path.join(process.cwd(), configFileName);
+  const configDestPath = path.resolve(process.cwd(), configFileName);
+
+  // mkdir if the user specified a config file, and they want it in a dir
+  mkdirSync(path.dirname(configDestPath), { recursive: true });
+
   writeFileSync(configDestPath, CONFIG, "utf8");
   spinner.stop(`Config written to ${configDestPath}`);
 }
@@ -1001,12 +1024,15 @@ function updateEnvForPostgres(): void {
 
 /**
  * Load CLI config after loading .env, and wrap errors for user-facing output.
+ * @param configPath - Optional explicit config file path
  * @returns Loaded config and metadata.
  */
-async function loadConfigWithEnv() {
+async function loadConfigWithEnv(configPath?: string) {
   loadDotenv({ quiet: true });
   try {
-    return await loadConfig();
+    return configPath
+      ? await loadConfigFromPath(configPath)
+      : await loadConfig();
   } catch (error) {
     const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
     throw new CLIError("Failed to load OpenWorkflow config.", message);
diff --git a/packages/cli/config.test.ts b/packages/cli/config.test.ts
index 2b74f7dd..988364ab 100644
--- a/packages/cli/config.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/config.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { defineConfig, loadConfig } from "./config.js";
+import { defineConfig, loadConfig, loadConfigFromPath } from "./config.js";
 import fs from "node:fs";
 import os from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
@@ -107,4 +107,30 @@ describe("loadConfig", () => {
       process.chdir(originalCwd);
     }
   });
+
+  test("loads an explicit config path", async () => {
+    const filePath = path.join(tmpDir, "src", "openworkflow.config.js");
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(filePath), { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(filePath, `export default { name: "explicit" };`);
+
+    const { config, configFile } = await loadConfigFromPath(
+      "src/openworkflow.config.js",
+      tmpDir,
+    );
+    const cfg = config as unknown as TestConfig;
+    expect(cfg.name).toBe("explicit");
+    expect(configFile).toBe(filePath);
+  });
+
+  test("does not fallback to discovered config when explicit path is missing", async () => {
+    const filePath = path.join(tmpDir, "openworkflow.config.js");
+    fs.writeFileSync(filePath, `export default { name: "discovered" };`);
+
+    const { config, configFile } = await loadConfigFromPath(
+      "src/openworkflow.config.js",
+      tmpDir,
+    );
+    expect(config).toEqual({});
+    expect(configFile).toBeUndefined();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/cli/config.ts b/packages/cli/config.ts
index bb9b3724..35ab9433 100644
--- a/packages/cli/config.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/config.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,22 @@ const CONFIG_NAME = "openworkflow.config";
 const CONFIG_EXTENSIONS = ["ts", "mts", "cts", "js", "mjs", "cjs"] as const;
 const jiti = createJiti(import.meta.url);
 
+/**
+ * Load OpenWorkflow config from an explicit path.
+ * @param configPath - Explicit config file path
+ * @param startDir - Optional base directory for resolving relative paths
+ * @returns The loaded configuration and metadata
+ */
+export async function loadConfigFromPath(
+  configPath: string,
+  startDir?: string,
+): Promise<LoadedConfig> {
+  const filePath = path.resolve(startDir ?? process.cwd(), configPath);
+  return existsSync(filePath)
+    ? importConfigFile(filePath)
+    : getEmptyLoadedConfig();
+}
+
 /**
  * Load the OpenWorkflow config at openworkflow.config.{ts,mts,cts,js,mjs,cjs}.
  * Searches up the directory tree from the starting directory to find the
@@ -64,22 +80,7 @@ export async function loadConfig(startDir?: string): Promise<LoadedConfig> {
       const filePath = path.join(currentDir, fileName);
 
       if (existsSync(filePath)) {
-        try {
-          const fileUrl = pathToFileURL(filePath).href;
-
-          const config = await jiti.import<OpenWorkflowConfig>(fileUrl, {
-            default: true,
-          });
-
-          return {
-            config,
-            configFile: filePath,
-          };
-        } catch (error: unknown) {
-          throw new Error(
-            `Failed to load config file ${filePath}: ${String(error)}`,
-          );
-        }
+        return await importConfigFile(filePath);
       }
     }
 
@@ -92,6 +93,35 @@ export async function loadConfig(startDir?: string): Promise<LoadedConfig> {
     currentDir = parentDir;
   }
 
+  return getEmptyLoadedConfig();
+}
+
+/**
+ * Import a config file and wrap load errors with a stable message.
+ * @param filePath - Absolute config file path.
+ * @returns Loaded config metadata.
+ */
+async function importConfigFile(filePath: string): Promise<LoadedConfig> {
+  try {
+    const fileUrl = pathToFileURL(filePath).href;
+    const config = await jiti.import<OpenWorkflowConfig>(fileUrl, {
+      default: true,
+    });
+
+    return {
+      config,
+      configFile: filePath,
+    };
+  } catch (error: unknown) {
+    throw new Error(`Failed to load config file ${filePath}: ${String(error)}`);
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Return an empty config result when no config file is found.
+ * @returns Empty config metadata.
+ */
+function getEmptyLoadedConfig(): LoadedConfig {
   return {
     // not great, but meant to match the c12 api since that is what was used in
     // the initial implementation of loadConfig
diff --git a/packages/docs/docs/cli.mdx b/packages/docs/docs/cli.mdx
index 864fddd3..ae49225e 100644
--- a/packages/docs/docs/cli.mdx
+++ b/packages/docs/docs/cli.mdx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ description: Command-line interface for OpenWorkflow
 
 The OpenWorkflow CLI is the primary way to set up your project, run workers, and
 launch the dashboard. CLI commands read your `openworkflow.config.ts`
-automatically.
+automatically, or you can override the path with `--config`.
 
 ## Installation
 
diff --git a/packages/docs/docs/configuration.mdx b/packages/docs/docs/configuration.mdx
index 21192c5e..c4d7635b 100644
--- a/packages/docs/docs/configuration.mdx
+++ b/packages/docs/docs/configuration.mdx
@@ -44,7 +44,11 @@ export default defineConfig({
 ```
 
 The CLI automatically finds this file by searching up from the current
-directory.
+directory. If your config lives somewhere else, pass an explicit path:
+
+```bash
+npx @openworkflow/cli worker start --config src/openworkflow.config.ts
+```
 
 ## Verify Configuration