diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 07a7da9..b5a4877 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -6,9 +6,10 @@ module.exports.linter = Linter
 const os = require('os')
 const path = require('path')
 const fs = require('fs')
+const xdgBasedir = require('xdg-basedir')
 const { cosmiconfigSync } = require('cosmiconfig')
 
-const CACHE_HOME = require('xdg-basedir').cache || os.tmpdir()
+const CACHE_HOME = xdgBasedir.cache || os.tmpdir()
 
 const DEFAULT_EXTENSIONS = [
   '.js',
@@ -24,6 +25,15 @@ const DEFAULT_IGNORE = [
   'vendor/**'
 ]
 
+const XDG_CONFIG_SEARCH_PLACES = [
+  'config',
+  'config.json',
+  'config.yaml',
+  'config.yml',
+  'config.js',
+  'config.cjs'
+]
+
 function Linter (opts) {
   if (!(this instanceof Linter)) return new Linter(opts)
   if (!opts) opts = {}
@@ -152,7 +162,19 @@ Linter.prototype.parseOpts = function (opts) {
   let rootPath = null
 
   // try default search places up to ~
-  const explorerRes = cosmiconfigSync(self.cmd).search(opts.cwd)
+  let explorerRes = cosmiconfigSync(self.cmd).search(opts.cwd)
+
+  // Fallback to XDG config base dir if no config is found
+  if (!explorerRes && xdgBasedir.config) {
+    explorerRes = cosmiconfigSync(self.cmd, {
+      searchPlaces: XDG_CONFIG_SEARCH_PLACES,
+      // Only search the specific config dir
+      stopDir: path.join(xdgBasedir.config)
+    }).search(
+      // ie. ~/.config/standard/config.js
+      path.join(xdgBasedir.config, self.cmd)
+    )
+  }
 
   if (opts.usePackageJson || opts.useGitIgnore) {
     packageOpts = explorerRes ? explorerRes.config : {}
diff --git a/test/api.js b/test/api.js
index c38f82f..3df8677 100644
--- a/test/api.js
+++ b/test/api.js
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-const eslint = require('eslint')
-const Linter = require('../').linter
 const path = require('path')
+const eslint = require('eslint')
 const test = require('tape')
 
+let Linter = require('../').linter
+
 function getStandard () {
   return new Linter({
     cmd: 'pocketlint',
@@ -74,3 +75,20 @@ test('api: parseOpts -- load config from rc file', function (t) {
   t.deepEqual(opts.globals, undefined)
   t.deepEqual(opts.eslintConfig.globals, ['foorc'])
 })
+
+test('api: parseOpts -- load config from XDG config base dir', function (t) {
+  process.env.XDG_CONFIG_HOME = path.join(__dirname, 'lib', '.xdgconfig')
+
+  delete require.cache['xdg-basedir']
+  delete require.cache['../']
+
+  // re-require to ensure env variable is used
+  Linter = require('../').linter
+
+  t.plan(2)
+  const standard = getStandard()
+  const opts = standard.parseOpts()
+
+  t.deepEqual(opts.globals, undefined)
+  t.deepEqual(opts.eslintConfig.globals, ['xdgrc'])
+})
diff --git a/test/lib/.xdgconfig/pocketlint/config.js b/test/lib/.xdgconfig/pocketlint/config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..851fbf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/lib/.xdgconfig/pocketlint/config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+// used for testing loading a config from XDG config directory
+module.exports = {
+  globals: ['xdgrc']
+}
\ No newline at end of file