diff --git a/@commitlint/cli/fixtures/inner-scope/commitlint.config.js b/@commitlint/cli/fixtures/inner-scope/commitlint.config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f25ceaf559
--- /dev/null
+++ b/@commitlint/cli/fixtures/inner-scope/commitlint.config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+module.exports = {
+	rules: {
+		'type-enum': [2, 'always', ['outer']]
+	}
+};
diff --git a/@commitlint/cli/fixtures/inner-scope/inner-scope/commitlint.config.js b/@commitlint/cli/fixtures/inner-scope/inner-scope/commitlint.config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bfffc3d9d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/@commitlint/cli/fixtures/inner-scope/inner-scope/commitlint.config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+module.exports = {
+	rules: {
+		'type-enum': [2, 'always', ['inner']]
+	}
+};
diff --git a/@commitlint/cli/fixtures/outer-scope/commitlint.config.js b/@commitlint/cli/fixtures/outer-scope/commitlint.config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f25ceaf559
--- /dev/null
+++ b/@commitlint/cli/fixtures/outer-scope/commitlint.config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+module.exports = {
+	rules: {
+		'type-enum': [2, 'always', ['outer']]
+	}
+};
diff --git a/@commitlint/cli/src/cli.test.js b/@commitlint/cli/src/cli.test.js
index b314f00607..3e8a17a91d 100644
--- a/@commitlint/cli/src/cli.test.js
+++ b/@commitlint/cli/src/cli.test.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import path from 'path';
-import {git} from '@commitlint/test';
+import {fix, git} from '@commitlint/test';
 import test from 'ava';
 import execa from 'execa';
 import {merge} from 'lodash';
@@ -118,6 +118,38 @@ test('should pick up parser preset and succeed accordingly', async t => {
 	t.is(actual.code, 0);
 });
 
+test('should pick up config from outside git repo and fail accordingly', async t => {
+	const outer = await fix.bootstrap('fixtures/outer-scope');
+	const cwd = await git.init(path.join(outer, 'inner-scope'));
+
+	const actual = await cli([], {cwd})('inner: bar');
+	t.is(actual.code, 1);
+});
+
+test('should pick up config from outside git repo and succeed accordingly', async t => {
+	const outer = await fix.bootstrap('fixtures/outer-scope');
+	const cwd = await git.init(path.join(outer, 'inner-scope'));
+
+	const actual = await cli([], {cwd})('outer: bar');
+	t.is(actual.code, 0);
+});
+
+test('should pick up config from inside git repo with precedence and succeed accordingly', async t => {
+	const outer = await fix.bootstrap('fixtures/inner-scope');
+	const cwd = await git.init(path.join(outer, 'inner-scope'));
+
+	const actual = await cli([], {cwd})('inner: bar');
+	t.is(actual.code, 0);
+});
+
+test('should pick up config from inside git repo with precedence and fail accordingly', async t => {
+	const outer = await fix.bootstrap('fixtures/inner-scope');
+	const cwd = await git.init(path.join(outer, 'inner-scope'));
+
+	const actual = await cli([], {cwd})('outer: bar');
+	t.is(actual.code, 1);
+});
+
 async function writePkg(payload, options) {
 	const pkgPath = path.join(options.cwd, 'package.json');
 	const pkg = JSON.parse(await sander.readFile(pkgPath));
diff --git a/@commitlint/core/fixtures/outer-scope/commitlint.config.js b/@commitlint/core/fixtures/outer-scope/commitlint.config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..23554f588f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/@commitlint/core/fixtures/outer-scope/commitlint.config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+module.exports = {
+	rules: {
+		outer: true,
+		inner: false,
+		child: false
+	}
+};
diff --git a/@commitlint/core/fixtures/outer-scope/inner-scope/child-scope/commitlint.config.js b/@commitlint/core/fixtures/outer-scope/inner-scope/child-scope/commitlint.config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..925d251382
--- /dev/null
+++ b/@commitlint/core/fixtures/outer-scope/inner-scope/child-scope/commitlint.config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+module.exports = {
+	rules: {
+		outer: false,
+		inner: false,
+		child: true
+	}
+};
diff --git a/@commitlint/core/src/load.js b/@commitlint/core/src/load.js
index b8680cb250..b19c3cd0ed 100644
--- a/@commitlint/core/src/load.js
+++ b/@commitlint/core/src/load.js
@@ -5,22 +5,16 @@ import resolveFrom from 'resolve-from';
 
 import executeRule from './library/execute-rule';
 import resolveExtends from './library/resolve-extends';
-import toplevel from './library/toplevel';
 
 const w = (a, b) => (Array.isArray(b) ? b : undefined);
 const valid = input => pick(input, 'extends', 'rules', 'parserPreset');
 
 export default async (seed = {}, options = {cwd: ''}) => {
-	const explorer = cosmiconfig('commitlint', {
-		rcExtensions: true,
-		stopDir: await toplevel(options.cwd)
-	});
-
-	const raw = (await explorer.load(options.cwd)) || {};
-	const base = raw.filepath ? path.dirname(raw.filepath) : options.cwd;
+	const loaded = await loadConfig(options.cwd);
+	const base = loaded.filepath ? path.dirname(loaded.filepath) : options.cwd;
 
 	// Merge passed config with file based options
-	const config = valid(merge(raw.config, seed));
+	const config = valid(merge(loaded.config, seed));
 	const opts = merge({extends: [], rules: {}}, pick(config, 'extends'));
 
 	// Resolve parserPreset key
@@ -80,3 +74,17 @@ export default async (seed = {}, options = {cwd: ''}) => {
 		return registry;
 	}, preset);
 };
+
+async function loadConfig(cwd) {
+	const explorer = cosmiconfig('commitlint', {
+		rcExtensions: true
+	});
+
+	const local = await explorer.load(cwd);
+
+	if (local) {
+		return local;
+	}
+
+	return {};
+}
diff --git a/@commitlint/core/src/load.test.js b/@commitlint/core/src/load.test.js
index 4538f9dfdc..3fa9da29bc 100644
--- a/@commitlint/core/src/load.test.js
+++ b/@commitlint/core/src/load.test.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import {git} from '@commitlint/test';
+import path from 'path';
+import {fix, git} from '@commitlint/test';
 import test from 'ava';
 
 import load from './load';
@@ -181,3 +182,35 @@ test('ignores unknow keys recursively', async t => {
 		}
 	});
 });
+
+test('find up from given cwd', async t => {
+	const outer = await fix.bootstrap('fixtures/outer-scope');
+	await git.init(path.join(outer, 'inner-scope'));
+	const cwd = path.join(outer, 'inner-scope', 'child-scope');
+
+	const actual = await load({}, {cwd});
+
+	t.deepEqual(actual, {
+		extends: [],
+		rules: {
+			child: true,
+			inner: false,
+			outer: false
+		}
+	});
+});
+
+test('find up config from outside current git repo', async t => {
+	const outer = await fix.bootstrap('fixtures/outer-scope');
+	const cwd = await git.init(path.join(outer, 'inner-scope'));
+	const actual = await load({}, {cwd});
+
+	t.deepEqual(actual, {
+		extends: [],
+		rules: {
+			child: false,
+			inner: false,
+			outer: true
+		}
+	});
+});
diff --git a/@packages/test/src/fix.js b/@packages/test/src/fix.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..14b88b58c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/@packages/test/src/fix.js
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import crypto from 'crypto';
+import os from 'os';
+import path from 'path';
+
+import * as sander from '@marionebl/sander';
+import pkgDir from 'pkg-dir';
+
+export {bootstrap};
+
+async function bootstrap(fixture) {
+	const cwd = path.join(os.tmpdir(), rand());
+
+	if (typeof fixture !== 'undefined') {
+		await sander.copydir(await pkgDir(), fixture).to(cwd);
+	}
+
+	return cwd;
+}
+
+function rand() {
+	return crypto
+		.randomBytes(Math.ceil(6))
+		.toString('hex')
+		.slice(0, 12);
+}
diff --git a/@packages/test/src/git.js b/@packages/test/src/git.js
index 8d535b9950..c2e1950ff7 100644
--- a/@packages/test/src/git.js
+++ b/@packages/test/src/git.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import * as sander from '@marionebl/sander';
 import execa from 'execa';
 import pkgDir from 'pkg-dir';
 
-export {bootstrap, clone};
+export {bootstrap, clone, init};
 
 async function bootstrap(fixture) {
 	const cwd = path.join(os.tmpdir(), rand());
@@ -15,8 +15,7 @@ async function bootstrap(fixture) {
 		await sander.copydir(await pkgDir(), fixture).to(cwd);
 	}
 
-	await execa('git', ['init', cwd]);
-	await setup(cwd);
+	await init(cwd);
 	return cwd;
 }
 
@@ -27,6 +26,12 @@ async function clone(source, ...args) {
 	return cwd;
 }
 
+async function init(cwd) {
+	await execa('git', ['init', cwd]);
+	await setup(cwd);
+	return cwd;
+}
+
 async function setup(cwd) {
 	try {
 		await execa('git', ['config', 'user.name', 'ava'], {cwd});
diff --git a/@packages/test/src/index.js b/@packages/test/src/index.js
index f2848c67e6..2825fd2120 100644
--- a/@packages/test/src/index.js
+++ b/@packages/test/src/index.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
+import * as fix from './fix';
 import * as git from './git';
 import * as npm from './npm';
 
-export {git, npm};
+export {fix, git, npm};