diff --git a/examples/runner/moleculer.config.async.ts b/examples/runner/moleculer.config.async.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..39b2e507e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/runner/moleculer.config.async.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import fetch from "node-fetch";
+
+/**
+ * Test:
+ *
+ * 	npx ts-node -T bin\moleculer-runner.js -c examples\runner\moleculer.config.async.ts -r examples/user.service.js
+ */
+export default async function () {
+	const res = await fetch("https://pastebin.com/raw/SLZRqfHX");
+	return await res.json();
+}
diff --git a/examples/runner/moleculer.config.ts b/examples/runner/moleculer.config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..efc91c474
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/runner/moleculer.config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+/**
+ * Test:
+ *
+ * 	npx ts-node -T bin\moleculer-runner.js -c examples\runner\moleculer.config.ts -r examples/user.service.js
+ */
+export default {
+	namespace: "bbb",
+	logger: true,
+	logLevel: "debug",
+	//transporter: "TCP"
+	hotReload: true,
+
+	created(broker) {
+		broker.logger.info("Typescript configuration loaded!");
+	}
+};
diff --git a/src/runner-esm.mjs b/src/runner-esm.mjs
index ba17f24bc..e3c1c091a 100644
--- a/src/runner-esm.mjs
+++ b/src/runner-esm.mjs
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ export default class MoleculerRunner {
 		this.watchFolders = [];
 
 		this.flags = null;
-		this.configFile = null;
 		this.config = null;
 		this.servicePaths = null;
 		this.broker = null;
@@ -182,23 +181,24 @@ export default class MoleculerRunner {
 			filePath = this.tryConfigPath(path.resolve(process.cwd(), "moleculer.config.json"));
 		}
 
-		if (filePath != null) {
-			const ext = path.extname(filePath);
-			switch (ext) {
-				case ".json":
-				case ".js":
-				case ".mjs":
-				case ".ts": {
-					const mod = await import(filePath.startsWith("/") ? filePath : "/" + filePath);
-					let content = mod.default;
-
-					if (utils.isFunction(content)) content = await content.call(this);
-					this.configFile = content;
-					break;
-				}
-				default:
-					return Promise.reject(new Error(`Not supported file extension: ${ext}`));
+		if (filePath == null) {
+			return Promise.resolve({});
+		}
+
+		const ext = path.extname(filePath);
+		switch (ext) {
+			case ".json":
+			case ".js":
+			case ".mjs":
+			case ".ts":
+			case ".mts": {
+				const mod = await import(filePath.startsWith("/") ? filePath : "/" + filePath);
+				let content = mod.default;
+
+				return utils.isFunction(content) ? content.call(this) : content;
 			}
+			default:
+				return Promise.reject(new Error(`Not supported file extension: ${ext}`));
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -299,8 +299,8 @@ export default class MoleculerRunner {
 	 *  Env variable:			`CIRCUITBREAKER_ENABLED`
 	 *
 	 */
-	mergeOptions() {
-		this.config = _.defaultsDeep(this.configFile, ServiceBroker.defaultOptions);
+	mergeOptions(configFromFile) {
+		this.config = _.defaultsDeep(configFromFile, ServiceBroker.defaultOptions);
 
 		this.config = this.overwriteFromEnv(this.config);
 
@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@ export default class MoleculerRunner {
 		return Promise.resolve()
 			.then(() => this.loadEnvFile())
 			.then(() => this.loadConfigFile())
-			.then(() => this.mergeOptions())
+			.then(configFromFile => this.mergeOptions(configFromFile))
 			.then(() => this.startBroker())
 			.catch(err => {
 				logger.error(err);
diff --git a/src/runner.js b/src/runner.js
index 70507238c..2424d8312 100644
--- a/src/runner.js
+++ b/src/runner.js
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ class MoleculerRunner {
 		this.watchFolders = [];
 
 		this.flags = null;
-		this.configFile = null;
 		this.config = null;
 		this.servicePaths = null;
 		this.broker = null;
@@ -176,27 +175,28 @@ class MoleculerRunner {
 			filePath = this.tryConfigPath(path.resolve(process.cwd(), "moleculer.config.json"));
 		}
 
-		if (filePath != null) {
-			const ext = path.extname(filePath);
-			switch (ext) {
-				case ".json":
-				case ".js":
-				case ".ts": {
-					const content = require(filePath);
-					return Promise.resolve()
-						.then(() => {
-							if (utils.isFunction(content)) return content.call(this);
-							else return content;
-						})
-						.then(
-							res =>
-								(this.configFile =
-									res.default != null && res.__esModule ? res.default : res)
-						);
-				}
-				default:
-					return Promise.reject(new Error(`Not supported file extension: ${ext}`));
+		if (filePath == null) {
+			// no configuration file found
+			return Promise.resolve({});
+		}
+
+		const ext = path.extname(filePath);
+		switch (ext) {
+			case ".json":
+			case ".js":
+			case ".ts": {
+				return Promise.resolve(require(filePath))
+					.then(content => {
+						return content.default != null && content.__esModule
+							? content.default
+							: content;
+					})
+					.then(mod => {
+						return utils.isFunction(mod) ? mod.call(this) : mod;
+					});
 			}
+			default:
+				return Promise.reject(new Error(`Not supported file extension: ${ext}`));
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -297,8 +297,8 @@ class MoleculerRunner {
 	 *  Env variable:			`CIRCUITBREAKER_ENABLED`
 	 *
 	 */
-	mergeOptions() {
-		this.config = _.defaultsDeep(this.configFile, ServiceBroker.defaultOptions);
+	mergeOptions(configFromFile) {
+		this.config = _.defaultsDeep(configFromFile, ServiceBroker.defaultOptions);
 
 		this.config = this.overwriteFromEnv(this.config);
 
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ class MoleculerRunner {
 		return Promise.resolve()
 			.then(() => this.loadEnvFile())
 			.then(() => this.loadConfigFile())
-			.then(() => this.mergeOptions())
+			.then(configFromFile => this.mergeOptions(configFromFile))
 			.then(() => this.startBroker())
 			.catch(err => {
 				logger.error(err);