diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ee0dca5c0ac..766d92b268e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 ## Unreleased - XXXX-XX-XX
 
+ - Add search locations to load lakeFS configuration. More information on https://docs.lakefs.io/reference/configuration (#2355)
 
 ## v0.48.0 - 2021-08-22
 
diff --git a/cmd/lakefs/cmd/root.go b/cmd/lakefs/cmd/root.go
index 8edd20adda1..cab1693ab1a 100644
--- a/cmd/lakefs/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/lakefs/cmd/root.go
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 package cmd
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"path"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
@@ -50,22 +52,15 @@ func init() {
 func initConfig() {
 	logger := logging.Default().WithField("phase", "startup")
 	if cfgFile != "" {
-		logger.WithField("file", cfgFile).Info("configuration file")
+		logger.WithField("file", cfgFile).Info("Configuration file")
 		// Use config file from the flag.
 		viper.SetConfigFile(cfgFile)
 	} else {
-		logger.Info("search for configuration file .lakefs")
-		// Find home directory.
-		home, err := homedir.Dir()
-		if err != nil {
-			fmt.Println(err)
-			os.Exit(1)
-		}
-
-		// Search config in home directory with name ".lakefs" (without extension).
-		viper.AddConfigPath(home)
 		viper.SetConfigType("yaml")
-		viper.SetConfigName(".lakefs")
+		viper.SetConfigName("config")
+		viper.AddConfigPath(".")
+		viper.AddConfigPath(path.Join(getHomeDir(), ".lakefs"))
+		viper.AddConfigPath("/etc/lakefs")
 	}
 
 	viper.SetEnvPrefix("LAKEFS")
@@ -73,23 +68,46 @@ func initConfig() {
 	// read in environment variables
 	viper.AutomaticEnv()
 
-	// If a config file is found, read it in.
+	// read configuration file
 	err := viper.ReadInConfig()
-	logger = logger.WithField("file", viper.ConfigFileUsed())
-
-	if err == nil {
-		logger.Info("loaded configuration from file")
-	} else if _, ok := err.(viper.ConfigFileNotFoundError); !ok {
-		logger.WithError(err).Fatal("failed to read config file")
+	logger = logger.WithField("file", viper.ConfigFileUsed()) // should be called after SetConfigFile
+	var errFileNotFound viper.ConfigFileNotFoundError
+	if err != nil && !errors.As(err, &errFileNotFound) {
+		logger.WithError(err).Fatal("Failed to find a config file")
+	}
+	// fallback - try to load the previous supported $HOME/.lakefs.yaml
+	//   if err is set it will be file-not-found based on previous check
+	if err != nil {
+		fallbackCfgFile := path.Join(getHomeDir(), ".lakefs.yaml")
+		if cfgFile != fallbackCfgFile {
+			viper.SetConfigFile(fallbackCfgFile)
+			logger = logger.WithField("file", viper.ConfigFileUsed()) // should be called after SetConfigFile
+			err = viper.ReadInConfig()
+			if err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+				logger.WithError(err).Fatal("Failed to read config file")
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	// setup config used by the executed command
 	cfg, err = config.NewConfig()
 	if err != nil {
-		logger.WithError(err).Fatal("load config")
+		logger.WithError(err).Fatal("Load config")
+	} else {
+		logger.Info("Config loaded")
 	}
 	err = cfg.Validate()
 	if err != nil {
-		logger.WithError(err).Fatal("invalid config")
+		logger.WithError(err).Fatal("Invalid config")
+	}
+}
+
+// getHomeDir find and return the home directory
+func getHomeDir() string {
+	home, err := homedir.Dir()
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println("Get home directory -", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
 	}
+	return home
 }
diff --git a/docs/deploy/docker.md b/docs/deploy/docker.md
index b85fce3960b..09d55905432 100644
--- a/docs/deploy/docker.md
+++ b/docs/deploy/docker.md
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ Here is a minimal example, but you can see the [reference](../reference/configur
   <li><a href="#docker-tabs-2">Google Cloud</a></li>
   <li><a href="#docker-tabs-3">Microsoft Azure</a></li>
 </ul>
-<div markdown="1" id="docker-tabs-1">      
+<div markdown="1" id="docker-tabs-1">
 {% include_relative includes/aws-docker-config.md %}
 </div>
 <div markdown="1" id="docker-tabs-2">
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ Save the configuration file locally as `lakefs-config.yaml` and run the followin
 docker run \
   --name lakefs \
   -p 8000:8000 \
-  -v $(pwd)/lakefs-config.yaml:/home/lakefs/.lakefs.yaml \
-  treeverse/lakefs:latest run
+  -v $(pwd)/lakefs-config.yaml:/etc/lakefs/config.yaml \
+  treeverse/lakefs:latest run --config /etc/lakefs/config.yaml
 ```
 
 ## Load balancing
diff --git a/docs/reference/configuration.md b/docs/reference/configuration.md
index f63e538b81f..c4549d1cff2 100644
--- a/docs/reference/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/reference/configuration.md
@@ -12,7 +12,16 @@ has_children: false
 
 {% include toc.html %}
 
-Configuring lakeFS is done using a yaml configuration file.
+Configuring lakeFS is done using a yaml configuration file and/or environment variable.
+The configuration file location can be set with the '--config' flag. If not specified, the the first file found in the following order will be used:
+1. ./config.yaml
+1. `$HOME`/lakefs/config.yaml
+1. /etc/lakefs/config.yaml
+1. `$HOME`/.lakefs.yaml
+
+Configuration items can each be controlled by an environment variable. The variable name will have a prefix of *LAKEFS_*, followed by the name of the configuration, replacing every '.' with a '_'.
+Example: `LAKEFS_LOGGING_LEVEL` controls `logging.format`.
+
 This reference uses `.` to denote the nesting of values.
 
 ## Reference