diff --git a/forgeConfig/main.go b/forgeConfig/main.go
index ca958c7..6e9fe1a 100644
--- a/forgeConfig/main.go
+++ b/forgeConfig/main.go
@@ -11,8 +11,7 @@ import (
 var VERSION string
 
 func main() {
-	var f forgepb.Forge
-	f.Init()
+	f := forgepb.Init()
 
 	if argv.List {
 		f.ConfigPrintTable()
diff --git a/init.go b/init.go
index f22d30d..843d869 100644
--- a/init.go
+++ b/init.go
@@ -21,13 +21,10 @@ func init() {
 	os.Setenv("FORGE_GOSRC", goSrcDir)
 }
 
-func (f *Forge) Init() {
-	if f == nil {
-		f = new(Forge)
-	}
-	if f.Config == nil {
-		f.Config = new(ForgeConfigs)
-	}
+func Init() *Forge {
+	f := new(Forge)
+	f.Config = new(ForgeConfigs)
+
 	// load the ~/.config/forge/ config
 	if err := f.Config.ConfigLoad(); err != nil {
 		log.Warn("forgepb.ConfigLoad() failed", err)
@@ -40,6 +37,8 @@ func (f *Forge) Init() {
 
 	f.goSrc = os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC")
 	f.ScanGoSrc()
+	log.Warn("GOT HERE. forge.Init(). f can not be nil")
+	return f
 }
 
 func (f *Forge) SortByPath() *ForgeConfigIterator {