diff --git a/load.go b/load.go
index 711c1a5..427ae5e 100644
--- a/load.go
+++ b/load.go
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ func ConfigLoad(pb proto.Message, argname string, protoname string) error {
 	}
 
 	if strings.HasSuffix(fullname, ".text") {
-		fullname = strings.TrimSuffix(fullname, ".text")
 		fullname += ".json"
 		if err := loadJSON(pb, fullname); err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -57,10 +56,10 @@ func ConfigLoad(pb proto.Message, argname string, protoname string) error {
 func loadTEXT(pb proto.Message, fullname string) error {
 	var data []byte
 	var err error
+	SetFilename(pb, fullname)
 	if data, err = loadFile(fullname); err != nil {
 		log.Warn("config file failed to load", err)
 		// set pb.Filename that was attempted
-		SetFilename(pb, fullname)
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -90,13 +89,13 @@ func loadTEXT(pb proto.Message, fullname string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// json files are backup Marshal() data in case .text Unmarshal() fails
+// they always should have the ".text" filename in them
 func loadJSON(pb proto.Message, fullname string) error {
 	var data []byte
 	var err error
 	if data, err = loadFile(fullname); err != nil {
 		log.Warn("config file failed to load", err)
-		// set pb.Filename that was attempted
-		SetFilename(pb, fullname)
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/save.go b/save.go
index 6231b3b..2d64d68 100644
--- a/save.go
+++ b/save.go
@@ -15,33 +15,41 @@ import (
 var ErrProtoFilename error = log.Errorf("proto does not have Filename")
 
 func ConfigSave(pb proto.Message) error {
-	// get pb.Filename if it is there in the .proto file
-	fullname, ok := GetFilename(pb)
-	if !ok {
-		return ErrProtoFilename
-	}
-
-	s := prototext.Format(pb)
-
-	dir, name := filepath.Split(fullname)
-	if name == "" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("filename was blank")
-	}
-	err := os.MkdirAll(dir, os.ModePerm)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	log.Infof("ConfigSave() filename=%s %d\n", fullname, len(s))
-	return configWrite(fullname, []byte(s))
+	// log.Infof("ConfigSave() filename=%s %d\n", fullname, len(s))
+	return saveTEXT(pb, "")
 }
 
 func ConfigSaveWithHeader(pb proto.Message, header string) error {
+	var final error
+	if err := saveTEXT(pb, header); err != nil {
+		final = err
+	}
+	if err := saveJSON(pb); err != nil {
+		final = err
+	}
+
+	/*
+		if strings.HasSuffix(fullname, ".text") {
+			fullname = strings.TrimSuffix(fullname, ".text")
+			fullname += ".json"
+			if err := configJSON(fullname, pb); err != nil {
+				final = err
+			}
+		}
+	*/
+	return final
+}
+
+func saveTEXT(pb proto.Message, header string) error {
 	// get pb.Filename if it is there in the .proto file
 	fullname, ok := GetFilename(pb)
 	if !ok {
 		return ErrProtoFilename
 	}
+	if !strings.HasSuffix(fullname, ".text") {
+		// todo: append .text here?
+		return log.Errorf("not .text file: %s", fullname)
+	}
 
 	dir, name := filepath.Split(fullname)
 	if name == "" {
@@ -51,37 +59,40 @@ func ConfigSaveWithHeader(pb proto.Message, header string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	var final error
-	if err := configTEXT(fullname, pb, header); err != nil {
-		final = err
-	}
-
-	if strings.HasSuffix(fullname, ".text") {
-		fullname = strings.TrimSuffix(fullname, ".text")
-		fullname += ".json"
-		if err := configJSON(fullname, pb); err != nil {
-			final = err
-		}
-	}
-	return final
-}
-
-func configTEXT(fullname string, pb proto.Message, header string) error {
 	s := prototext.Format(pb)
 
 	log.Infof("ConfigSave() filename=%s %d\n", fullname, len(s))
 	return configWrite(fullname, []byte(header+s))
 }
 
-func configJSON(fullname string, pb proto.Message) error {
+func saveJSON(pb proto.Message) error {
+	// get pb.Filename if it is there in the .proto file
+	fullname, ok := GetFilename(pb)
+	if !ok {
+		return ErrProtoFilename
+	}
+	if !strings.HasSuffix(fullname, ".text") {
+		// todo: append .text here?
+		return log.Errorf("not .text file: %s", fullname)
+	}
+
+	dir, name := filepath.Split(fullname)
+	if name == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("filename was blank")
+	}
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(dir, os.ModePerm); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	data := protojson.Format(pb)
 
+	fullname += ".json"
+
 	log.Infof("ConfigSave() filename=%s %d\n", fullname, len(data))
 	return configWrite(fullname, []byte(data))
 }
 
 func configWrite(fullname string, data []byte) error {
-
 	cfgfile, err := os.OpenFile(fullname, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_TRUNC, 0644)
 	defer cfgfile.Close()
 	if err != nil {