diff --git a/load.go b/load.go
index 202453d..711c1a5 100644
--- a/load.go
+++ b/load.go
@@ -7,8 +7,10 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 
 	"go.wit.com/log"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/encoding/protojson"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/encoding/prototext"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
 )
@@ -26,15 +28,35 @@ var ErrEmpty error = log.Errorf("file was empty")
 //   - []byte  : the contents of the file
 //   - error on read
 func ConfigLoad(pb proto.Message, argname string, protoname string) error {
-	var data []byte
 	var fullname string
 	homeDir, err := os.UserHomeDir()
 	if err != nil {
+		log.Warn("ConfigLoad() UserHomeDir() err", err)
 		return err
 	}
 
 	fullname = filepath.Join(homeDir, ".config", argname, protoname+".text")
 
+	if err := loadTEXT(pb, fullname); err == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	if strings.HasSuffix(fullname, ".text") {
+		fullname = strings.TrimSuffix(fullname, ".text")
+		fullname += ".json"
+		if err := loadJSON(pb, fullname); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	log.Info("Config file load failed:", fullname)
+	return log.Errorf("could not load config file")
+}
+
+func loadTEXT(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
@@ -44,11 +66,50 @@ func ConfigLoad(pb proto.Message, argname string, protoname string) error {
 
 	// don't even bother with Marshal()
 	if data == nil {
+		log.Warn("ConfigLoad() config file was empty", fullname)
 		return ErrEmpty // file is empty
 	}
 
 	// Unmarshal()
 	if err = prototext.Unmarshal(data, pb); err != nil {
+		log.Warn("ConfigLoad() file", fullname)
+		log.Warn("ConfigLoad() Unmarshal() err", err)
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if fn, ok := GetFilename(pb); ok {
+		if fn != fullname {
+			log.Info("config.ConfigLoad() new filename:", fullname)
+			SetFilename(pb, fullname)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if os.Getenv("CONFIG_VERBOSE") == "true" {
+		log.Infof("ConfigLoad() %s len()=%d\n", fullname, len(data))
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+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
+	}
+
+	// don't even bother with Marshal()
+	if data == nil {
+		log.Warn("ConfigLoad() config file was empty", fullname)
+		return ErrEmpty // file is empty
+	}
+
+	// Unmarshal()
+	if err = protojson.Unmarshal(data, pb); err != nil {
+		log.Warn("ConfigLoad() file", fullname)
+		log.Warn("ConfigLoad() Unmarshal() err", err)
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/save.go b/save.go
index a1f48e0..6231b3b 100644
--- a/save.go
+++ b/save.go
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 
 	"go.wit.com/log"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/encoding/protojson"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/encoding/prototext"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
 )
@@ -41,21 +43,43 @@ func ConfigSaveWithHeader(pb proto.Message, header string) error {
 		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 {
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(dir, os.ModePerm); err != nil {
 		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 {
+	data := protojson.Format(pb)
+
+	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)