diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index 1f75372..57fa319 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ package virtbuf
 // data to and from config files
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -43,11 +44,11 @@ func (c *Cluster) ConfigSave() error {
 	var e *Events
 	e = new(Events)
 	e.Events = c.Events
-	if err := ConfigWriteJSON(h, "newEvents.json"); err != nil {
+	if err := ConfigWriteJSON(e, "newEvents.json"); err != nil {
 		fmt.Println("newEvents.json write failed")
 		return err
 	}
-	if err := ConfigWriteTEXT(h, "newEvents.text"); err != nil {
+	if err := ConfigWriteTEXT(e, "newEvents.text"); err != nil {
 		fmt.Println("newEvents.json write failed")
 		return err
 	}
@@ -72,15 +73,79 @@ func (c *Cluster) ConfigSave() error {
 
 func (c *Cluster) ConfigLoad() error {
 	if c == nil {
-		c = new(Cluster)
+		return errors.New("It's not safe to run ConfigLoad() on a nil cluster")
 	}
-	fullname := filepath.Join(os.Getenv("VIRTIGO_HOME"), "newCluster.json")
+
+	// load the cluster config file
+	if data, err := loadFile("cluster.text"); err == nil {
+		if err = prototext.Unmarshal(data, c); err != nil {
+			fmt.Println("broken cluster.text config file")
+			fmt.Println(err)
+			return errors.New("cluster.text file is broken")
+		}
+	} else {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	var d *Droplets
+	d = new(Droplets)
+	// load the droplet config file
+	if data, err := loadFile("droplets.json"); err == nil {
+		if err = protojson.Unmarshal(data, d); err != nil {
+			fmt.Println("broken droplets.json config file")
+			return err
+		}
+	} else {
+		return err
+	}
+	// copy them over. is this needed? does the memory free otherwise?
+	for _, drop := range d.Droplets {
+		c.Droplets = append(c.Droplets, drop)
+	}
+
+	var h *Hypervisors
+	h = new(Hypervisors)
+	// load the hypervisors config file
+	if data, err := loadFile("hypervisors.json"); err == nil {
+		if err = protojson.Unmarshal(data, h); err != nil {
+			fmt.Println("broken hypervisors.json config file")
+			return err
+		}
+	} else {
+		fmt.Println("ERROR HERE IN Hypervisors")
+		return err
+	}
+	// copy them over. is this needed? does the memory free otherwise?
+	for _, a := range h.Hypervisors {
+		c.Hypervisors = append(c.Hypervisors, a)
+	}
+
+	var e *Events
+	e = new(Events)
+	// load the events config file
+	if data, err := loadFile("events.json"); err == nil {
+		if err = protojson.Unmarshal(data, e); err != nil {
+			fmt.Println("broken events.json config file")
+			return err
+		}
+	} else {
+		return err
+	}
+	// copy them over. is this needed? does the memory free otherwise?
+	for _, a := range e.Events {
+		c.Events = append(c.Events, a)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func loadFile(filename string) ([]byte, error) {
+	fullname := filepath.Join(os.Getenv("VIRTIGO_HOME"), filename)
 	data, err := os.ReadFile(fullname)
 	if err != nil {
 		// log.Info("open config file :", err)
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
-	return c.UnmarshalJSON(data)
+	return data, nil
 }
 
 // reads in from the prototext file
@@ -137,7 +202,6 @@ func WriteConfig(d *Droplets, h *Hypervisors, e *Events) bool {
 	return true
 }
 
-
 // read in events.json
 func ReadEventsConfig() (*Events, error) {
 	e := new(Events)