diff --git a/dist/npmts.configfile.js b/dist/npmts.configfile.js
index 7e5fa03..ea44d7d 100644
--- a/dist/npmts.configfile.js
+++ b/dist/npmts.configfile.js
@@ -2,33 +2,34 @@
 require("typings-global");
 var plugins = require("./npmts.plugins");
 var paths = require("./npmts.paths");
+var npmts_promisechain_1 = require("./npmts.promisechain");
 exports.run = function (argvArg) {
     var done = plugins.Q.defer();
-    var config = {};
-    var configPath = plugins.path.join(paths.cwd, "npmts.json");
+    npmts_promisechain_1.npmtsOra.text("looking for npmextra.json");
+    var defaultConfig = {
+        mode: "default",
+        notest: false
+    };
     if (argvArg.notest) {
-        config.notest = true;
-    }
-    if (plugins.smartfile.fs.fileExistsSync(configPath)) {
-        plugins.beautylog.info("npmts.json".blue + " config file found!");
-        config = plugins.lodashObject.assign(config, plugins.smartfile.fs.toObjectSync(configPath));
-        switch (config.mode) {
-            case "default":
-            case "custom":
-                plugins.beautylog.ok("mode is " + config.mode.yellow);
-                done.resolve(config);
-                break;
-            default:
-                plugins.beautylog.error("mode " + config.mode.yellow + " not recognised!".red);
-                process.exit(1);
-        }
-        ;
-    }
-    else {
-        plugins.beautylog.log("no config file found: so mode is " + "default".yellow);
-        config.mode = "default";
-        done.resolve(config);
+        defaultConfig.notest = true;
     }
     ;
+    var config = plugins.npmextra.dataFor({
+        toolName: "npmts",
+        defaultSettings: defaultConfig,
+        cwd: paths.cwd
+    });
+    switch (config.mode) {
+        case "default":
+        case "custom":
+            plugins.beautylog.ok("mode is " + config.mode.yellow);
+            done.resolve(config);
+            break;
+        default:
+            plugins.beautylog.error("mode " + config.mode.yellow + " not recognised!".red);
+            process.exit(1);
+    }
+    ;
+    done.resolve(config);
     return done.promise;
 };
diff --git a/dist/npmts.plugins.d.ts b/dist/npmts.plugins.d.ts
index c3c2e23..dc6280f 100644
--- a/dist/npmts.plugins.d.ts
+++ b/dist/npmts.plugins.d.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ export declare let g: {
     typedoc: any;
 };
 export declare let lodashObject: any;
+export import npmextra = require("npmextra");
 export import projectinfo = require("projectinfo");
 export import path = require("path");
 export import Q = require("q");
diff --git a/dist/npmts.plugins.js b/dist/npmts.plugins.js
index 63d6688..ea7fa84 100644
--- a/dist/npmts.plugins.js
+++ b/dist/npmts.plugins.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ exports.g = {
     typedoc: require("gulp-typedoc")
 };
 exports.lodashObject = require('lodash/fp/object');
+exports.npmextra = require("npmextra");
 exports.projectinfo = require("projectinfo");
 exports.path = require("path");
 exports.Q = require("q");
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 59077bd..5d4520b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@
   },
   "homepage": "https://gitlab.com/pushrocks/npmts#readme",
   "dependencies": {
-    "@types/minimatch": "*",
-    "@types/q": "*",
-    "@types/shelljs": "*",
+    "@types/minimatch": "^2.0.28",
+    "@types/q": "^0.0.27",
+    "@types/shelljs": "^0.3.27",
     "babel-preset-es2015": "^6.9.0",
     "beautylog": "5.0.14",
     "early": "^2.0.13",
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
     "gulp-sourcemaps": "^1.6.0",
     "gulp-typedoc": "^2.0.0",
     "lodash": "^4.13.1",
+    "npmextra": "^1.0.7",
     "projectinfo": "1.0.3",
     "q": "^1.4.1",
     "shelljs": "^0.7.0",
diff --git a/ts/npmts.configfile.ts b/ts/npmts.configfile.ts
index a396481..699035b 100644
--- a/ts/npmts.configfile.ts
+++ b/ts/npmts.configfile.ts
@@ -1,33 +1,32 @@
 import "typings-global";
 import plugins = require("./npmts.plugins");
 import paths = require("./npmts.paths");
+import {npmtsOra} from "./npmts.promisechain";
 export var run = function(argvArg){
-    var done = plugins.Q.defer();
-    var config:any = {};
-    var configPath = plugins.path.join(paths.cwd,"npmts.json");
-    if(argvArg.notest){
-        config.notest = true;
-    }
-    if(plugins.smartfile.fs.fileExistsSync(configPath)){
-        plugins.beautylog.info("npmts.json".blue + " config file found!");
-        config = plugins.lodashObject.assign(
-            config,
-            plugins.smartfile.fs.toObjectSync(configPath)
-        );
-        switch (config.mode){
-            case "default":
-            case "custom":
-                plugins.beautylog.ok("mode is " + config.mode.yellow);
-                done.resolve(config);
-                break;
-            default:
-                plugins.beautylog.error("mode " + config.mode.yellow + " not recognised!".red);
-                process.exit(1);
-        };
-    } else {
-        plugins.beautylog.log("no config file found: so mode is " + "default".yellow);
-        config.mode = "default";
-        done.resolve(config);
+    let done = plugins.Q.defer();
+    npmtsOra.text("looking for npmextra.json");
+    let defaultConfig = {
+        mode: "default",
+        notest:false
     };
+    if(argvArg.notest){
+        defaultConfig.notest = true;
+    };
+    let config = plugins.npmextra.dataFor({
+        toolName:"npmts",
+        defaultSettings:defaultConfig,
+        cwd:paths.cwd
+    });
+    switch (config.mode){
+        case "default":
+        case "custom":
+            plugins.beautylog.ok("mode is " + config.mode.yellow);
+            done.resolve(config);
+            break;
+        default:
+            plugins.beautylog.error("mode " + config.mode.yellow + " not recognised!".red);
+            process.exit(1);
+    };
+    done.resolve(config);
     return done.promise;
 };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ts/npmts.plugins.ts b/ts/npmts.plugins.ts
index b6008ee..c0cc489 100644
--- a/ts/npmts.plugins.ts
+++ b/ts/npmts.plugins.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ export let g = {
     typedoc: require("gulp-typedoc")
 };
 export let lodashObject = require('lodash/fp/object');
+export import npmextra = require("npmextra");
 export import projectinfo = require("projectinfo");
 export import path = require("path");
 export import Q = require("q");