diff --git a/Gopkg.lock b/Gopkg.lock
index b8bb00dba..662a9c28d 100644
--- a/Gopkg.lock
+++ b/Gopkg.lock
@@ -155,6 +155,14 @@
   pruneopts = "NUT"
   revision = "58046073cbffe2f25d425fe1331102f55cf719de"
 
+[[projects]]
+  branch = "master"
+  digest = "1:5fe20cfe4ef484c237cec9f947b2a6fa90bad4b8610fd014f0e4211e13d82d5d"
+  name = "github.com/mitchellh/mapstructure"
+  packages = ["."]
+  pruneopts = "NUT"
+  revision = "f15292f7a699fcc1a38a80977f80a046874ba8ac"
+
 [[projects]]
   digest = "1:2c34c77bf3ec848da26e48af58fc511ed52750961fa848399d122882b8890928"
   name = "github.com/nicksnyder/go-i18n"
@@ -167,14 +175,6 @@
   revision = "a16b91a3ba80db3a2301c70d1d302d42251c9079"
   version = "v2.0.0-beta.5"
 
-[[projects]]
-  branch = "master"
-  digest = "1:5fe20cfe4ef484c237cec9f947b2a6fa90bad4b8610fd014f0e4211e13d82d5d"
-  name = "github.com/mitchellh/mapstructure"
-  packages = ["."]
-  pruneopts = "NUT"
-  revision = "f15292f7a699fcc1a38a80977f80a046874ba8ac"
-
 [[projects]]
   branch = "master"
   digest = "1:34d9354c2c5d916c05864327553047df59fc10e86ff1f408e4136eba0a25a5ec"
@@ -438,9 +438,9 @@
     "github.com/golang-collections/collections/stack",
     "github.com/jesseduffield/gocui",
     "github.com/mgutz/str",
+    "github.com/nicksnyder/go-i18n/v2/i18n",
     "github.com/shibukawa/configdir",
     "github.com/spf13/viper",
-    "github.com/nicksnyder/go-i18n/v2/i18n",
     "github.com/tcnksm/go-gitconfig",
     "golang.org/x/text/language",
     "gopkg.in/src-d/go-git.v4",
diff --git a/docs/Config.md b/docs/Config.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e6e2c3974
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/Config.md
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+# User Config:
+
+## Default:
+
+```
+  gui:
+    # stuff relating to the UI
+    scrollHeight: 2 # how many lines you scroll by
+    theme:
+      activeBorderColor:
+        - white
+        - bold
+      inactiveBorderColor:
+        - white
+      optionsTextColor:
+        - blue
+  git:
+    # stuff relating to git
+  os:
+    # stuff relating to the OS
+```
+
+## Color Attributes:
+
+For color attributes you can choose an array of attributes (with max one color attribute)
+The available attributes are:
+
+- default
+- black
+- red
+- green
+- yellow
+- blue
+- magenta
+- cyan
+- white
+- bold
+- reverse # useful for high-contrast
+- underline
diff --git a/pkg/config/app_config.go b/pkg/config/app_config.go
index 6276a6afa..9f258d4a6 100644
--- a/pkg/config/app_config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/app_config.go
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ package config
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"log"
-	"os/user"
 
 	"github.com/shibukawa/configdir"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
@@ -117,7 +115,9 @@ func LoadUserConfigFromFile(v *viper.Viper) error {
 	if folder == nil {
 		// create the file as an empty config and load it
 		folders := configDirs.QueryFolders(configdir.Global)
-		folders[0].WriteFile("config.yml", []byte{})
+		if err := folders[0].WriteFile("config.yml", []byte{}); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 		folder = configDirs.QueryFolderContainsFile("config.yml")
 	}
 	v.AddConfigPath(folder.Path)
@@ -150,11 +150,14 @@ func getDefaultConfig() []byte {
   gui:
     ## stuff relating to the UI
     scrollHeight: 2
-    activeBorderColor:
-      - white
-      - bold
-    inactiveBorderColor:
-      - white
+    theme:
+      activeBorderColor:
+        - white
+        - bold
+      inactiveBorderColor:
+        - white
+      optionsTextColor:
+        - blue
   git:
     # stuff relating to git
   os:
@@ -163,10 +166,11 @@ func getDefaultConfig() []byte {
 `)
 }
 
-func homeDirectory() string {
-	usr, err := user.Current()
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	return usr.HomeDir
-}
+// // commenting this out until we use it again
+// func homeDirectory() string {
+// 	usr, err := user.Current()
+// 	if err != nil {
+// 		log.Fatal(err)
+// 	}
+// 	return usr.HomeDir
+// }
diff --git a/pkg/gui/gui.go b/pkg/gui/gui.go
index 71ba255a8..05d0a1ae0 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/gui.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/gui.go
@@ -231,8 +231,10 @@ func (gui *Gui) layout(g *gocui.Gui) error {
 		if err != gocui.ErrUnknownView {
 			return err
 		}
-		v.FgColor = gocui.ColorBlue
 		v.Frame = false
+		if v.FgColor, err = gui.GetOptionsPanelTextColor(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 
 	if gui.getCommitMessageView(g) == nil {
diff --git a/pkg/gui/theme.go b/pkg/gui/theme.go
index 25f5f8dc0..dbc8b904b 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/theme.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/theme.go
@@ -36,10 +36,18 @@ func (gui *Gui) GetColor(keys []string) gocui.Attribute {
 	return attribute
 }
 
+// GetOptionsPanelTextColor gets the color of the options panel text
+func (gui *Gui) GetOptionsPanelTextColor() (gocui.Attribute, error) {
+	userConfig := gui.Config.GetUserConfig()
+	optionsColor := userConfig.GetStringSlice("gui.theme.optionsTextColor")
+	return gui.GetColor(optionsColor), nil
+}
+
 // SetColorScheme sets the color scheme for the app based on the user config
 func (gui *Gui) SetColorScheme() error {
-	activeBorderColor := gui.Config.GetUserConfig().GetStringSlice("gui.activeBorderColor")
-	inactiveBorderColor := gui.Config.GetUserConfig().GetStringSlice("gui.inactiveBorderColor")
+	userConfig := gui.Config.GetUserConfig()
+	activeBorderColor := userConfig.GetStringSlice("gui.theme.activeBorderColor")
+	inactiveBorderColor := userConfig.GetStringSlice("gui.theme.inactiveBorderColor")
 	gui.g.FgColor = gui.GetColor(inactiveBorderColor)
 	gui.g.SelFgColor = gui.GetColor(activeBorderColor)
 	return nil