diff --git a/docs/Config.md b/docs/Config.md
index d3b3aeb3a..cac8a4923 100644
--- a/docs/Config.md
+++ b/docs/Config.md
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ If you want to change the config directory:
 ```yaml
 gui:
   # stuff relating to the UI
+  screenMode: 'normal' # one of 'normal' | 'half' | 'full' default is 'normal'
   scrollHeight: 2 # how many lines you scroll by
   scrollPastBottom: true # enable scrolling past the bottom
   sidePanelWidth: 0.3333 # number from 0 to 1
diff --git a/pkg/config/user_config.go b/pkg/config/user_config.go
index 06dcf085b..b1719ec10 100644
--- a/pkg/config/user_config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/user_config.go
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ type GuiConfig struct {
 	ShowIcons                bool               `yaml:"showIcons"`
 	CommandLogSize           int                `yaml:"commandLogSize"`
 	SplitDiff                string             `yaml:"splitDiff"`
+	ScreenMode               string             `yaml:"screenMode"`
 }
 
 type ThemeConfig struct {
diff --git a/pkg/gui/gui.go b/pkg/gui/gui.go
index 4e15af94e..ddcc30ea8 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/gui.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/gui.go
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ func (gui *Gui) resetState(startArgs appTypes.StartArgs, reuseState bool) {
 	contextTree := gui.contextTree()
 
 	initialContext := initialContext(contextTree, startArgs)
-	initialScreenMode := initialScreenMode(startArgs)
+	initialScreenMode := initialScreenMode(startArgs, gui.Config)
 
 	initialWindowViewNameMap := gui.initialWindowViewNameMap(contextTree)
 
@@ -307,11 +307,20 @@ func (gui *Gui) resetState(startArgs appTypes.StartArgs, reuseState bool) {
 	gui.RepoStateMap[Repo(currentDir)] = gui.State
 }
 
-func initialScreenMode(startArgs appTypes.StartArgs) WindowMaximisation {
+func initialScreenMode(startArgs appTypes.StartArgs, config config.AppConfigurer) WindowMaximisation {
 	if startArgs.FilterPath != "" || startArgs.GitArg != appTypes.GitArgNone {
 		return SCREEN_HALF
 	} else {
-		return SCREEN_NORMAL
+		defaultScreenMode := config.GetUserConfig().Gui.ScreenMode
+
+		switch defaultScreenMode {
+		case "half":
+			return SCREEN_HALF
+		case "full":
+			return SCREEN_FULL
+		default:
+			return SCREEN_NORMAL
+		}
 	}
 }