diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index afc2c3f..9b2a50b 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -406,6 +406,16 @@ pub fn free_config(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, bufs: [][]const u8) void {
 
 var config_mutex: std.Thread.Mutex = .{};
 
+pub fn exists_config(T: type) bool {
+    config_mutex.lock();
+    defer config_mutex.unlock();
+    const json_file_name = get_app_config_file_name(application_name, @typeName(T)) catch return false;
+    const text_file_name = json_file_name[0 .. json_file_name.len - ".json".len];
+    var file = std.fs.openFileAbsolute(text_file_name, .{ .mode = .read_only }) catch return false;
+    defer file.close();
+    return true;
+}
+
 pub fn read_config(T: type, allocator: std.mem.Allocator) struct { T, [][]const u8 } {
     config_mutex.lock();
     defer config_mutex.unlock();
diff --git a/src/tui/status/tabs.zig b/src/tui/status/tabs.zig
index 1a56aa0..537137d 100644
--- a/src/tui/status/tabs.zig
+++ b/src/tui/status/tabs.zig
@@ -80,8 +80,11 @@ const TabBar = struct {
     fn init(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, parent: Plane, event_handler: ?EventHandler) !Self {
         var w = try WidgetList.createH(allocator, parent, "tabs", .dynamic);
         w.ctx = w;
-        const tab_style, const tab_style_bufs = root.read_config(Style, allocator);
-        root.write_config(tab_style, allocator) catch {};
+        const tab_style, const tab_style_bufs: [][]const u8 = if (root.exists_config(Style)) blk: {
+            const tab_style, const tab_style_bufs = root.read_config(Style, allocator);
+            root.write_config(tab_style, allocator) catch {};
+            break :blk .{ tab_style, tab_style_bufs };
+        } else .{ Style{}, &.{} };
         return .{
             .allocator = allocator,
             .plane = w.plane,