diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index 926e476..1b194ed 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -509,6 +509,7 @@ pub fn build_exe(
             .{ .name = "thespian", .module = thespian_mod },
             .{ .name = "log", .module = log_mod },
             .{ .name = "Buffer", .module = Buffer_mod },
+            .{ .name = "config", .module = config_mod },
         },
     });
 
@@ -527,6 +528,7 @@ pub fn build_exe(
         tests.root_module.addImport("thespian", thespian_mod);
         tests.root_module.addImport("log", log_mod);
         tests.root_module.addImport("Buffer", Buffer_mod);
+        tests.root_module.addImport("config", config_mod);
         // b.installArtifact(tests);
         break :blk b.addRunArtifact(tests);
     };
diff --git a/src/config.zig b/src/config.zig
index 2e62b42..bb6367b 100644
--- a/src/config.zig
+++ b/src/config.zig
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ idle_actions: []const IdleAction = &default_actions,
 enable_format_on_save: bool = false,
 restore_last_cursor_position: bool = true,
 follow_cursor_on_buffer_switch: bool = false, //scroll cursor into view on buffer switch
-default_cursor: []const u8 = "default",
+default_cursor: CursorShape = .default,
 enable_auto_save: bool = false,
 limit_auto_save_file_types: ?[]const []const u8 = null, // null means *all*
 
@@ -114,3 +114,13 @@ pub const WhitespaceMode = enum {
     full,
     none,
 };
+
+pub const CursorShape = enum {
+    default,
+    block_blink,
+    block,
+    underline_blink,
+    underline,
+    beam_blink,
+    beam,
+};
diff --git a/src/keybind/keybind.zig b/src/keybind/keybind.zig
index 4fe2d67..16485d0 100644
--- a/src/keybind/keybind.zig
+++ b/src/keybind/keybind.zig
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const command = @import("command");
 const EventHandler = @import("EventHandler");
 const KeyEvent = input.KeyEvent;
 const SelectionStyle = @import("Buffer").Selection.Style;
+pub const CursorShape = @import("config").CursorShape;
 
 const parse_flow = @import("parse_flow.zig");
 const parse_vim = @import("parse_vim.zig");
@@ -743,16 +744,6 @@ pub const LineNumbers = enum {
     relative,
 };
 
-pub const CursorShape = enum {
-    default,
-    block_blink,
-    block,
-    underline_blink,
-    underline,
-    beam_blink,
-    beam,
-};
-
 pub fn get_or_create_namespace_config_file(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, namespace_name: []const u8) ![]const u8 {
     if (root.read_keybind_namespace(allocator, namespace_name)) |content| {
         allocator.free(content);
diff --git a/src/tui/tui.zig b/src/tui/tui.zig
index 338dbfc..9a58b2d 100644
--- a/src/tui/tui.zig
+++ b/src/tui/tui.zig
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ render_pending: bool = false,
 keepalive_timer: ?tp.Cancellable = null,
 input_idle_timer: ?tp.Cancellable = null,
 mouse_idle_timer: ?tp.Cancellable = null,
-default_cursor: keybind.CursorShape = .default,
 fontface_: []const u8 = "",
 fontfaces_: std.ArrayListUnmanaged([]const u8) = .{},
 input_is_idle: bool = false,
@@ -183,8 +182,6 @@ fn init(allocator: Allocator) InitError!*Self {
     instance_ = self;
     defer instance_ = null;
 
-    self.default_cursor = std.meta.stringToEnum(keybind.CursorShape, conf.default_cursor) orelse .default;
-    self.config_.default_cursor = @tagName(self.default_cursor);
     self.rdr_.handler_ctx = self;
     self.rdr_.dispatch_input = dispatch_input;
     self.rdr_.dispatch_mouse = dispatch_mouse;
@@ -1745,7 +1742,8 @@ fn set_terminal_style(self: *Self, theme_: *const Widget.Theme) void {
 
 pub fn get_cursor_shape() renderer.CursorShape {
     const self = current();
-    const shape_ = if (self.input_mode_) |mode| mode.cursor_shape orelse self.default_cursor else self.default_cursor;
+    const default_cursor = self.config_.default_cursor;
+    const shape_ = if (self.input_mode_) |mode| mode.cursor_shape orelse default_cursor else default_cursor;
     const shape = if (self.rdr_.vx.caps.multi_cursor and shape_ == .default) .beam_blink else shape_;
     return switch (shape) {
         .default => .default,