diff --git a/kiauh.sh b/kiauh.sh
index ce86d7a..33e781c 100755
--- a/kiauh.sh
+++ b/kiauh.sh
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ OCTOPRINT_DIR=${HOME}/OctoPrint
 KLIPPERSCREEN_DIR=${HOME}/KlipperScreen
 KLIPPERSCREEN_ENV_DIR=${HOME}/.KlipperScreen-env
 #misc
-INI_FILE=${SRCDIR}/kiauh/kiauh.ini
+INI_FILE=${HOME}/.config/kiauh.ini
 BACKUP_DIR=${HOME}/kiauh-backups
 
 ### set github repos
diff --git a/scripts/functions.sh b/scripts/functions.sh
index 1e30472..e8823c2 100755
--- a/scripts/functions.sh
+++ b/scripts/functions.sh
@@ -464,6 +464,10 @@ write_printer_cfg(){
 }
 
 init_ini(){
+  ### copy an existing kiauh.ini to its new location to keep all possible saved values
+  if [ -f ${SRCDIR}/kiauh/kiauh.ini ] || [ ! -f $INI_FILE ]; then
+    cp ${SRCDIR}/kiauh/kiauh.ini $INI_FILE
+  fi
   if [ ! -f $INI_FILE ]; then
     echo -e "#don't edit this file if you don't know what you are doing...\c" > $INI_FILE
   fi