diff --git a/cmd/ipfs/init.go b/cmd/ipfs/init.go
index d193b2bac..062889571 100644
--- a/cmd/ipfs/init.go
+++ b/cmd/ipfs/init.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	peer "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/p2p/peer"
 	repo "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/repo"
 	config "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/repo/config"
+	"github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/repo/fsrepo"
 	u "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/util"
 	debugerror "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/util/debugerror"
 )
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ func doInit(configRoot string, dspathOverride string, force bool, nBitsForKeypai
 		return nil, debugerror.New("Couldn't get home directory path")
 	}
 
-	if u.FileExists(configFilename) && !force {
+	if fsrepo.ConfigIsInitialized(configRoot) && !force {
 		return nil, errCannotInitConfigExists
 	}
 
diff --git a/repo/fsrepo/fsrepo.go b/repo/fsrepo/fsrepo.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1a6f51f37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/repo/fsrepo/fsrepo.go
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+package fsrepo
+
+import (
+	config "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/repo/config"
+	util "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/util"
+)
+
+// ConfigIsInitialized returns true if the config exists in provided |path|.
+func ConfigIsInitialized(path string) bool {
+	configFilename, err := config.Filename(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	if !util.FileExists(configFilename) {
+		return false
+	}
+	return true
+}