diff --git a/lib/nconf/stores/file.js b/lib/nconf/stores/file.js
index 6d3aa0c..09b2449 100644
--- a/lib/nconf/stores/file.js
+++ b/lib/nconf/stores/file.js
@@ -4,9 +4,10 @@
  * (C) 2011, Charlie Robbins
  *
  */
- 
-var fs = require('fs'),
-    util = require('util'),
+
+var fs     = require('fs'),
+    path   = require('path'),
+    util   = require('util'),
     Memory = require('./memory').Memory;
  
 //
@@ -60,27 +61,15 @@ File.prototype.save = function (value, callback) {
 // Saves the current configuration object to disk at `this.file` 
 // using the format specified by `this.format` synchronously.
 //
-File.prototype.saveSync = function (value, callback) {
-  if (!callback) {
-    callback = value;
-    value = null;
-  }
+File.prototype.saveSync = function (value) {
   
-  var err;
   try {
     fs.writeFileSync(this.file, this.format.stringify(this.store));
   }
   catch (ex) {
-    err = ex;
+    throw(ex);
   }
   
-  if (callback) {
-    return callback(err);
-  }
-  
-  if (err) {
-    throw err;
-  }
 };
 
 //
@@ -90,21 +79,37 @@ File.prototype.saveSync = function (value, callback) {
 //
 File.prototype.load = function (callback) {
   var self = this;
-  fs.readFile(this.file, function (err, data) {
-    if (err) {
-      return callback(err);
-    }
-    
-    try {
-      self.store = self.format.parse(data.toString());
-    }
-    catch (ex) {
-      self.store = {};
-      return callback(ex);
-    }
-    callback(null, self.store);
 
+  path.exists(self.file, function(exists){
+
+    if (!exists) {
+
+      // If the path we are attempting to load doesn't exist, create it
+      self.save({}, function(err){
+        self.store = {};
+        return callback(err, self.store);
+      });
+
+    }
+    else {
+
+      // Else, the path exists, read it from disk
+      fs.readFile(self.file, function (err, data) {
+        if (err) {
+          return callback(err);
+        }
+        try {
+          self.store = self.format.parse(data.toString());
+        }
+        catch (ex) {
+          return callback(new Error("Error parsing your JSON configuration file."));
+        }
+        callback(null, self.store);
+      });
+
+    }
   });
+
 };
 
 //
@@ -112,25 +117,29 @@ File.prototype.load = function (callback) {
 // #### @callback {function} **Optional** Continuation to respond to when complete.
 // Attempts to load the data stored in `this.file` synchronously and responds appropriately.
 //
-File.prototype.loadSync = function (callback) {
-  var err, data;
-  
-  try {
-    data = fs.readFileSync(this.file, 'utf8');
-    this.store = this.format.parse(data);
+File.prototype.loadSync = function () {
+  var data, self = this;
+
+  if (!path.existsSync(self.file)) {
+
+    // If the path we are attempting to load doesn't exist, create it
+    self.saveSync({});
+    self.store = {};
+    data = {};
+
   }
-  catch (ex) {
-    err = ex;
+  else {
+
+    // Else, the path exists, read it from disk
+    try {
+      data = fs.readFileSync(this.file, 'utf8');
+      this.store = this.format.parse(data);
+    }
+    catch (ex) {
+      throw new Error("Error parsing your JSON configuration file.")
+    }
+
   }
-  
-  if (callback) {
-    return callback(err, data);
-  }
-  
-  if (err) {
-    err.message = "Error parsing your JSON configuration file."
-    throw err;
-  }
-  
+
   return data;
 };
\ No newline at end of file