diff --git a/scripts/release-manager/Readme.md b/scripts/release-manager/Readme.md
index 2062b9f491..aa972deedf 100644
--- a/scripts/release-manager/Readme.md
+++ b/scripts/release-manager/Readme.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 This is a WIP tool that is being used to manage React releases.
 
 General prereqs:
-- A separate clone of React, checked out to this branch (currently `release-manager`). This clone should be a sibling to your primary working copy of React. I have these 2 as siblings: `react/` & `react@release-manager`.
+- A separate clone of React, checked out to this branch (currently `release-manager`). This clone can be anywhere, so long as it is a separate working copy. Ideally this is where you are most comfortable working on React.
 - Your `react` clone should have the latest commits fetched before running commands. You may need to rebase or reset & re-run commands if not.
 
 
diff --git a/scripts/release-manager/cli.js b/scripts/release-manager/cli.js
index 9438822a4a..3c0c3a0216 100755
--- a/scripts/release-manager/cli.js
+++ b/scripts/release-manager/cli.js
@@ -5,9 +5,11 @@
 const chalk = require('chalk');
 const Vorpal = require('vorpal');
 const GitHubAPI = require('github-api');
+const untildify = require('untildify');
 
 const fs = require('fs');
 const path = require('path');
+const os = require('os');
 
 const child_process = require('child_process');
 const execSync = child_process.execSync;
@@ -17,7 +19,14 @@ const vorpal = new Vorpal();
 // Expects to be in a checkout of react that is a sibling of the react checkout you want to operate on
 // eg ~/code/react@release-manager/scripts/release-manager & ~/code/react
 // TODO: Make this an argument to the script
-const PATH_TO_REPO = path.resolve('../../../react');
+let PATH_TO_REPO = null;
+
+const PATH_TO_CONFIG = path.resolve(os.homedir(), '.react-release-manager.json');
+
+const DEFAULT_CONFIG = {
+  githubToken: null,
+  reactPath: path.resolve('../../../react'),
+};
 
 // Quick dry run opt-in. This allows quick debugging of execInRepo without
 // actually running the command, ensuring no accidental publishing.
@@ -92,24 +101,30 @@ const app = {
     // TODO: write this. This should make it possible to start without a config
     // and go through the init process to create one and then re-init the github
     // setup.
+    this.config = this.loadConfig();
+  },
+
+  loadConfig() {
+    try {
+      // TODO: validate config
+      let config = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(PATH_TO_CONFIG, 'utf8'));
+      config.reactPath = path.normalize(untildify(config.reactPath));
+      PATH_TO_REPO = config.reactPath;
+      return config;
+    } catch (e) {
+      console.error('Attempt to load config file failed. Please run `init` command for initial setup or make sure ~/.react-release-manager.json is valid JSON. Using a default config which may not work properly.');
+      return DEFAULT_CONFIG;
+    }
   },
 
   init() {
-    // Config
-    try {
-      this.config = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('./.config.json', 'utf8'));
-    } catch (e) {
-      this.config = {
-        token: null,
-      };
-      console.error('Could not read .config.json. Rate limits are much stricter as a result. Run init to setup.');
-    }
+    this.config = this.loadConfig();
 
-    this.PATH_TO_REPO = PATH_TO_REPO;
+    this.PATH_TO_CONFIG = PATH_TO_CONFIG;
 
     // GITHUB
     this.github = new GitHubAPI({
-      token: this.config.token,
+      token: this.config.githubToken,
     });
     this.ghrepo = this.github.getRepo('facebook', 'react');
     this.ghissues = this.github.getIssues('facebook', 'react');
diff --git a/scripts/release-manager/commands/init.js b/scripts/release-manager/commands/init.js
index 0adcfbda77..033bbbf9b8 100644
--- a/scripts/release-manager/commands/init.js
+++ b/scripts/release-manager/commands/init.js
@@ -7,15 +7,15 @@
 
 const chalk = require('chalk');
 const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require('path');
+const untildify = require('untildify');
 
-const FILENAME = '.config.json';
-
-module.exports = function(vorpal, options) {
+module.exports = function(vorpal, app) {
   vorpal
     .command('init')
     .description('Initializes a .config.json file for use')
     .action(function(args, cb) {
-      fs.stat(FILENAME, (err, stats) => {
+      fs.stat(app.PATH_TO_CONFIG, (err, stats) => {
         if (stats) {
           this.log('Config file exists, nothing to do.');
           cb();
@@ -23,14 +23,40 @@ module.exports = function(vorpal, options) {
 
         this.prompt([
           {
-            name: 'token',
+            name: 'githubToken',
             type: 'input',
             message: `${chalk.bold('GitHub token?')} ${chalk.grey('(needs "repo" privs)')} `,
           },
+          {
+            name: 'reactPath',
+            type: 'input',
+            message: `${chalk.bold('Location of local React checkout?')} `,
+            validate: (input) => {
+              let npath = path.normalize(untildify(input));
+
+              if (npath === '.') {
+                return 'Cannot be `.`';
+              }
+
+              let stats;
+              try {
+                stats = fs.statSync(npath);
+              } catch (e) {
+                return `Error: ${e}`;
+              }
+
+              if (!stats.isDirectory()) {
+                return `${npath} is not a directory.`;
+              }
+
+              // TODO: Look for markers indicating this is a React checkout.
+              return true;
+            },
+          },
         ]).then((answers) => {
-          fs.writeFile(FILENAME, JSON.stringify(answers, null, 2), (err) => {
+          fs.writeFile(app.PATH_TO_CONFIG, JSON.stringify(answers, null, 2), (err) => {
             if (err) {
-              this.log('ERROR WRITING .config.json', err);
+              this.log('Error writing config file.', err);
             }
             cb();
           });
diff --git a/scripts/release-manager/commands/npm-publish.js b/scripts/release-manager/commands/npm-publish.js
index 245ff332b5..122854127d 100644
--- a/scripts/release-manager/commands/npm-publish.js
+++ b/scripts/release-manager/commands/npm-publish.js
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ module.exports = function(vorpal, app) {
           // just npm publish pkg1.tgz && npm publish pkg2.tgz. This
           // avoided the need to cd and publish.
           const tgz = glob.sync('build/packages/*.tgz', {
-            cwd: app.PATH_TO_REPO,
+            cwd: app.config.reactPath,
           });
 
           // Just in case they didn't actually prep this.
diff --git a/scripts/release-manager/commands/version.js b/scripts/release-manager/commands/version.js
index 3d69595b8f..1e1f2f867c 100644
--- a/scripts/release-manager/commands/version.js
+++ b/scripts/release-manager/commands/version.js
@@ -117,13 +117,13 @@ module.exports = function(vorpal, app) {
             fields: ['version', 'peerDependencies.react'],
           },
         ].forEach((opts) => {
-          updateJSON.apply(this, [path.join(app.PATH_TO_REPO, opts.file), opts.fields, newVersion]);
+          updateJSON.apply(this, [path.join(app.config.reactPath, opts.file), opts.fields, newVersion]);
         });
 
         // We also need to update src/ReactVersion.js which has the version in
         // string form in JS code. We'll just do a string replace.
 
-        const PATH_TO_REACTVERSION = path.join(app.PATH_TO_REPO, 'src/ReactVersion.js');
+        const PATH_TO_REACTVERSION = path.join(app.config.reactPath, 'src/ReactVersion.js');
 
         let reactVersionContents = fs.readFileSync(PATH_TO_REACTVERSION, 'utf8');
 
diff --git a/scripts/release-manager/package.json b/scripts/release-manager/package.json
index 19a58d2182..208ebffd8f 100644
--- a/scripts/release-manager/package.json
+++ b/scripts/release-manager/package.json
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
     "glob": "^7.0.5",
     "opn": "^4.0.2",
     "semver": "^5.3.0",
+    "untildify": "^3.0.2",
     "vorpal": "^1.10.10"
   },
   "devDependencies": {},