diff --git a/src/config.zig b/src/config.zig
index 78e033361..73c014a01 100644
--- a/src/config.zig
+++ b/src/config.zig
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 const builtin = @import("builtin");
 
 pub usingnamespace @import("config/key.zig");
+pub usingnamespace @import("config/formatter.zig");
 pub const Config = @import("config/Config.zig");
 pub const string = @import("config/string.zig");
 pub const edit = @import("config/edit.zig");
diff --git a/src/config/formatter.zig b/src/config/formatter.zig
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ab5a8667f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/config/formatter.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+const std = @import("std");
+const Config = @import("Config.zig");
+
+/// FileFormatter is a formatter implementation that outputs the
+/// config in a file-like format. This uses more generous whitespace,
+/// can include comments, etc.
+pub const FileFormatter = struct {
+    config: *const Config,
+
+    /// Implements std.fmt so it can be used directly with std.fmt.
+    pub fn format(
+        self: FileFormatter,
+        comptime layout: []const u8,
+        opts: std.fmt.FormatOptions,
+        writer: anytype,
+    ) !void {
+        _ = layout;
+        _ = opts;
+
+        inline for (@typeInfo(Config).Struct.fields) |field| {
+            if (field.name[0] == '_') continue;
+            try self.formatField(
+                field.type,
+                field.name,
+                @field(self.config, field.name),
+                writer,
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn formatField(
+        self: FileFormatter,
+        comptime T: type,
+        name: []const u8,
+        value: T,
+        writer: anytype,
+    ) !void {
+        switch (@typeInfo(T)) {
+            .Bool, .Int => {
+                try writer.print("{s} = {}\n", .{ name, value });
+                return;
+            },
+
+            .Float => {
+                try writer.print("{s} = {d}\n", .{ name, value });
+                return;
+            },
+
+            .Optional => |info| if (value) |inner| {
+                try self.formatField(
+                    info.child,
+                    name,
+                    inner,
+                    writer,
+                );
+            } else {
+                try writer.print("{s} = \n", .{name});
+            },
+
+            .Pointer => switch (T) {
+                []const u8,
+                [:0]const u8,
+                => {
+                    try writer.print("{s} = {s}\n", .{ name, value });
+                },
+
+                else => {},
+            },
+
+            else => {},
+        }
+
+        // TODO: make a compiler error so we can detect when
+        // we don't support a type.
+    }
+};
+
+test "format default config" {
+    const testing = std.testing;
+    const alloc = testing.allocator;
+    var cfg = try Config.default(alloc);
+    defer cfg.deinit();
+
+    var buf = std.ArrayList(u8).init(alloc);
+    defer buf.deinit();
+
+    const fmt: FileFormatter = .{ .config = &cfg };
+    try std.fmt.format(buf.writer(), "{}", .{fmt});
+
+    std.log.warn("{s}", .{buf.items});
+}