diff --git a/jrnl/__init__.py b/jrnl/__init__.py
index 030a9d4b..8a71ba2f 100644
--- a/jrnl/__init__.py
+++ b/jrnl/__init__.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ jrnl is a simple journal application for your command line.
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 
 __title__ = 'jrnl'
-__version__ = '1.9.5'
+__version__ = '2.0.0-rc1'
 __author__ = 'Manuel Ebert'
 __license__ = 'MIT License'
 __copyright__ = 'Copyright 2013 - 2014 Manuel Ebert'
diff --git a/jrnl/install.py b/jrnl/install.py
index 606af840..b287a58e 100644
--- a/jrnl/install.py
+++ b/jrnl/install.py
@@ -5,13 +5,12 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import
 import readline
 import glob
 import getpass
-import json
 import os
 import xdg.BaseDirectory
 from . import util
+import yaml
 
-
-DEFAULT_CONFIG_NAME = 'jrnl.json'
+DEFAULT_CONFIG_NAME = 'jrnl.yaml'
 DEFAULT_JOURNAL_NAME = 'journal.txt'
 XDG_RESOURCE = 'jrnl'
 
@@ -19,6 +18,7 @@ USER_HOME = os.path.expanduser('~')
 
 CONFIG_PATH = xdg.BaseDirectory.save_config_path(XDG_RESOURCE) or USER_HOME
 CONFIG_FILE_PATH = os.path.join(CONFIG_PATH, DEFAULT_CONFIG_NAME)
+CONFIG_FILE_PATH_FALLBACK = os.path.join(USER_HOME, ".jrnl_config")
 
 JOURNAL_PATH = xdg.BaseDirectory.save_data_path(XDG_RESOURCE) or USER_HOME
 JOURNAL_FILE_PATH = os.path.join(JOURNAL_PATH, DEFAULT_JOURNAL_NAME)
@@ -56,25 +56,32 @@ def upgrade_config(config):
     if missing_keys:
         for key in missing_keys:
             config[key] = default_config[key]
-        with open(CONFIG_FILE_PATH, 'w') as f:
-            json.dump(config, f, indent=2)
+        save_config(config)
         print("[.jrnl_conf updated to newest version]")
 
 
 def save_config(config):
-    with open(CONFIG_FILE_PATH, 'w') as f:
-        json.dump(config, f, indent=2)
+    yaml.safe_dump(config, file(CONFIG_FILE_PATH, 'w'), encoding='utf-8', allow_unicode=True, default_flow_style=False)
 
 
 def install_jrnl():
+    """
+    If jrnl is already installed, loads and returns a config object.
+    Else, perform various prompts to install jrnl.
+    """
     if os.path.exists(CONFIG_FILE_PATH):
-        config = util.load_and_fix_json(CONFIG_FILE_PATH)
+        config = util.load_config(CONFIG_FILE_PATH)
         upgrade_config(config)
         return config
+    elif os.path.exists(CONFIG_FILE_PATH_FALLBACK):  # Backwards compatibility with jrnl 1.x
+        config = util.load_config(CONFIG_FILE_PATH_FALLBACK)
+        upgrade_config(config)
+        save_config(config)
+        return config
 
     def autocomplete(text, state):
-        expansions = glob.glob(os.path.expanduser(os.path.expandvars(text))+'*')
-        expansions = [e+"/" if os.path.isdir(e) else e for e in expansions]
+        expansions = glob.glob(os.path.expanduser(os.path.expandvars(text)) + '*')
+        expansions = [e + "/" if os.path.isdir(e) else e for e in expansions]
         expansions.append(None)
         return expansions[state]
     readline.set_completer_delims(' \t\n;')
@@ -108,9 +115,7 @@ def install_jrnl():
 
     open(default_config['journals']['default'], 'a').close()  # Touch to make sure it's there
 
-    # Write config to ~/.jrnl_conf
-    with open(CONFIG_FILE_PATH, 'w') as f:
-        json.dump(default_config, f, indent=2)
+    save_config(config)
     config = default_config
     if password:
         config['password'] = password
diff --git a/jrnl/util.py b/jrnl/util.py
index 6a174f74..15a5a5a9 100644
--- a/jrnl/util.py
+++ b/jrnl/util.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import sys
 import os
 import getpass as gp
 import keyring
-import json
+import yaml
 if "win32" in sys.platform:
     import colorama
     colorama.init()
@@ -100,30 +100,13 @@ def yesno(prompt, default=True):
     return {'y': True, 'n': False}.get(raw.lower(), default)
 
 
-def load_and_fix_json(json_path):
-    """Tries to load a json object from a file.
-    If that fails, tries to fix common errors (no or extra , at end of the line).
+def load_config(config_path):
+    """Tries to load a config file from YAML.
+    If that fails, fall back to JSON.
     """
-    with open(json_path) as f:
-        json_str = f.read()
-    config = None
-    try:
-        return json.loads(json_str)
-    except ValueError as e:
-        # Attempt to fix extra ,
-        json_str = re.sub(r",[ \n]*}", "}", json_str)
-        # Attempt to fix missing ,
-        json_str = re.sub(r"([^{,]) *\n *(\")", r"\1,\n \2", json_str)
-        try:
-            config = json.loads(json_str)
-            with open(json_path, 'w') as f:
-                json.dump(config, f, indent=2)
-            prompt("[Some errors in your jrnl config have been fixed for you.]")
-            return config
-        except ValueError as e:
-            prompt("[There seems to be something wrong with your jrnl config at {0}: {1}]".format(json_path, e.message))
-            prompt("[Entry was NOT added to your journal]")
-            sys.exit(1)
+    with open(config_path) as f:
+        config = yaml.load(f)
+    return config
 
 
 def get_text_from_editor(config, template=""):
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 09b7ba2a..ae2890f3 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ setup(
         "pytz>=2013b",
         "six>=1.6.1",
         "tzlocal>=1.1",
+        "PyYAML>=3.11",
         "keyring>=3.3",
     ] + [p for p, cond in conditional_dependencies.items() if cond],
     extras_require = {