diff --git a/src/backend/init.go b/src/backend/init.go
index 6394cba..0e048ce 100644
--- a/src/backend/init.go
+++ b/src/backend/init.go
@@ -10,12 +10,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 // TempInit ensures libmutton directories exist and writes the libmutton configuration file
-func TempInit(configFileMap map[string]string) {
+// TODO if run in append mode, extend old config file with new values, rather than creating from scratch
+func TempInit(configFileMap map[string]string, append bool) {
 	// create EntryRoot and ConfigDir
-	DirInit()
-
-	// remove existing config file
-	removeFile(ConfigPath)
+	DirInit(append)
 
 	if configFileMap["textEditor"] == "" {
 		configFileMap["textEditor"] = textEditorFallback()
@@ -68,7 +66,7 @@ func GpgKeyGen() string {
 }
 
 // DirInit creates the libmutton directories
-func DirInit() {
+func DirInit(preserveOldConfigDir bool) {
 	// create EntryRoot
 	err := os.MkdirAll(EntryRoot, 0700)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -76,14 +74,16 @@ func DirInit() {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
-	// remove existing config directory (if it exists)
-	_, isAccessible := TargetIsFile(ConfigDir, false, 1)
-	if isAccessible {
-		err = os.RemoveAll(ConfigDir)
-		if err != nil {
-			fmt.Println(AnsiError + "Failed to remove existing config directory: " + err.Error() + AnsiReset)
-			os.Exit(1)
+	// remove existing config directory (if it exists and not in append mode)
+	if !preserveOldConfigDir {
+		_, isAccessible := TargetIsFile(ConfigDir, false, 1)
+		if isAccessible {
+			err = os.RemoveAll(ConfigDir)
+			if err != nil {
+				fmt.Println(AnsiError + "Failed to remove existing config directory: " + err.Error() + AnsiReset)
+				os.Exit(1)
 
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/cli/init.go b/src/cli/init.go
index 0a3d189..dd4dd4b 100644
--- a/src/cli/init.go
+++ b/src/cli/init.go
@@ -40,16 +40,16 @@ func TempInitCli() {
 		sshKeyProtected := inputBinary("Is the identity file password-protected?")
 
 		// write config file
-		backend.TempInit(map[string]string{"textEditor": textEditor, "gpgID": gpgID, "sshUser": sshUser, "sshIP": sshIP, "sshPort": sshPort, "sshKey": sshKey, "sshKeyProtected": strconv.FormatBool(sshKeyProtected)})
+		backend.TempInit(map[string]string{"textEditor": textEditor, "gpgID": gpgID, "sshUser": sshUser, "sshIP": sshIP, "sshPort": sshPort, "sshKey": sshKey, "sshKeyProtected": strconv.FormatBool(sshKeyProtected)}, false)
 
 		// generate device ID
 		sshEntryRoot, sshIsWindows := sync.DeviceIDGen()
 
 		// update config file with sshEntryRoot and sshIsWindows TODO append to existing config file
-		backend.TempInit(map[string]string{"textEditor": textEditor, "gpgID": gpgID, "sshUser": sshUser, "sshIP": sshIP, "sshPort": sshPort, "sshKey": sshKey, "sshKeyProtected": strconv.FormatBool(sshKeyProtected), "sshEntryRoot": sshEntryRoot, "sshIsWindows": sshIsWindows})
+		backend.TempInit(map[string]string{"textEditor": textEditor, "gpgID": gpgID, "sshUser": sshUser, "sshIP": sshIP, "sshPort": sshPort, "sshKey": sshKey, "sshKeyProtected": strconv.FormatBool(sshKeyProtected), "sshEntryRoot": sshEntryRoot, "sshIsWindows": sshIsWindows}, true)
 	} else {
 		// write config file
-		backend.TempInit(map[string]string{"textEditor": textEditor, "gpgID": gpgID})
+		backend.TempInit(map[string]string{"textEditor": textEditor, "gpgID": gpgID}, false)
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/src/sync/client.go b/src/sync/client.go
index 90a6e72..e50f8d1 100644
--- a/src/sync/client.go
+++ b/src/sync/client.go
@@ -24,11 +24,13 @@ const (
 func getSSHClient(manualSync bool) (*ssh.Client, string, bool) {
 	// get SSH config info, exit if not configured (displaying an error if the sync job was called manually)
 	var sshUserConfig []string
+	var missingValueError string
 	if manualSync {
-		sshUserConfig = backend.ReadConfig([]string{"sshUser", "sshIP", "sshPort", "sshKey", "sshKeyProtected", "sshEntryRoot", "sshIsWindows"}, "SSH settings not configured - run \"mutn init\" to configure")
+		missingValueError = "SSH settings not configured - run \"mutn init\" to configure"
 	} else {
-		sshUserConfig = backend.ReadConfig([]string{"sshUser", "sshIP", "sshPort", "sshKey", "sshKeyProtected"}, "0")
+		missingValueError = "0"
 	}
+	sshUserConfig = backend.ReadConfig([]string{"sshUser", "sshIP", "sshPort", "sshKey", "sshKeyProtected", "sshEntryRoot", "sshIsWindows"}, missingValueError)
 
 	var user, ip, port, keyFile, keyFileProtected, entryRoot string
 	var isWindows bool
@@ -299,7 +301,7 @@ func sftpSync(downloadList, uploadList []string, manualSync bool) {
 		var remoteFile *sftp.File
 		remoteFile, err = sftpClient.Create(remoteEntryFullPath)
 		if err != nil {
-			fmt.Println(backend.AnsiError+"Sync failed - Unable to create remote file:", err.Error()+backend.AnsiReset)
+			fmt.Println(backend.AnsiError+"Sync failed - Unable to create remote file ("+remoteEntryFullPath+"):", err.Error()+backend.AnsiReset)
 			os.Exit(1)
 		}