diff --git a/src/config.py b/src/config.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9208ef7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,195 @@
+"""Configuration management for gitignore-generator."""
+import os
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
+
+
+class Config:
+    """Configuration management class."""
+
+    DEFAULT_CONFIG_NAME = ".gitignorerc"
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        custom_templates: Optional[Dict[str, str]] = None,
+        default_types: Optional[List[str]] = None,
+        exclude_patterns: Optional[List[str]] = None,
+        include_patterns: Optional[List[str]] = None,
+    ) -> None:
+        """Initialize configuration."""
+        self.custom_templates = custom_templates or {}
+        self.default_types = default_types or []
+        self.exclude_patterns = exclude_patterns or []
+        self.include_patterns = include_patterns or {}
+
+    @classmethod
+    def load(cls, config_path: str) -> "Config":
+        """Load configuration from YAML file."""
+        import yaml
+
+        path = Path(config_path)
+        if not path.exists():
+            raise FileNotFoundError(f"Config file not found: {config_path}")
+
+        try:
+            with open(path, "r") as f:
+                data = yaml.safe_load(f)
+        except yaml.YAMLError as e:
+            raise ValueError(f"Invalid YAML in config file: {e}")
+        except OSError as e:
+            raise OSError(f"Error reading config file: {e}")
+
+        if not isinstance(data, dict):
+            raise ValueError("Config file must contain a YAML dictionary")
+
+        custom_templates = data.get("custom_templates", {})
+        default_types = data.get("default_types", [])
+        exclude_patterns = data.get("exclude_patterns", [])
+        include_patterns = data.get("include_patterns", {})
+
+        return cls(
+            custom_templates=custom_templates,
+            default_types=default_types,
+            exclude_patterns=exclude_patterns,
+            include_patterns=include_patterns,
+        )
+
+    @classmethod
+    def find_config(
+        cls, search_paths: Optional[List[str]] = None
+    ) -> Optional[Path]:
+        """Find configuration file in search paths."""
+        if search_paths is None:
+            search_paths = [
+                os.getcwd(),
+                os.path.expanduser("~"),
+                "/etc",
+            ]
+
+        for path_str in search_paths:
+            path = Path(path_str)
+            config_path = path / cls.DEFAULT_CONFIG_NAME
+            if config_path.exists():
+                return config_path
+
+            yaml_path = path / "config.yaml"
+            if yaml_path.exists():
+                return yaml_path
+
+        return None
+
+    def save(self, config_path: str) -> None:
+        """Save configuration to YAML file."""
+        import yaml
+
+        path = Path(config_path)
+
+        data = {
+            "custom_templates": self.custom_templates,
+            "default_types": self.default_types,
+            "exclude_patterns": self.exclude_patterns,
+            "include_patterns": self.include_patterns,
+        }
+
+        try:
+            with open(path, "w") as f:
+                yaml.dump(data, f, default_flow_style=False, indent=2)
+        except OSError as e:
+            raise OSError(f"Error writing config file: {e}")
+
+    def get(self, key: str, default: Any = None) -> Any:
+        """Get configuration value."""
+        if hasattr(self, key):
+            return getattr(self, key)
+        return default
+
+    def set(self, key: str, value: Any) -> None:
+        """Set configuration value."""
+        if hasattr(self, key):
+            setattr(self, key, value)
+
+    def merge(self, other: "Config") -> "Config":
+        """Merge with another configuration."""
+        return Config(
+            custom_templates={
+                **self.custom_templates,
+                **other.custom_templates,
+            },
+            default_types=self.default_types or other.default_types,
+            exclude_patterns=list(
+                set(self.exclude_patterns + other.exclude_patterns)
+            ),
+            include_patterns={
+                **self.include_patterns,
+                **other.include_patterns,
+            },
+        )
+
+    def validate(self) -> List[str]:
+        """Validate configuration and return list of errors."""
+        errors = []
+
+        if not isinstance(self.custom_templates, dict):
+            errors.append("custom_templates must be a dictionary")
+        else:
+            for key, value in self.custom_templates.items():
+                if not isinstance(key, str):
+                    errors.append(f"Template key must be string: {key}")
+                if not isinstance(value, str):
+                    errors.append(
+                        f"Template value for '{key}' must be a string"
+                    )
+
+        if not isinstance(self.default_types, list):
+            errors.append("default_types must be a list")
+        else:
+            for item in self.default_types:
+                if not isinstance(item, str):
+                    errors.append(f"Default type must be string: {item}")
+
+        if not isinstance(self.exclude_patterns, list):
+            errors.append("exclude_patterns must be a list")
+        else:
+            for item in self.exclude_patterns:
+                if not isinstance(item, str):
+                    errors.append(
+                        f"Exclude pattern must be string: {item}"
+                    )
+
+        if not isinstance(self.include_patterns, dict):
+            errors.append("include_patterns must be a dictionary")
+        else:
+            for key, value in self.include_patterns.items():
+                if not isinstance(key, str):
+                    errors.append(f"Include pattern key must be string: {key}")
+                if isinstance(value, list):
+                    for item in value:
+                        if not isinstance(item, str):
+                            errors.append(
+                                f"Include pattern value for '{key}' must be string: {item}"
+                            )
+                elif not isinstance(value, str):
+                    errors.append(
+                        f"Include pattern value for '{key}' must be string or list"
+                    )
+
+        return errors
+
+    def to_dict(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+        """Convert configuration to dictionary."""
+        return {
+            "custom_templates": self.custom_templates,
+            "default_types": self.default_types,
+            "exclude_patterns": self.exclude_patterns,
+            "include_patterns": self.include_patterns,
+        }
+
+    @classmethod
+    def from_dict(cls, data: Dict[str, Any]) -> "Config":
+        """Create configuration from dictionary."""
+        return cls(
+            custom_templates=data.get("custom_templates", {}),
+            default_types=data.get("default_types", []),
+            exclude_patterns=data.get("exclude_patterns", []),
+            include_patterns=data.get("include_patterns", {}),
+        )