diff --git a/cmd/terramate/cli/cli.go b/cmd/terramate/cli/cli.go
index 6af263b7f..15cc032ca 100644
--- a/cmd/terramate/cli/cli.go
+++ b/cmd/terramate/cli/cli.go
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ import (
 
 const (
 	ErrOutdatedLocalRev        errutil.Error = "outdated local revision"
-	ErrNoDefaultRemoteConfig   errutil.Error = "repository must have a configured origin/main"
 	ErrInit                    errutil.Error = "failed to initialize all stacks"
 	ErrOutdatedGenCodeDetected errutil.Error = "outdated generated code detected"
 )
@@ -148,12 +147,7 @@ type cli struct {
 	prj        project
 }
 
-func newCLI(
-	args []string,
-	stdin io.Reader,
-	stdout io.Writer,
-	stderr io.Writer,
-) *cli {
+func newCLI(args []string, stdin io.Reader, stdout, stderr io.Writer) *cli {
 	if len(args) == 0 {
 		// WHY: avoid default kong error, print help
 		args = []string{"--help"}
@@ -307,11 +301,10 @@ func (c *cli) run() {
 		Logger()
 
 	if c.parsedArgs.Changed {
-		logger.Trace().
-			Msg("`Changed` flag was set.")
+		logger.Trace().Msg("`Changed` flag was set.")
+
+		logger.Trace().Msg("Create new git wrapper.")
 
-		logger.Trace().
-			Msg("Create new git wrapper.")
 		git, err := newGit(c.root(), true)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Fatal().
@@ -319,8 +312,8 @@ func (c *cli) run() {
 				Msg("creating git wrapper.")
 		}
 
-		logger.Trace().
-			Msg("Check git default remote.")
+		logger.Trace().Msg("Check git default remote.")
+
 		if err := c.checkDefaultRemote(git); err != nil {
 			log.Fatal().
 				Err(err).
@@ -866,6 +859,10 @@ func (c *cli) runOnStacks() {
 func (c *cli) wd() string   { return c.prj.wd }
 func (c *cli) root() string { return c.prj.root }
 
+func (c *cli) gitcfg() *hcl.GitConfig {
+	return c.prj.rootcfg.Terramate.RootConfig.Git
+}
+
 func (c *cli) log(format string, args ...interface{}) {
 	fmt.Fprintln(c.stdout, fmt.Sprintf(format, args...))
 }
@@ -880,8 +877,8 @@ func (c *cli) checkDefaultRemote(g *git.Git) error {
 		Str("stack", c.wd()).
 		Logger()
 
-	logger.Trace().
-		Msg("Get list of configured git remotes.")
+	logger.Trace().Msg("Get list of configured git remotes.")
+
 	remotes, err := g.Remotes()
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("checking if remote %q exists: %v", defaultRemote, err)
@@ -889,36 +886,33 @@ func (c *cli) checkDefaultRemote(g *git.Git) error {
 
 	var defRemote *git.Remote
 
+	gitOpt := c.gitcfg()
+
 	logger.Trace().
 		Msg("Find default git remote.")
 	for _, remote := range remotes {
-		if remote.Name == defaultRemote {
+		if remote.Name == gitOpt.DefaultRemote {
 			defRemote = &remote
 			break
 		}
 	}
 
 	if defRemote == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf(
-			"%w:no default remote %q",
-			ErrNoDefaultRemoteConfig,
-			defaultRemote,
+		return fmt.Errorf("repository must have a configured %q remote",
+			gitOpt.DefaultRemote,
 		)
 	}
 
-	logger.Trace().
-		Msg("Find default git branch.")
+	logger.Trace().Msg("Find default git branch.")
 	for _, branch := range defRemote.Branches {
-		if branch == defaultBranch {
+		if branch == gitOpt.DefaultBranch {
 			return nil
 		}
 	}
 
-	return fmt.Errorf(
-		"%w:%q has no default branch %q,branches:%v",
-		ErrNoDefaultRemoteConfig,
-		defaultRemote,
-		defaultBranch,
+	return fmt.Errorf("remote %q has no default branch %q,branches:%v",
+		gitOpt.DefaultRemote,
+		gitOpt.DefaultBranch,
 		defRemote.Branches,
 	)
 }
@@ -929,8 +923,8 @@ func (c *cli) checkLocalDefaultIsUpdated(g *git.Git) error {
 		Str("workingDir", c.wd()).
 		Logger()
 
-	logger.Trace().
-		Msg("Get current git branch.")
+	logger.Trace().Msg("Get current git branch.")
+
 	branch, err := g.CurrentBranch()
 	if err != nil {
 		// ON CI envs we don't have a clean way to get the branch name
@@ -948,23 +942,26 @@ func (c *cli) checkLocalDefaultIsUpdated(g *git.Git) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	if branch != defaultBranch {
+	gitcfg := c.gitcfg()
+	if branch != gitcfg.DefaultBranch {
 		return nil
 	}
 
 	c.logerr("current branch %q is the default branch, checking if it is updated.", branch)
-	c.logerr("retrieving info from remote branch: %s/%s ...", defaultRemote, defaultBranch)
+	c.logerr("retrieving info from remote branch: %s/%s ...",
+		gitcfg.DefaultRemote, gitcfg.DefaultBranch)
 
-	logger.Trace().
-		Msg("Fetch remote reference.")
-	remoteRef, err := g.FetchRemoteRev(defaultRemote, defaultBranch)
+	logger.Trace().Msg("Fetch remote reference.")
+
+	remoteRef, err := g.FetchRemoteRev(gitcfg.DefaultRemote, gitcfg.DefaultBranch)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("checking if local branch %q is updated: %v", branch, err)
 	}
-	c.logerr("retrieved info from remote branch: %s/%s.", defaultRemote, defaultBranch)
 
-	logger.Trace().
-		Msg("Get local commit ID.")
+	c.logerr("retrieved info from remote branch: %s/%s.", gitcfg.DefaultRemote, gitcfg.DefaultBranch)
+
+	logger.Trace().Msg("Get local commit ID.")
+
 	localCommitID, err := g.RevParse(branch)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("checking if local branch %q is updated: %v", branch, err)
@@ -976,8 +973,8 @@ func (c *cli) checkLocalDefaultIsUpdated(g *git.Git) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf(
 			"%w: remote %s/%s=%q != local %s=%q",
 			ErrOutdatedLocalRev,
-			defaultRemote,
-			defaultBranch,
+			gitcfg.DefaultRemote,
+			gitcfg.DefaultBranch,
 			remoteRef.ShortCommitID(),
 			branch,
 			localRef.ShortCommitID(),
@@ -1083,8 +1080,8 @@ func lookupProject(wd string) (prj project, found bool, err error) {
 		Str("workingDir", wd).
 		Logger()
 
-	logger.Trace().
-		Msg("Create new git wrapper.")
+	logger.Trace().Msg("Create new git wrapper.")
+
 	gw, err := newGit(wd, false)
 	if err == nil {
 		logger.Trace().
diff --git a/cmd/terramate/e2etests/general_test.go b/cmd/terramate/e2etests/general_test.go
index 57abb67f3..b116bea76 100644
--- a/cmd/terramate/e2etests/general_test.go
+++ b/cmd/terramate/e2etests/general_test.go
@@ -309,13 +309,13 @@ func TestFailsOnChangeDetectionIfCurrentBranchIsMainAndItIsOutdated(t *testing.T
 
 func TestFailsOnChangeDetectionIfRepoDoesntHaveOriginMain(t *testing.T) {
 	rootdir := t.TempDir()
-	assertFails := func() {
+	assertFails := func(stderrRegex string) {
 		t.Helper()
 
 		ts := newCLI(t, rootdir)
 		wantRes := runExpected{
 			Status:      1,
-			StderrRegex: cli.ErrNoDefaultRemoteConfig.Error(),
+			StderrRegex: stderrRegex,
 		}
 
 		assertRunResult(t, ts.run("stacks", "list", "--changed"), wantRes)
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ func TestFailsOnChangeDetectionIfRepoDoesntHaveOriginMain(t *testing.T) {
 	git := sandbox.NewGit(t, rootdir)
 	git.InitLocalRepo()
 
-	assertFails()
+	assertFails("repository must have a configured")
 
 	// the main branch only exists after first commit.
 	path := test.WriteFile(t, git.BaseDir(), "README.md", "# generated by terramate")
@@ -340,11 +340,11 @@ func TestFailsOnChangeDetectionIfRepoDoesntHaveOriginMain(t *testing.T) {
 	git.Commit("first commit")
 
 	git.SetupRemote("notorigin", "main", "main")
-	assertFails()
+	assertFails("repository must have a configured")
 
 	git.CheckoutNew("not-main")
 	git.SetupRemote("origin", "not-main", "main")
-	assertFails()
+	assertFails("has no default branch ")
 }
 
 func TestNoArgsProvidesBasicHelp(t *testing.T) {
@@ -353,6 +353,35 @@ func TestNoArgsProvidesBasicHelp(t *testing.T) {
 	assertRunResult(t, cli.run(), runExpected{Stdout: help.Stdout})
 }
 
+func TestFailsIfDefaultRemoteDoesntHaveDefaultBranch(t *testing.T) {
+	s := sandbox.NewWithGitConfig(t, sandbox.GitConfig{
+		LocalBranchName:         "main",
+		DefaultRemoteName:       "origin",
+		DefaultRemoteBranchName: "default",
+	})
+
+	cli := newCLI(t, s.RootDir())
+	assertRunResult(t,
+		cli.run("stacks", "list", "--changed"),
+		runExpected{
+			Status:      1,
+			StderrRegex: "has no default branch ",
+		},
+	)
+
+	test.WriteFile(t, s.RootDir(), "terramate.tm.hcl", `
+terramate {
+	config {
+		git {
+			default_branch = "default"
+		}
+	}
+}
+`)
+
+	assertRun(t, cli.run("stacks", "list", "--changed"))
+}
+
 func TestLoadGitRootConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	s := sandbox.NewWithGitConfig(t, sandbox.GitConfig{
 		DefaultRemoteName:       "mineiros",
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index fa36e35c3..b80dcf65c 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -15,9 +15,6 @@
 package config
 
 import (
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
-
 	"github.com/mineiros-io/terramate/hcl"
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 )
@@ -31,24 +28,11 @@ const (
 )
 
 func TryLoadRootConfig(dir string) (cfg hcl.Config, found bool, err error) {
-	path := filepath.Join(dir, DefaultFilename)
 	logger := log.With().
 		Str("action", "TryLoadRootConfig()").
 		Str("path", dir).
-		Str("configFile", path).
 		Logger()
 
-	logger.Trace().
-		Msg("Check if file exists.")
-	_, err = os.Stat(path)
-	if err != nil {
-		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-			return hcl.Config{}, false, nil
-		}
-
-		return hcl.Config{}, false, err
-	}
-
 	logger.Trace().Msg("Parse Terramate config.")
 
 	cfg, err = hcl.ParseDir(dir)