diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f68500c..f77623d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ It supports mapping multiple local and remote paths, excluded path, and more.
 
 ## Commands
 
-- `TransferInit` - create a config file and open it. Just edit if it already exists.
+- `TransferInit [project|global]?` - create a project-level or global config file and open it. Just edit if it already exists. If the argument is omitted, the command is called with "project".
 - `DiffRemote` - open a diff view with the remote file.
 - `TransferRepeat` - repeat the last transfer command (except TransferInit, DiffRemote).
 - `TransferUpload [path]` - upload the given file or directory.
@@ -29,16 +29,19 @@ It supports mapping multiple local and remote paths, excluded path, and more.
 - `TransferDirDiff [path]` - diff the directory with the remote one and display the changed files in the quickfix.
 
 ## Deployment config example
+Run `TransferInit project` or `TransferInit global` to create or open the `deployment.lua` config file.
+If there are both a project-level and a global config file, the settings in the project-level config file will overwrite the global settings.
 
 ```lua
--- .nvim/deployment.lua
+-- Project config file <project root>/.nvim/deployment.lua
+-- or global config file ~/.local/share/nvim/deployment.lua
 return {
   ["example_name"] = {
     host = "myhost",
     username = "web", -- optional
     mappings = {
       {
-        ["local"] = "live", -- path relative to project root
+        ["local"] = "live", -- path relative to project root (for project config file) or absolute path (for global config file)
         ["remote"] = "/var/www/example.com", -- absolute path or relative to user home
       },
       {
@@ -47,7 +50,7 @@ return {
       },
     },
     excludedPaths = { -- optional
-      "live/src/", -- local path relative to project root
+      "live/src/", -- local path relative to project root (for project config file) or absolute path (for global config file)
       "test/src/",
     },
   },
diff --git a/lua/transfer/commands.lua b/lua/transfer/commands.lua
index b458273..8f8bb60 100644
--- a/lua/transfer/commands.lua
+++ b/lua/transfer/commands.lua
@@ -14,13 +14,34 @@ local function create_autocmd()
   })
 end
 
+---@param is_project_config boolean
+---@return string
+local function get_config_path(is_project_config)
+  if is_project_config then
+    local dir = vim.loop.cwd() .. "/.nvim"
+    if vim.fn.isdirectory(dir) == 0 then
+      vim.fn.mkdir(dir)
+    end
+    return dir .. "/deployment.lua"
+  end
+  return vim.fn.stdpath("data") .. "/deployment.lua"
+end
+
 M.setup = function()
   create_autocmd()
 
-  -- TransferInit - create a config file and open it. Just edit if it already exists
-  vim.api.nvim_create_user_command("TransferInit", function()
+  -- TransferInit - create a project-level or global config file and open it. Just edit if it already exists
+  vim.api.nvim_create_user_command("TransferInit", function(selected)
+    local arg = selected.fargs[1] or "local"
+    if arg ~= "project" and arg ~= "global" then
+      vim.notify("Invalid argument: %s" .. arg, vim.log.levels.WARN, {
+        title = "Transfer.nvim",
+        icon = "",
+      })
+      return
+    end
     local config = require("transfer.config")
-    local template = config.options.config_template
+    local template = arg == "project" and config.options.config_template_local or config.options.config_template_global
     -- if template is a function, call it
     if type(template) == "function" then
       template = template()
@@ -29,16 +50,13 @@ M.setup = function()
     if type(template) == "string" then
       template = vim.fn.split(template, "\n")
     end
-    local path = vim.loop.cwd() .. "/.nvim"
-    if vim.fn.isdirectory(path) == 0 then
-      vim.fn.mkdir(path)
-    end
-    path = path .. "/deployment.lua"
+
+    local path = get_config_path(arg == "project")
     if vim.fn.filereadable(path) == 0 then
       vim.fn.writefile(template, path)
     end
     vim.cmd("edit " .. path)
-  end, { nargs = 0 })
+  end, { nargs = "?" })
 
   -- TransferRepeat - repeat the last transfer command
   vim.api.nvim_create_user_command("TransferRepeat", function()
diff --git a/lua/transfer/config.lua b/lua/transfer/config.lua
index 4964e7b..1ae5851 100644
--- a/lua/transfer/config.lua
+++ b/lua/transfer/config.lua
@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@ local M = {}
 
 M.defaults = {
   -- deployment config template: can be a string, a function or a table of lines
-  config_template = [[
+  config_template_local = [[
 return {
   ["server1"] = {
     host = "server1",
     mappings = {
       {
-        ["local"] = "domains/example.com",
+        ["local"] = "domains/example.com", -- path relative to project root
         ["remote"] = "/var/www/example.com",
       },
     },
@@ -17,6 +17,22 @@ return {
     -- },
   },
 }
+]],
+  config_template_global = [[
+return {
+  ["server1"] = {
+    host = "server1",
+    mappings = {
+      {
+        ["local"] = "~/myproject/domains/example", -- absolute path to project root
+        ["remote"] = "/var/www/example.com",
+      },
+    },
+    -- excludedPaths = {
+    --   "/var/src", -- absolute path
+    -- },
+  },
+}
 ]],
   close_diffview_mapping = "<leader>b", -- buffer related mapping to close diffview, set to nil to disable mapping
   upload_rsync_params = {
diff --git a/lua/transfer/transfer.lua b/lua/transfer/transfer.lua
index cfdf6b8..ce96b95 100644
--- a/lua/transfer/transfer.lua
+++ b/lua/transfer/transfer.lua
@@ -2,10 +2,29 @@ local config = require("transfer.config")
 
 local M = {}
 
--- reloads the buffer after a transfer
--- refreshes the neo-tree if the buffer is a neo-tree
--- @param bufnr number
--- @return void
+local function file_exists(path)
+  return vim.fn.filereadable(path) == 1
+end
+
+local function load_config(path)
+  if file_exists(path) then
+    local success, result = pcall(dofile, path)
+    if success then
+      return result
+    else
+      vim.notify(
+        "Error loading config file: " .. path .. "\n" .. result,
+        vim.log.levels.ERROR,
+        { title = "Transfer.nvim" }
+      )
+    end
+  end
+  return {}
+end
+
+---reloads the buffer after a transfer
+---refreshes the neo-tree if the buffer is a neo-tree
+---@param bufnr number
 local function reload_buffer(bufnr)
   local filetype = vim.api.nvim_buf_get_option(bufnr, "filetype")
   if filetype == "neo-tree" then
@@ -22,9 +41,9 @@ local function reload_buffer(bufnr)
   end
 end
 
--- convert the given local absolute path to a relative project root path
--- @param absolute_path string
--- @return string
+---convert the given local absolute path to a relative project root path
+---@param absolute_path string
+---@return string
 local function normalize_local_path(absolute_path)
   local cwd = vim.loop.cwd()
   local found, found_end = string.find(absolute_path, cwd, 1, true)
@@ -35,31 +54,38 @@ local function normalize_local_path(absolute_path)
   return string.gsub(absolute_path, "^/", "")
 end
 
--- check if the given path matches the given pattern
--- @param path string
--- @param pattern string
--- @return boolean
-local function path_matches(path, pattern)
+---check if the given path matches the given pattern
+---@param path string
+---@param pattern string
+---@param is_relative boolean
+---@return boolean
+local function path_matches(path, pattern, is_relative)
   pattern = string.gsub(pattern, "/$", "")
   path = string.gsub(path, "/$", "")
-  local s, e = string.find(path, pattern, 1, true)
-  if s ~= 1 then
+  if is_relative then
+    local s, e = string.find(path, pattern, 1, true)
+    if s ~= 1 then
+      return false
+    end
+    if e == #path then
+      return true
+    end
+    local next_char = string.sub(path, e + 1, e + 1)
+    if next_char == "/" then
+      return true
+    end
     return false
+  else
+    local absolute_path = vim.fs.normalize(vim.loop.cwd() .. "/" .. path)
+    local absolute_pattern = vim.fs.normalize(pattern)
+    return vim.startswith(absolute_path, absolute_pattern)
   end
-  if e == #path then
-    return true
-  end
-  local next_char = string.sub(path, e + 1, e + 1)
-  if next_char == "/" then
-    return true
-  end
-  return false
 end
 
--- get the remote path for scp
--- @param deployment table
--- @param remote_file string
--- @return string
+---get the remote path for scp
+---@param deployment table
+---@param remote_file string
+---@return string
 local function build_scp_path(deployment, remote_file)
   local remote_path = "scp://"
   if deployment.username then
@@ -70,18 +96,20 @@ local function build_scp_path(deployment, remote_file)
   return remote_path
 end
 
--- get the excluded paths for the given directory
--- @param deployment table
--- @param dir string
--- @return table
+---get the excluded paths for the given directory
+---@param deployment table
+---@param dir string
+---@return table
 function M.excluded_paths_for_dir(deployment, dir)
   local excludedPaths = {}
   if deployment and deployment.excludedPaths and #deployment.excludedPaths > 0 then
+    local is_project_config = deployment._is_project_config
+    local local_paths = { project = normalize_local_path(dir), global = dir }
     -- remove cwd from local file path
     local local_path = normalize_local_path(dir)
     for _, excluded in pairs(deployment.excludedPaths) do
       excluded = string.gsub(excluded, "^/", "")
-      if path_matches(excluded, local_path) then
+      if path_matches(excluded, local_path, local_paths[is]) then
         local s, e = string.find(excluded, local_path, 1, true)
         if s then
           excluded = string.sub(excluded, e + 1)
@@ -97,15 +125,27 @@ function M.excluded_paths_for_dir(deployment, dir)
   return excludedPaths
 end
 
--- get the remote path for scp
--- @param local_path string
--- @return string
+---get the remote path for scp
+---@param local_path string
+---@return string?
 function M.remote_scp_path(local_path)
-  local cwd = vim.loop.cwd()
-  local config_file = cwd .. "/.nvim/deployment.lua"
-  if vim.fn.filereadable(config_file) ~= 1 then
+  local project_config_file = vim.loop.cwd() .. "/.nvim/deployment.lua"
+  local global_config_file = vim.fn.stdpath("data") .. "/deployment.lua"
+  local project_deployment_conf = load_config(project_config_file)
+  local global_deployment_conf = load_config(global_config_file)
+  local merged_deployment_conf = global_deployment_conf
+  for _, deployment in pairs(merged_deployment_conf) do
+    deployment._config_type = "global"
+  end
+  -- Merge configurations, project overrides global
+  for name, deployment in pairs(project_deployment_conf) do
+    merged_deployment_conf[name] = deployment
+    deployment._config_type = "project"
+  end
+
+  if vim.tbl_isempty(merged_deployment_conf) then
     vim.notify(
-      "No deployment config found in \n" .. config_file .. "\n\nRun `:TransferInit` to create it",
+      "No deployment config found in \n" .. project_config_file .. " or " .. global_config_file,
       vim.log.levels.WARN,
       {
         title = "Transfer.nvim",
@@ -115,19 +155,25 @@ function M.remote_scp_path(local_path)
     )
     return nil
   end
-  local deployment_conf = dofile(config_file)
-  -- remove cwd from local file path
-  local_path = normalize_local_path(local_path)
+
+  -- Local path is relative to project root for project config, absolute otherwise
+  local local_paths = { project = normalize_local_path(local_path), global = local_path }
 
   local skip_reason
-  for name, deployment in pairs(deployment_conf) do
+  for name, deployment in pairs(merged_deployment_conf) do
+    local config_type = deployment._config_type
+    local local_path = local_paths[config_type]
+    if config_type == "project" then
+      local_path = normalize_local_path(local_path)
+    end
     local skip = false
     if deployment.excludedPaths ~= nil then
       for _, excluded in pairs(deployment.excludedPaths) do
         excluded = string.gsub(excluded, "^/", "")
-        if path_matches(local_path, excluded) then
+        if path_matches(local_path, excluded, config_type == "project") then
           skip_reason = "File is excluded from deployment\non " .. name .. " by rule: " .. excluded
           skip = true
+          break
         end
       end
     end
@@ -148,7 +194,7 @@ function M.remote_scp_path(local_path)
           end
           return build_scp_path(deployment, remote_file), deployment
         else
-          if path_matches(local_path, mapped) then
+          if path_matches(local_path, mapped, config_type == "project") then
             if local_path:sub(-1) == "/" and mapped:sub(-1) ~= "/" then
               -- if local_path ends with a slash, and mapped does not, add it
               mapped = mapped .. "/"
@@ -183,9 +229,9 @@ function M.remote_scp_path(local_path)
   return nil
 end
 
--- get the remote path for rsync
--- @param local_path string
--- @return string
+---get the remote path for rsync
+---@param local_path string
+---@return string
 function M.remote_rsync_path(local_path)
   local remote_path, deployment = M.remote_scp_path(local_path)
   if remote_path == nil then
@@ -198,9 +244,9 @@ function M.remote_rsync_path(local_path)
   return remote_path, deployment
 end
 
--- upload the given file
--- @param local_path string
--- @return void
+---upload the given file
+---@param local_path string
+---@return void
 function M.upload_file(local_path)
   if local_path == nil then
     local_path = vim.fn.expand("%:p")
@@ -249,8 +295,8 @@ function M.upload_file(local_path)
   })
 end
 
--- Replace local file with remote copy
--- @param local_path string|nil
+---Replace local file with remote copy
+---@param local_path string|nil
 function M.download_file(local_path)
   if local_path == nil then
     local_path = vim.fn.expand("%:p")
@@ -305,9 +351,9 @@ function M.download_file(local_path)
   })
 end
 
--- Sync local and remote directory
--- @param dir string
--- @param upload boolean
+---Sync local and remote directory
+---@param dir string
+---@param upload boolean
 function M.sync_dir(dir, upload)
   local remote_path, deployment = M.remote_rsync_path(dir)
   if remote_path == nil then