diff --git a/nimble.lock b/nimble.lock
index a422fb6..f0a214e 100644
--- a/nimble.lock
+++ b/nimble.lock
@@ -11,6 +11,16 @@
         "sha1": "b338433f9a7a1b788b7583674c2b14096ced29ee"
       }
     },
+    "cligen": {
+      "version": "1.7.0",
+      "vcsRevision": "4193f802796f15559c81c6dd56724d6f20345917",
+      "url": "https://github.com/c-blake/cligen.git",
+      "downloadMethod": "git",
+      "dependencies": [],
+      "checksums": {
+        "sha1": "300bd7fdb6e48d2d98e34ed0661206b50331e99c"
+      }
+    },
     "illwill": {
       "version": "0.4.1",
       "vcsRevision": "99a120f7f69868b94f5d35ce7e21dd12535de70c",
@@ -21,24 +31,14 @@
         "sha1": "9c58351502f89a16caf031cbd1992ad3fdfd3c67"
       }
     },
-    "usu": {
-      "version": "0.1.0",
-      "vcsRevision": "25574d165bb7f60900b36590bc49f3d90e47cea4",
-      "url": "https://github.com/usu-dev/usu-nim",
+    "yaml": {
+      "version": "2.1.1",
+      "vcsRevision": "48a90e36e82bd97457dae87e86efe423dcd3bb40",
+      "url": "https://github.com/flyx/NimYAML",
       "downloadMethod": "git",
       "dependencies": [],
       "checksums": {
-        "sha1": "61a8c13946e3eea9dbe04a6141ed93811563026c"
-      }
-    },
-    "cligen": {
-      "version": "1.7.0",
-      "vcsRevision": "4193f802796f15559c81c6dd56724d6f20345917",
-      "url": "https://github.com/c-blake/cligen.git",
-      "downloadMethod": "git",
-      "dependencies": [],
-      "checksums": {
-        "sha1": "300bd7fdb6e48d2d98e34ed0661206b50331e99c"
+        "sha1": "302727fcd74c79d0697a4e909d26455d61a5b979"
       }
     }
   },
diff --git a/src/config.nim b/src/config.nim
index c4984fd..2d7dac8 100644
--- a/src/config.nim
+++ b/src/config.nim
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-import std/[os, tables, strutils]
-import usu
+import std/[os, streams, strformat, strutils]
+import yaml
+import term
 
 type
   TsmConfig* = object
@@ -9,19 +10,16 @@ type
   Session = object
     name*, dir*: string
 
-# TODO: update when the API for usu is complete
 proc loadConfigFile(): TsmConfig =
-  let configPath = getEnv("TSM_CONFIG", getConfigDir() / "tsm" / "config.usu")
-  if fileExists configPath:
-    let usuNode = parseUsu(readFile configPath)
-    let topFields = usuNode.fields
-    if "dirs" in topFields:
-      for dir in usuNode.fields["dirs"].elems:
-        result.dirs.add dir.value
-    if "sessions" in topFields:
-      for session in usuNode.fields["sessions"].elems:
-        result.sessions.add Session(name: session.fields["name"].value,
-            dir: session.fields["dir"].value)
+  let configPath = getEnv("TSM_CONFIG", getConfigDir() / "tsm" / "config.yml")
+  try:
+    var s = newFileStream(configPath)
+    load(s, result)
+    s.close()
+  except:
+    termError fmt(
+      "failed to load config file\npath: {configPath}\nmessage: {getCurrentExceptionMsg()}"
+    )
 
 proc loadTsmConfig*(): TsmConfig =
   result = loadConfigFile()
@@ -31,4 +29,3 @@ proc loadTsmConfig*(): TsmConfig =
 
 when isMainModule:
   echo loadConfigFile()
-
diff --git a/src/project.nim b/src/project.nim
index 26b6434..3c498e6 100644
--- a/src/project.nim
+++ b/src/project.nim
@@ -12,8 +12,12 @@ type
 
 proc pathToName(path: string): string = splitPath(path)[1].replace(".", "_")
 
-proc newProject(path: string, open: bool, name = "",
-    named: bool = false): Project =
+proc newProject(
+  path: string,
+  open: bool,
+  name = "",
+  named: bool = false
+): Project =
   result.location = path
   result.name =
     if name != "": name
@@ -78,19 +82,23 @@ proc findProjects*(open: bool = false): seq[Project] =
 
   for session in tsmConfig.sessions:
     if session.name notin sessions:
-      result.add newProject(path = session.dir, open = false,
-          name = session.name, named = true)
+      result.add newProject(
+        path = session.dir,
+        open = false,
+        name = session.name,
+        named = true
+      )
 
   if open:
     result = result.filterIt(it.open)
 
-  # favor open projects then by update time
+  # default order
+  # open -> configured -> mod time
   result.sort do (x, y: Project) -> int:
     result = cmp(y.open, x.open)
     if result == 0:
       result = cmp(y.updated, x.updated)
 
-
   if sessions.len > 0:
     result = sessions.toSeq().mapIt(newUnknownProject(it)) & result
 
diff --git a/src/selector.nim b/src/selector.nim
index d8d2964..e486979 100644
--- a/src/selector.nim
+++ b/src/selector.nim
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 import std/[enumerate, os, strformat, strutils, terminal]
-
 from illwill import illwillDeinit, illwillInit, getKey, Key
-import term
-
-import project
+import term, project
 
 func toStr(k: Key): string = $chr(ord(k))
 
@@ -75,8 +72,8 @@ proc scrollUp() =
     dec state.projectIdx
 
 proc scrollDown() =
-  if (state.projects.len - state.projectIdx) > (state.buffer.height -
-      state.buffer.inputPad):
+  if (state.projects.len - state.projectIdx) >
+      (state.buffer.height - state.buffer.inputPad):
     inc state.projectIdx
 
 proc up() =
@@ -143,7 +140,7 @@ proc addProject(b: var Buffer, project: Project, selected: bool) =
     var displayName = fmt"[red]{input}[/]"
     if input.len < name.len:
       # bbansi missing add(string, bbstring) interface
-      displayName = displayName & fmt"[{project.highlight}]{name[input.len..^1]}[/{project.highlight}]"
+      displayName &= fmt"[{project.highlight}]{name[input.len..^1]}[/{project.highlight}]"
     b.addLine(cur & $displayName.bb)
   else:
     b.addLine(cur & $name.bb(project.highlight))
@@ -152,6 +149,7 @@ proc addProjectCount(b: var Buffer) =
   let
     maxNumProjects = state.buffer.height - state.buffer.inputPad
     numProjects = state.projects.len
+  # TODO: use variables here for readability
   b.addLine $(fmt"[[{state.projectIdx+1}-{state.projectIdx + min(maxNumProjects, numProjects)}/{numProjects}]".bb("faint"))
 
 proc addProjects(b: var Buffer) =
@@ -201,9 +199,9 @@ proc exitProc() {.noconv.} =
   state.buffer.clear
   showCursor()
 
-proc selectProject*(open: bool = false): Project =
+proc selectProject*(projects: seq[Project]): Project =
 
-  state.projects = findProjects(open)
+  state.projects = projects
   illwillInit(fullscreen = false)
   setControlCHook(quitProc)
   hideCursor()
@@ -217,10 +215,8 @@ proc selectProject*(open: bool = false): Project =
     of Key.Enter:
       exitProc()
       return getProject()
-    of Key.Up:
-      up()
-    of Key.Down:
-      down()
+    of Key.Up: up()
+    of Key.Down: down()
     of Key.CtrlA..Key.CtrlL, Key.CtrlN..Key.CtrlZ, Key.CtrlRightBracket,
         Key.CtrlBackslash, Key.Right..Key.F12:
       state.lastKey = key
@@ -240,6 +236,7 @@ proc selectProject*(open: bool = false): Project =
 
 
 when isMainModule:
-  let selected = selectProject()
+  projects = findProjects(open)
+  let selected = selectProject(projects)
   echo "selected project -> " & $selected.name
 
diff --git a/src/tsm.nim b/src/tsm.nim
index 21a7e3e..22b065a 100644
--- a/src/tsm.nim
+++ b/src/tsm.nim
@@ -5,11 +5,12 @@ import selector, project, tmuxutils
 # TODO: add option to only opened configured sessions
 proc tsm(open: bool = false) =
   let
-    project = selectProject(open)
+    projects = findProjects(open)
+    project = selectProject projects
     selected = project.name
 
   if selected notin tmux.sessions:
-    tmux.new project.name, project.location
+    tmux.new(project.name, project.location)
   else:
     tmux.attach project.name
 
@@ -19,10 +20,22 @@ when isMainModule:
   clCfg.version = vsn
 
   if clCfg.helpAttr.len == 0:
-    clCfg.helpAttr = {"cmd": "\e[1;36m", "clDescrip": "", "clDflVal": "\e[33m",
-        "clOptKeys": "\e[32m", "clValType": "\e[31m", "args": "\e[3m"}.toTable
-    clCfg.helpAttrOff = {"cmd": "\e[m", "clDescrip": "\e[m", "clDflVal": "\e[m",
-        "clOptKeys": "\e[m", "clValType": "\e[m", "args": "\e[m"}.toTable
+    clCfg.helpAttr = {
+      "cmd"      : "\e[1;36m",
+      "clDescrip": "",
+      "clDflVal" : "\e[33m",
+      "clOptKeys": "\e[32m",
+      "clValType": "\e[31m",
+      "args"     : "\e[3m"
+    }.toTable
+    clCfg.helpAttrOff = {
+      "cmd"      : "\e[m",
+      "clDescrip": "\e[m",
+      "clDflVal" : "\e[m",
+      "clOptKeys": "\e[m",
+      "clValType": "\e[m",
+      "args"     : "\e[m"
+    }.toTable
 
   dispatch(
     tsm,
diff --git a/tsm.nimble b/tsm.nimble
index e77e7d1..a4fe0ff 100644
--- a/tsm.nimble
+++ b/tsm.nimble
@@ -14,5 +14,5 @@ requires "nim >= 2.0.0"
 requires "illwill >= 0.4.1"
 requires "cligen"
 requires "https://github.com/daylinmorgan/bbansi >= 0.1.1"
-requires "https://github.com/usu-dev/usu-nim"
+requires "yaml"