diff --git a/eslint.config.mjs b/eslint.config.mjs
index 58689e1..47d9ec1 100644
--- a/eslint.config.mjs
+++ b/eslint.config.mjs
@@ -5,6 +5,18 @@ export default [
   {
     rules: {
       '@typescript-eslint/restrict-template-expressions': ['error', { allowNumber: true }],
+      '@typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars': [
+        'error',
+        {
+          args: 'all',
+          argsIgnorePattern: '^_',
+          caughtErrors: 'all',
+          caughtErrorsIgnorePattern: '^_',
+          destructuredArrayIgnorePattern: '^_',
+          varsIgnorePattern: '^_',
+          ignoreRestSiblings: true,
+        },
+      ],
     },
   },
 ];
diff --git a/src/templates/init.ts b/src/templates/init.ts
index 5640ee3..2860bea 100644
--- a/src/templates/init.ts
+++ b/src/templates/init.ts
@@ -40,20 +40,11 @@ export const getBoatsRc = (): string => {
   return (
     JSON.stringify(
       {
-        nunjucksOptions: {
-          // this empty object just needs to exist, otherwise boats explodes
-          tags: {},
-        },
         picomatchOptions: {
           bash: true,
         },
-        permissionConfig: {
-          globalPrefix: true,
-        },
-        paths: {
-          '@shared/': '../shared/',
-        },
         fancyPluralization: true,
+        paths: {},
       },
       null,
       2,
diff --git a/test/boats.ts b/test/boats.ts
index eb588d6..0c493c5 100644
--- a/test/boats.ts
+++ b/test/boats.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import { default as template } from 'boats/build/src/Template';
 import { default as bundlerSwaggerParse } from 'boats/build/src/bundlerSwaggerParse';
 import { BoatsRC } from 'boats/build/src/interfaces/BoatsRc';
+import { access, readFile } from 'fs/promises';
 import { dirname } from 'path';
 import pj from '../package.json';
+import { getBoatsRc } from '../src/templates/init';
 
 export type ErrorWithLogs = Error & { code: string; logs: unknown[] };
 
@@ -12,14 +14,6 @@ type ConsoleMock = {
   unmock: () => void;
 };
 
-export const defaultBoats: BoatsRC = {
-  nunjucksOptions: { tags: {} },
-  picomatchOptions: { bash: true },
-  permissionConfig: { globalPrefix: true },
-  paths: {},
-  fancyPluralization: true,
-};
-
 const mockConsoleLog = (): ConsoleMock => {
   /* eslint-disable no-console */
   const olog = console.log;
@@ -74,19 +68,31 @@ const overridePackageJsonReader = (): void => {
   };
 };
 
+const defaultBoatsRc = JSON.parse(getBoatsRc()) as BoatsRC;
+
 export const boats = async (inFile: string, outFile: string, validate = true): Promise<string> => {
   const trim = dirname(inFile) + '/paths/';
+  const customBoatsRcPath = dirname(dirname(inFile)) + '/.boatsrc';
+  let boatsRc = defaultBoatsRc;
+  try {
+    const hasBoatsRc = await access(customBoatsRcPath)
+      .then(() => true)
+      .catch(() => false);
+    if (hasBoatsRc) {
+      boatsRc = JSON.parse(await readFile(customBoatsRcPath, { encoding: 'utf8' })) as BoatsRC;
+    }
+  } catch (_e: unknown) {}
 
   overridePackageJsonReader();
   // overwrite console during testing - no debug output needed
   const con = mockConsoleLog();
 
   try {
-    const indexFile = template.directoryParse(inFile, outFile, null as unknown as number, trim, [], [], defaultBoats, false);
+    const indexFile = template.directoryParse(inFile, outFile, null as unknown as number, trim, [], [], boatsRc, false);
     const outApiFile = await bundlerSwaggerParse({
       inputFile: indexFile,
       outputFile: outFile,
-      boatsRc: defaultBoats,
+      boatsRc,
       dereference: false,
       doNotValidate: !validate,
       excludeVersion: false,
diff --git a/test/e2e.spec.ts b/test/e2e.spec.ts
index 4eb748a..d18e5fc 100644
--- a/test/e2e.spec.ts
+++ b/test/e2e.spec.ts
@@ -26,19 +26,11 @@ describe('e2e.spec.ts', async () => {
       content,
       trimIndent`\
       {
-        "nunjucksOptions": {
-          "tags": {}
-        },
         "picomatchOptions": {
           "bash": true
         },
-        "permissionConfig": {
-          "globalPrefix": true
-        },
-        "paths": {
-          "@shared/": "../shared/"
-        },
-        "fancyPluralization": true
+        "fancyPluralization": true,
+        "paths": {}
       }
     `,
     );
diff --git a/test/fixtures/e2e/gen1/.boatsrc b/test/fixtures/e2e/gen1/.boatsrc
index 4c0a0b1..bee8cf3 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/e2e/gen1/.boatsrc
+++ b/test/fixtures/e2e/gen1/.boatsrc
@@ -1,15 +1,7 @@
 {
-  "nunjucksOptions": {
-    "tags": {}
-  },
   "picomatchOptions": {
     "bash": true
   },
-  "permissionConfig": {
-    "globalPrefix": true
-  },
-  "paths": {
-    "@shared/": "../shared/"
-  },
-  "fancyPluralization": true
+  "fancyPluralization": true,
+  "paths": {}
 }
diff --git a/test/fixtures/e2e/gen2/.boatsrc b/test/fixtures/e2e/gen2/.boatsrc
index 4c0a0b1..bee8cf3 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/e2e/gen2/.boatsrc
+++ b/test/fixtures/e2e/gen2/.boatsrc
@@ -1,15 +1,7 @@
 {
-  "nunjucksOptions": {
-    "tags": {}
-  },
   "picomatchOptions": {
     "bash": true
   },
-  "permissionConfig": {
-    "globalPrefix": true
-  },
-  "paths": {
-    "@shared/": "../shared/"
-  },
-  "fancyPluralization": true
+  "fancyPluralization": true,
+  "paths": {}
 }
diff --git a/test/model.spec.ts b/test/model.spec.ts
index 1ad6054..a139ae0 100644
--- a/test/model.spec.ts
+++ b/test/model.spec.ts
@@ -60,19 +60,11 @@ describe('model.spec.ts', async () => {
       await getFile('test/output/model/.boatsrc'),
       trimIndent`\
         {
-          "nunjucksOptions": {
-            "tags": {}
-          },
           "picomatchOptions": {
             "bash": true
           },
-          "permissionConfig": {
-            "globalPrefix": true
-          },
-          "paths": {
-            "@shared/": "../shared/"
-          },
-          "fancyPluralization": true
+          "fancyPluralization": true,
+          "paths": {}
         }
       `,
     );
diff --git a/test/path.spec.ts b/test/path.spec.ts
index 2dc6405..192b852 100644
--- a/test/path.spec.ts
+++ b/test/path.spec.ts
@@ -70,19 +70,11 @@ describe('path.spec.ts', async () => {
       await getFile('test/output/path/.boatsrc'),
       trimIndent`\
         {
-          "nunjucksOptions": {
-            "tags": {}
-          },
           "picomatchOptions": {
             "bash": true
           },
-          "permissionConfig": {
-            "globalPrefix": true
-          },
-          "paths": {
-            "@shared/": "../shared/"
-          },
-          "fancyPluralization": true
+          "fancyPluralization": true,
+          "paths": {}
         }
       `,
     );
diff --git a/tsconfig.json b/tsconfig.json
index 84a23cd..badeae7 100644
--- a/tsconfig.json
+++ b/tsconfig.json
@@ -16,5 +16,5 @@
     "strictNullChecks": true
   },
   "include": ["src", "test"],
-  "exclude": ["node_modules"]
+  "exclude": ["node_modules", "test/output"]
 }