diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index fced474..6365b64 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ pub fn get_model_name(repository: &Repository, file_name: &str) -> Result<Option
             toml::from_str(&std::fs::read_to_string(config_path).map_err(|err| err.to_string())?)
                 .map_err(|err| err.to_string())?;
 
-        Ok(Some(repo_config.model))
+        Ok(repo_config.model)
     } else {
         Ok(None)
     }
@@ -86,7 +86,11 @@ pub fn get_model<P: AsRef<Path> + AsRef<OsStr>>(
                 )
                 .map_err(|err| err.to_string())?;
 
-                read_model(&repo_config.model, app_model_path)
+                match repo_config.model {
+                    None => Ok(read_model("git-flow", app_model_path)
+                        .unwrap_or_else(|_| BranchSettingsDef::git_flow())),
+                    Some(model) => read_model(&model, app_model_path),
+                }
             } else {
                 Ok(read_model("git-flow", app_model_path)
                     .unwrap_or_else(|_| BranchSettingsDef::git_flow()))
@@ -141,7 +145,7 @@ pub fn set_model<P: AsRef<Path>>(
     config_path.push(repo_config_file);
 
     let config = RepoSettings {
-        model: model.to_string(),
+        model: Some(model.to_string()),
     };
 
     let str = toml::to_string_pretty(&config).map_err(|err| err.to_string())?;
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 90af35d..3908670 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ use std::time::Instant;
 
 const REPO_CONFIG_FILE: &str = "git-graph.toml";
 
+#[derive(serde_derive::Serialize, serde_derive::Deserialize)]
+pub struct CommitFormatToml {
+    pub format: Option<String>,
+}
+
 fn main() {
     std::process::exit(match from_args() {
         Ok(_) => 0,
@@ -289,7 +294,23 @@ fn from_args() -> Result<(), String> {
     )?;
 
     let format = match matches.get_one::<String>("format") {
-        None => CommitFormat::OneLine,
+        None => {
+            let mut config_path = std::path::PathBuf::from(repository.path());
+            config_path.push(REPO_CONFIG_FILE);
+            if config_path.exists() {
+                let commit_format_toml: CommitFormatToml = toml::from_str(
+                    &std::fs::read_to_string(config_path).map_err(|err| err.to_string())?,
+                )
+                .map_err(|err| err.to_string())
+                .unwrap();
+                match commit_format_toml.format {
+                    None => CommitFormat::OneLine,
+                    Some(format) => CommitFormat::from_str(&format)?,
+                }
+            } else {
+                CommitFormat::OneLine
+            }
+        }
         Some(str) => CommitFormat::from_str(str)?,
     };
 
diff --git a/src/settings.rs b/src/settings.rs
index 2d78f2b..e684b18 100644
--- a/src/settings.rs
+++ b/src/settings.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ use std::str::FromStr;
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct RepoSettings {
     /// The repository's branching model
-    pub model: String,
+    pub model: Option<String>,
 }
 
 /// Ordering policy for branches in visual columns.