diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index def0f22..b43c153 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -69,9 +69,9 @@ First, you will always need to provide two paths to the tool. The first is the _
 
 If installed as a dependency, you can `require('eslint-compare-config')` and get access to a number of functions:
 
-- `getConfig(leftPath, rightPath)` - puts a file in each of the target directories whichs uses `eslint` APIs to load the configuration for a file in that directory, runs them, then deletes them.
+- `getConfig(path)` - puts a file in each of the target directories whichs uses `eslint` APIs to load the configuration for a file in that directory, runs them, then deletes them.
 - `getDifferences(left, right)` - given two configs, produces an object describing all of their differences. The same thing you get when you use the `--json` option
-- `getLiteralConfig(leftPath, rightPath)` - loads the target files using `require()`, thus supporting only JavaScript and JSON file formats
+- `getLiteralConfig(path)` - loads the target files using `require()`, thus supporting only JavaScript and JSON file formats
 - `getScore(differences)` - given `getDifferences()` output, returns a similarity score 1-100.
 - `normalizeConfig(config)` - removes disabled rules, and turns numeric toggles into string (1 = 'warning', 2 = 'error')
 - `renderDifferences(differences)` - given `getDifferences()` output, returns string with human-readable comparison (including ANSI color codes)
diff --git a/src/cli.js b/src/cli.js
index ac63b39..8409f38 100644
--- a/src/cli.js
+++ b/src/cli.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
 var dashdash = require('dashdash');
+var _ = require('lodash');
 
 var getConfig = require('./get_config');
 var getLiteralConfig = require('./get_literal_config');
@@ -60,11 +61,13 @@ function showHelp(parsed, parser) {
 }
 
 function loadConfig(literal, left, right) {
-  var config = literal ? getLiteralConfig(left, right) : getConfig(left, right);
+  var get = literal ? getLiteralConfig : getConfig;
+  var leftConfig = _.omit(get(left), ['globals']);
+  var rightConfig = _.omit(get(right), ['globals']);
 
   return {
-    left: normalizeConfig(config.left),
-    right: normalizeConfig(config.right),
+    left: normalizeConfig(leftConfig),
+    right: normalizeConfig(rightConfig),
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/get_config.js b/src/get_config.js
index 96e855d..183168d 100644
--- a/src/get_config.js
+++ b/src/get_config.js
@@ -6,25 +6,12 @@ var path = require('path');
 var fs = require('fs');
 var childProcess = require('child_process');
 
-var _ = require('lodash');
-
 
 var script = fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, '_get_config.js')).toString();
 
-function getConfig(leftPath, rightPath) {
-  var leftDir = path.resolve(leftPath);
-  var rightDir = path.resolve(rightPath);
-
-  var left = getConfigForDir(leftDir);
-  var right = getConfigForDir(rightDir);
-
-  return {
-    left: _.omit(left, ['globals']),
-    right: _.omit(right, ['globals']),
-  };
-}
+function getConfig(startPath) {
+  startPath = path.resolve(startPath);
 
-function getConfigForDir(startPath) {
   var stat = fs.statSync(startPath);
   var dir = stat.isDirectory() ? startPath : path.dirname(startPath);
   var filename = '__get_config.js';
diff --git a/src/get_literal_config.js b/src/get_literal_config.js
index 1161bed..92996fc 100644
--- a/src/get_literal_config.js
+++ b/src/get_literal_config.js
@@ -5,14 +5,8 @@
 var path = require('path');
 
 
-function getLiteralConfig(leftPath, rightPath) {
-  var left = require(path.resolve(leftPath));
-  var right = require(path.resolve(rightPath));
-
-  return {
-    left: left,
-    right: right,
-  };
+function getLiteralConfig(target) {
+  return require(path.resolve(target));
 }
 
 module.exports = getLiteralConfig;
diff --git a/test/integration/test_get_config.js b/test/integration/test_get_config.js
index 95ea52f..991785c 100644
--- a/test/integration/test_get_config.js
+++ b/test/integration/test_get_config.js
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@ describe('integration/getConfig', function() {
     var left = 'test/integration/left';
     var right = 'test/integration/right';
 
-    var actual = getConfig(left, right);
+    var actual = {
+      left: getConfig(left),
+      right: getConfig(right),
+    };
 
     expect(actual).to.have.all.keys('left', 'right');
 
diff --git a/test/integration/test_get_literal_config.js b/test/integration/test_get_literal_config.js
index cf2e6ca..c5be078 100644
--- a/test/integration/test_get_literal_config.js
+++ b/test/integration/test_get_literal_config.js
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@ describe('integration/getLiteralConfig', function() {
     var left = 'test/integration/left/.eslintrc.js';
     var right = 'test/integration/right/.eslintrc.js';
 
-    var actual = getConfig(left, right);
+    var actual = {
+      left: getConfig(left),
+      right: getConfig(right),
+    };
 
     expect(actual).to.have.all.keys('left', 'right');