diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3386d42..6209977 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -47,6 +47,14 @@ Given your application name (`appname`), rc will look in all the obvious places
 All configuration sources that were found will be flattened into one object,
 so that sources **earlier** in this list override later ones.
 
+## Which files were loaded?
+
+The returned configuration object will have an non-enumerable array property `_rcfiles` that reports which files were loaded.
+
+```javascript
+var conf = require('rc')
+console.log('Loaded', conf._rcfiles)
+```
 
 ## Configuration File Formats
 
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 3b3e6b4..219a626 100755
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -9,34 +9,46 @@ var home = win
            : process.env.HOME
 
 module.exports = function (name, defaults, argv) {
+  var files = []
+
   if('string' !== typeof name)
     throw new Error('rc(name): name *must* be string')
   if(!argv)
     argv = require('minimist')(process.argv.slice(2))
   defaults = (
       'string' === typeof defaults
-    ? cc.json(defaults) : defaults
+    ? cc.json(files, defaults) : defaults
     ) || {}
 
   var local = cc.find('.'+name+'rc')
 
   var env = cc.env(name + '_')
 
-  return deepExtend.apply(null, [
+  var conf = deepExtend.apply(null, [
     defaults,
-    win ? {} : cc.json(join(etc, name, 'config')),
-    win ? {} : cc.json(join(etc, name + 'rc')),
-    home ? cc.json(join(home, '.config', name, 'config')) : {},
-    home ? cc.json(join(home, '.config', name)) : {},
-    home ? cc.json(join(home, '.' + name, 'config')) : {},
-    home ? cc.json(join(home, '.' + name + 'rc')) : {},
-    cc.json(local),
+    win ? {} : cc.json(files, join(etc, name, 'config')),
+    win ? {} : cc.json(files, join(etc, name + 'rc')),
+    home ? cc.json(files, join(home, '.config', name, 'config')) : {},
+    home ? cc.json(files, join(home, '.config', name)) : {},
+    home ? cc.json(files, join(home, '.' + name, 'config')) : {},
+    home ? cc.json(files, join(home, '.' + name + 'rc')) : {},
+    cc.json(files, local),
     local ? {config: local} : null,
-    env.config ? cc.json(env.config) : null,
-    argv.config ? cc.json(argv.config) : null,
+    env.config ? cc.json(files, env.config) : null,
+    argv.config ? cc.json(files, argv.config) : null,
     env,
     argv
   ])
+
+  // reverse the file list to be more in line with the readme
+  // i.e. so early entries in the list would have overridden later ones
+  files.reverse()
+
+  Object.defineProperty(conf, '_rcfiles', {
+    value: files
+  })
+
+  return conf
 }
 
 if(!module.parent) {
diff --git a/lib/utils.js b/lib/utils.js
index 5ce509d..6020ed0 100644
--- a/lib/utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils.js
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ var parse = exports.parse = function (content, file) {
 }
 
 var json = exports.json = function () {
-  var args = [].slice.call(arguments).filter(function (arg) { return arg != null })
+  var args = [].slice.call(arguments, 1).filter(function (arg) { return arg != null })
+  var files = arguments[0]
 
   //path.join breaks if it's a not a string, so just skip this.
   for(var i in args)
@@ -31,6 +32,9 @@ var json = exports.json = function () {
   } catch (err) {
     return
   }
+
+  files.push(file)
+
   return parse(content)
 }
 
@@ -94,4 +98,3 @@ var find = exports.find = function () {
   }
   return find(process.cwd(), rel)
 }
-
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index fed237e..fe93a58 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   "main": "index.js",
   "browserify": "browser.js",
   "scripts": {
-    "test": "set -e; node test/test.js; node test/ini.js; node test/nested-env-vars.js"
+    "test": "set -e; node test/test.js; node test/ini.js; node test/nested-env-vars.js; node test/files.js"
   },
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
diff --git a/test/files.js b/test/files.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..772d819
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/files.js
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+var fs = require('fs')
+var path = require('path')
+var n = 'rc'+Math.random()
+var assert = require('assert')
+var jsonrc = path.resolve('.' + n + 'rc')
+
+fs.writeFileSync(jsonrc, [
+  '{',
+    '"option": false,',
+    '"otherOption": 24',
+  '}'
+].join('\n'));
+
+var config = require('../')(n)
+
+fs.unlinkSync(jsonrc);
+
+console.log('\n\n------ report loaded configuration files ------\n', config)
+
+assert.equal(config._rcfiles.length, 1)
+assert.equal(config._rcfiles[0], jsonrc)
+
+// should not be enumerable
+assert.equal(Object.keys(config).indexOf('_rcfiles'), -1)