+    def _readUserConf():
+        xdg_config_home = os.environ.get('XDG_CONFIG_HOME')
+        if xdg_config_home:
+            userConfFile = os.path.join(xdg_config_home, 'youtube-dl', 'config')
+            if not os.path.isfile(userConfFile):
+                userConfFile = os.path.join(xdg_config_home, 'youtube-dl.conf')
+        else:
+            userConfFile = os.path.join(os.path.expanduser('~'), '.config', 'youtube-dl', 'config')
+            if not os.path.isfile(userConfFile):
+                userConfFile = os.path.join(os.path.expanduser('~'), '.config', 'youtube-dl.conf')
+        userConf = _readOptions(userConfFile, None)
+
+        if userConf is None:
+            appdata_dir = os.environ.get('appdata')
+            if appdata_dir:
+                userConf = _readOptions(
+                    os.path.join(appdata_dir, 'youtube-dl', 'config'),
+                    default=None)
+                if userConf is None:
+                    userConf = _readOptions(
+                        os.path.join(appdata_dir, 'youtube-dl', 'config.txt'),
+                        default=None)
+
+        if userConf is None:
+            userConf = _readOptions(
+                os.path.join(os.path.expanduser('~'), 'youtube-dl.conf'),
+                default=None)
+        if userConf is None:
+            userConf = _readOptions(
+                os.path.join(os.path.expanduser('~'), 'youtube-dl.conf.txt'),
+                default=None)
+
+        if userConf is None:
+            userConf = []
+
+        return userConf
+