diff --git a/src/command/config.rs b/src/command/config.rs
index 5895bec..4c385e1 100644
--- a/src/command/config.rs
+++ b/src/command/config.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,11 @@ mod validate;
 use crate::config::{Revision, CLIENT_CONFIG_PATH, OLD_CONFIG_PATH, SERVER_CONFIG_PATH};
 use clap::Subcommand;
 use serde::Deserialize;
-use std::{fs, io::Read, path::Path};
+use std::{
+    fs,
+    io::{self, Read},
+    path::Path,
+};
 
 #[derive(Subcommand)]
 pub(crate) enum Commands {
@@ -30,9 +34,37 @@ pub(crate) enum RevisionCheckError {
     #[error("failed to determine the current config revision ({0})")]
     UnknownRevision(&'static str),
     #[error(transparent)]
-    InvalidConfig(#[from] toml::de::Error),
+    ReadFile(#[from] ReadError),
+}
+
+#[derive(thiserror::Error, Debug)]
+pub(crate) enum ReadError {
     #[error(transparent)]
-    ReadFile(#[from] std::io::Error),
+    ReadFile(#[from] io::Error),
+    #[error("the config file is not written in the correct format")]
+    InvalidFormat(#[from] toml::de::Error),
+}
+
+fn read_file_string(path: &str) -> Result<String, ReadError> {
+    let mut file = fs::File::open(path)?;
+    let mut result = String::new();
+    file.read_to_string(&mut result)?;
+
+    Ok(result)
+}
+
+fn read_server_config<T>() -> Result<T, ReadError>
+where
+    T: serde::de::DeserializeOwned,
+{
+    toml::from_str(&read_file_string(SERVER_CONFIG_PATH)?).map_err(ReadError::InvalidFormat)
+}
+
+fn read_client_config<T>() -> Result<T, ReadError>
+where
+    T: serde::de::DeserializeOwned,
+{
+    toml::from_str(&read_file_string(CLIENT_CONFIG_PATH)?).map_err(ReadError::InvalidFormat)
 }
 
 fn current_revision() -> Result<Revision, RevisionCheckError> {
@@ -65,19 +97,8 @@ fn current_revision() -> Result<Revision, RevisionCheckError> {
         config_revision: Revision,
     }
 
-    let mut buffer = String::new();
-
-    let mut server_toml = fs::File::open(SERVER_CONFIG_PATH)?;
-    server_toml.read_to_string(&mut buffer)?;
-
-    let server_config_revision = toml::from_str::<Config>(&buffer)?.config_revision;
-
-    buffer.clear();
-
-    let mut client_toml = fs::File::open(CLIENT_CONFIG_PATH)?;
-    client_toml.read_to_string(&mut buffer)?;
-
-    let client_config_revision = toml::from_str::<Config>(&buffer)?.config_revision;
+    let server_config_revision = read_server_config::<Config>()?.config_revision;
+    let client_config_revision = read_server_config::<Config>()?.config_revision;
 
     if server_config_revision != client_config_revision {
         return Err(RevisionCheckError::UnknownRevision(
diff --git a/src/command/config/validate.rs b/src/command/config/validate.rs
index 43c1bf9..44b90e7 100644
--- a/src/command/config/validate.rs
+++ b/src/command/config/validate.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 //! `config validate` subcommand
 
 use crate::{
-    command::config::{current_revision, RevisionCheckError},
+    command::config::{
+        current_revision, read_client_config, read_server_config, ReadError, RevisionCheckError,
+    },
     config::{client, server, CLIENT_CONFIG_PATH, SERVER_CONFIG_PATH},
 };
 use color_print::cprintln;
 use enum_iterator::Sequence;
-use std::{fs, io::Read};
 use validator::Validate;
 
 /// Errors that can happen in `config validate` subcommand
@@ -22,21 +23,13 @@ pub(crate) enum ValidationError {
     InvalidConfig,
 }
 
-#[derive(thiserror::Error, Debug)]
-enum ReadError {
-    #[error(transparent)]
-    ReadFile(#[from] std::io::Error),
-    #[error("the config file is not written in the correct format")]
-    InvalidFormat(#[from] toml::de::Error),
-}
-
 pub(super) fn run() -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
     if current_revision()?.next().is_some() {
         cprintln!("Please first run `<bold>fishctl config update</>` to update your config files.");
         return Err(ValidationError::OutOfDate);
     }
 
-    let server_validation_result = match read_server_toml() {
+    let server_validation_result = match read_server_config::<server::Config>() {
         Ok(config) => config.validate().map_err(|err| {
             cprintln!("<r!><bold>config/server.toml is invalid.</></>\n{}", err);
             ValidationError::InvalidConfig
@@ -48,7 +41,7 @@ pub(super) fn run() -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
         Err(ReadError::ReadFile(err)) => Err(ValidationError::ReadFile(err)),
     };
 
-    let client_validation_result = match read_client_toml() {
+    let client_validation_result = match read_client_config::<client::Config>() {
         Ok(config) => config.validate().map_err(|err| {
             cprintln!(
                 "<r!><bold>{} is invalid.</></>\n{}",
@@ -79,21 +72,3 @@ pub(super) fn run() -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
 
     server_validation_result.and(client_validation_result)
 }
-
-fn read_server_toml() -> Result<server::Config, ReadError> {
-    let mut file = fs::File::open(SERVER_CONFIG_PATH)?;
-
-    let mut buffer = String::new();
-    file.read_to_string(&mut buffer)?;
-
-    toml::from_str(&buffer).map_err(ReadError::InvalidFormat)
-}
-
-fn read_client_toml() -> Result<client::Config, ReadError> {
-    let mut file = fs::File::open(CLIENT_CONFIG_PATH)?;
-
-    let mut buffer = String::new();
-    file.read_to_string(&mut buffer)?;
-
-    toml::from_str(&buffer).map_err(ReadError::InvalidFormat)
-}