diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f9197e8..901ecaf 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -39,12 +39,13 @@ docker run -d \
   centurylink/watchtower
 ```
 
-If pulling images from a private Docker registry, supply any authentication credentials with the environment variables `REPO_USER` and `REPO_PASS`.
+If pulling images from private Docker registries, supply registry authentication credentials with the environment variables `REPO_USER` and `REPO_PASS`
+or by mounting the host's docker config file into the container (at the root of the container filesystem `/`).
 
 ```
 docker run -d \
   --name watchtower \
-  -e REPO_USER="<username>" -e REPO_PASS="<password>" \
+  -v /home/<user>/.docker/config.json:/config.json \
   -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
   drud/watchtower container_to_watch --debug
 ```
diff --git a/container/client.go b/container/client.go
index c02a1d8..cf2e589 100644
--- a/container/client.go
+++ b/container/client.go
@@ -147,10 +147,13 @@ func (client dockerClient) IsContainerStale(c Container) (bool, error) {
 		log.Debugf("Pulling %s for %s", imageName, c.Name())
 		
 		var opts types.ImagePullOptions // ImagePullOptions can take a RegistryAuth arg to authenticate against a private registry
-		auth, err := EncodedEnvAuth(imageName)
+		auth, err := EncodedAuth(imageName)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Debug("No authentication credentials found")
-			opts = types.ImagePullOptions{}
+			log.Debugf("Error loading authentication credentials %s", err)
+			return false, err
+		} else if auth == "" {
+			log.Debugf("No authentication credentials found for %s", imageName)
+			opts = types.ImagePullOptions{} // empty/no auth credentials
 		} else {
 			opts = types.ImagePullOptions{RegistryAuth: auth, PrivilegeFunc: DefaultAuthHandler}
 		}
diff --git a/container/trust.go b/container/trust.go
index 5a7e55c..6871333 100644
--- a/container/trust.go
+++ b/container/trust.go
@@ -8,13 +8,28 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/reference"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/cli/command"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/cliconfig"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/cliconfig/configfile"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/cliconfig/credentials"
 )
 
+/**
+ * Return an encoded auth config for the given registry
+ * loaded from environment variables or docker config
+ * as available in that order
+ */
+func EncodedAuth(ref string) (string, error) {
+	auth, err := EncodedEnvAuth(ref)
+	if err != nil {
+		auth, err = EncodedConfigAuth(ref)
+	}
+	return auth, err
+}
+
 /*
  * Return an encoded auth config for the given registry
  * loaded from environment variables
+ * Returns an error if authentication environment variables have not been set
  */
 func EncodedEnvAuth(ref string) (string, error) {
 	username := os.Getenv("REPO_USER")
@@ -34,17 +49,27 @@ func EncodedEnvAuth(ref string) (string, error) {
 /*
  * Return an encoded auth config for the given registry
  * loaded from the docker config
+ * Returns an empty string if credentials cannot be found for the referenced server
  * The docker config must be mounted on the container
  */
 func EncodedConfigAuth(ref string) (string, error) {
 	server, err := ParseServerAddress(ref)
-	configFile := command.LoadDefaultConfigFile(log.StandardLogger().Out)
-	credStore := CredentialsStore(*configFile)
-	auth, err := credStore.Get(server)
+	configDir := os.Getenv("DOCKER_CONFIG")
+	if configDir == "" {
+		configDir = "/"
+	}
+	configFile, err := cliconfig.Load(configDir)
 	if err != nil {
+		log.Errorf("Unable to find default config file %s", err)
 		return "", err
 	}
-	log.Debugf("Loaded auth credentials %s from Docker config for reference %s", auth, ref)
+	credStore := CredentialsStore(*configFile)
+	auth, err := credStore.Get(server) // returns (types.AuthConfig{}) if server not in credStore
+	if auth == (types.AuthConfig{}) {
+		log.Debugf("No credentials for %s in %s", server, configFile.Filename)
+		return "", nil
+	}
+	log.Debugf("Loaded auth credentials %s from %s", auth, configFile.Filename)
 	return EncodeAuth(auth)
 }