diff --git a/news/get-user-fix.rst b/news/get-user-fix.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5b2fd3df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/news/get-user-fix.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+**Added:**
+
+* Warning message for missing global config file
+
+**Changed:**
+
+* <news item>
+
+**Deprecated:**
+
+* <news item>
+
+**Removed:**
+
+* <news item>
+
+**Fixed:**
+
+* <news item>
+
+**Security:**
+
+* <news item>
diff --git a/src/diffpy/utils/tools.py b/src/diffpy/utils/tools.py
index 1dfb8284..cf8b6707 100644
--- a/src/diffpy/utils/tools.py
+++ b/src/diffpy/utils/tools.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import importlib.metadata
 import json
 import os
+import warnings
 from copy import copy
 from pathlib import Path
 
@@ -114,6 +115,7 @@ def get_user_info(args=None):
     global_config = load_config(Path().home() / "diffpyconfig.json")
     local_config = load_config(Path().cwd() / "diffpyconfig.json")
     if global_config is None and local_config is None:
+        warnings.warn("No global config file, please follow prompts below.")
         config_bool = _create_global_config(args)
         global_config = load_config(Path().home() / "diffpyconfig.json")
     config = _sorted_merge(clean_dict(global_config), clean_dict(local_config), clean_dict(args))