diff --git a/apps/oxlint/fixtures/auto_config_detection/.oxlintrc.json b/apps/oxlint/fixtures/auto_config_detection/.oxlintrc.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a63d73a1442b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/oxlint/fixtures/auto_config_detection/.oxlintrc.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "rules": {
+    "no-debugger": "error"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/apps/oxlint/fixtures/auto_config_detection/debugger.js b/apps/oxlint/fixtures/auto_config_detection/debugger.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..eab74692130a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/oxlint/fixtures/auto_config_detection/debugger.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+debugger;
diff --git a/apps/oxlint/src/command/lint.rs b/apps/oxlint/src/command/lint.rs
index f404714428505..e444cb9f623e3 100644
--- a/apps/oxlint/src/command/lint.rs
+++ b/apps/oxlint/src/command/lint.rs
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ pub struct BasicOptions {
     /// Oxlint configuration file (experimental)
     ///  * only `.json` extension is supported
     ///  * tries to be compatible with the ESLint v8's format
+    ///
+    /// If not provided, Oxlint will look for `.oxlintrc.json` in the current working directory.
     #[bpaf(long, short, argument("./oxlintrc.json"))]
     pub config: Option<PathBuf>,
 
diff --git a/apps/oxlint/src/lint.rs b/apps/oxlint/src/lint.rs
index e9524802a8f08..7ced35a4aefdb 100644
--- a/apps/oxlint/src/lint.rs
+++ b/apps/oxlint/src/lint.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
-use std::{env, io::BufWriter, path::PathBuf, time::Instant};
+use std::{
+    env,
+    io::BufWriter,
+    path::{Path, PathBuf},
+    time::Instant,
+};
 
 use ignore::gitignore::Gitignore;
 use oxc_diagnostics::{DiagnosticService, GraphicalReportHandler};
@@ -102,21 +107,13 @@ impl Runner for LintRunner {
 
         let number_of_files = paths.len();
 
-        let mut oxlintrc = if let Some(config_path) = basic_options.config.as_ref() {
-            match Oxlintrc::from_file(config_path) {
-                Ok(config) => config,
-                Err(diagnostic) => {
-                    let handler = GraphicalReportHandler::new();
-                    let mut err = String::new();
-                    handler.render_report(&mut err, &diagnostic).unwrap();
-                    return CliRunResult::InvalidOptions {
-                        message: format!("Failed to parse configuration file.\n{err}"),
-                    };
-                }
-            }
-        } else {
-            Oxlintrc::default()
-        };
+        let config_search_result = Self::find_oxlint_config(&self.cwd, &basic_options.config);
+
+        if let Err(err) = config_search_result {
+            return err;
+        }
+
+        let mut oxlintrc = config_search_result.unwrap();
 
         enable_plugins.apply_overrides(&mut oxlintrc.plugins);
 
@@ -179,6 +176,8 @@ impl Runner for LintRunner {
 }
 
 impl LintRunner {
+    const DEFAULT_OXLINTRC: &'static str = ".oxlintrc.json";
+
     #[must_use]
     pub fn with_cwd(mut self, cwd: PathBuf) -> Self {
         self.cwd = cwd;
@@ -241,6 +240,34 @@ impl LintRunner {
 
         Ok(filters)
     }
+
+    // finds the oxlint config
+    // when config is provided, but not found, an CliRunResult is returned, else the oxlintrc config file is returned
+    // when no config is provided, it will search for the default file names in the current working directory
+    // when no file is found, the default configuration is returned
+    fn find_oxlint_config(cwd: &Path, config: &Option<PathBuf>) -> Result<Oxlintrc, CliRunResult> {
+        if let Some(config_path) = config {
+            return match Oxlintrc::from_file(config_path) {
+                Ok(config) => Ok(config),
+                Err(diagnostic) => {
+                    let handler = GraphicalReportHandler::new();
+                    let mut err = String::new();
+                    handler.render_report(&mut err, &diagnostic).unwrap();
+                    return Err(CliRunResult::InvalidOptions {
+                        message: format!("Failed to parse configuration file.\n{err}"),
+                    });
+                }
+            };
+        }
+
+        // no config argument is provided,
+        // auto detect default config file from current work directory
+        // or return the default configuration, when no valid file is found
+        let mut config_path = cwd.to_path_buf();
+        config_path.push(Self::DEFAULT_OXLINTRC);
+
+        Oxlintrc::from_file(&config_path).or_else(|_| Ok(Oxlintrc::default()))
+    }
 }
 
 #[cfg(all(test, not(target_os = "windows")))]
@@ -423,6 +450,15 @@ mod test {
         assert_eq!(result.number_of_errors, 0);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn oxlint_config_auto_detection() {
+        let args = &["debugger.js"];
+        let result = test_with_cwd("fixtures/auto_config_detection", args);
+        assert_eq!(result.number_of_files, 1);
+        assert_eq!(result.number_of_warnings, 0);
+        assert_eq!(result.number_of_errors, 1);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn eslintrc_no_undef() {
         let args = &[
diff --git a/tasks/website/src/linter/snapshots/cli.snap b/tasks/website/src/linter/snapshots/cli.snap
index d4184ce620767..e7653edd16d2a 100644
--- a/tasks/website/src/linter/snapshots/cli.snap
+++ b/tasks/website/src/linter/snapshots/cli.snap
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ snapshot_kind: text
   Oxlint configuration file (experimental)
 * only `.json` extension is supported
 * tries to be compatible with the ESLint v8's format
+
+  If not provided, Oxlint will look for `.oxlintrc.json` in the current working directory.
 - **`    --tsconfig`**=_`<./tsconfig.json>`_ &mdash; 
   TypeScript `tsconfig.json` path for reading path alias and project references for import plugin