diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b05308ab..3ef6e842 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Change Log
 
+## Unreleased
+
+- Added search for Simvue configuration within the parent file hierarchy of the current directory.
+
 ## [v2.3.0](https://github.com/simvue-io/client/releases/tag/v2.3.0) - 2025-12-11
 
 - Refactored sender functionality introducing new `Sender` class.
diff --git a/simvue/utilities.py b/simvue/utilities.py
index e890698e..faa567ec 100644
--- a/simvue/utilities.py
+++ b/simvue/utilities.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ def find_first_instance_of_file(
 
     Parameters
     ----------
+    file_names: list[str] | str
         candidate names of file to locate
     check_user_space: bool, optional
         check the users home area if current working directory is not
@@ -47,9 +48,16 @@ def find_first_instance_of_file(
         file_names = [file_names]
 
     for file_name in file_names:
-        _user_file = pathlib.Path.cwd().joinpath(file_name)
-        if _user_file.exists():
-            return _user_file
+        _current_path = pathlib.Path.cwd()
+
+        while os.access(_current_path, os.R_OK):
+            _user_file = _current_path.joinpath(file_name)
+            if _user_file.exists():
+                return _user_file
+            _parent_path = _current_path.parent
+            if _parent_path == _current_path:  # parent of root dir is root dir
+                break
+            _current_path = _parent_path
 
     # If the user is running on different mounted volume or outside
     # of their user space then the above will not return the file
diff --git a/tests/functional/test_utilities.py b/tests/functional/test_utilities.py
index 8f953be4..1d8e0abd 100644
--- a/tests/functional/test_utilities.py
+++ b/tests/functional/test_utilities.py
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import pytest
 import tempfile
 import os.path
+import pathlib
+import stat
+
+from pytest_mock import MockerFixture
 
 import simvue.utilities as sv_util
 
@@ -19,3 +23,63 @@ def test_calculate_hash(is_file: bool, hash: str) -> None:
             assert sv_util.calculate_sha256(filename=out_file, is_file=is_file) == hash
     else:
         assert sv_util.calculate_sha256(filename="temp.txt", is_file=is_file) == hash
+
+@pytest.mark.config
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "user_area", (True, False),
+        ids=("permitted_dir", "out_of_user_area")
+)
+def test_find_first_file_search(user_area: bool, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
+    # Deactivate the server checks for this test
+    monkeypatch.setenv("SIMVUE_NO_SERVER_CHECK", "True")
+    monkeypatch.delenv("SIMVUE_TOKEN", False)
+    monkeypatch.delenv("SIMVUE_URL", False)
+
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp_d:
+        _path = pathlib.Path(temp_d)
+        _path_sub = _path.joinpath("level_0")
+        _path_sub.mkdir()
+
+        for i in range(1, 5):
+            _path_sub = _path_sub.joinpath(f"level_{i}")
+            _path_sub.mkdir()
+        mocker.patch("pathlib.Path.cwd", lambda *_: _path_sub)
+
+        if user_area:
+            _path.joinpath("level_0").joinpath("simvue.toml").touch()
+            _path.chmod(stat.S_IXUSR)
+            _result = sv_util.find_first_instance_of_file("simvue.toml", check_user_space=False)
+        else:
+            _path.chmod(stat.S_IXUSR)
+            _result = sv_util.find_first_instance_of_file("simvue.toml", check_user_space=False) is None
+
+        _path.chmod(stat.S_IRWXU)
+        assert _result
+
+@pytest.mark.config
+def test_find_first_file_at_root(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
+    # Deactivate the server checks for this test
+    monkeypatch.setenv("SIMVUE_NO_SERVER_CHECK", "True")
+    monkeypatch.delenv("SIMVUE_TOKEN", False)
+    monkeypatch.delenv("SIMVUE_URL", False)
+
+    @property
+    def _returns_self(self):
+        return self
+
+
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp_d:
+        _path = pathlib.Path(temp_d)
+        _path_sub = _path.joinpath("level_0")
+        _path_sub.mkdir()
+        _path.joinpath("level_0").joinpath("simvue.toml").touch()
+
+        for i in range(1, 5):
+            _path_sub = _path_sub.joinpath(f"level_{i}")
+            _path_sub.mkdir()
+        mocker.patch("pathlib.Path.parent", _returns_self)
+        mocker.patch("pathlib.Path.cwd", lambda *_: _path_sub)
+
+        assert not sv_util.find_first_instance_of_file("simvue.toml", check_user_space=False)
+
+