diff --git a/shared_utils.py b/shared_utils.py
index 54ef3d3..afe4cb8 100644
--- a/shared_utils.py
+++ b/shared_utils.py
@@ -4,20 +4,62 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import json
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Sequence, Tuple
-from typing import Dict, List, Optional, Sequence, Tuple
 
 import numpy as np
 import pandas as pd
 import pyodbc
 
-DEFAULT_CONFIG_PATH = Path("config/pattern_knn_config.json")
+CONFIG_FILENAME = "pattern_knn_config.json"
+
+# Ordine di ricerca del file di configurazione. Il primo trovato vince.
+# Tutti i path sono relativi al CWD eccetto quello accanto a shared_utils.py.
+_CONFIG_SEARCH_PATHS = [
+    Path(CONFIG_FILENAME),                                  # root del progetto
+    Path("config") / CONFIG_FILENAME,                       # sottocartella config/
+    Path(__file__).resolve().parent / CONFIG_FILENAME,      # stessa cartella di shared_utils.py
+    Path(__file__).resolve().parent / "config" / CONFIG_FILENAME,
+]
+
+# Backward-compat: alcuni script importano DEFAULT_CONFIG_PATH direttamente.
+DEFAULT_CONFIG_PATH = _CONFIG_SEARCH_PATHS[0]
+
+
+def _resolve_config_path(explicit: Optional[Path] = None) -> Path:
+    """Restituisce il path al file di config, cercando in piu' posizioni standard.
+
+    Priorita':
+      1. Argomento esplicito passato a load_config()
+      2. Variabile ambiente PATTERN_KNN_CONFIG_PATH
+      3. Lista _CONFIG_SEARCH_PATHS in ordine
+    """
+    import os
+
+    if explicit is not None:
+        return Path(explicit)
+
+    env_path = os.environ.get("PATTERN_KNN_CONFIG_PATH")
+    if env_path:
+        return Path(env_path)
+
+    for candidate in _CONFIG_SEARCH_PATHS:
+        if candidate.exists():
+            return candidate
+
+    # Nessuna posizione standard trovata: ritorna la prima per generare un
+    # messaggio di errore informativo a valle.
+    return _CONFIG_SEARCH_PATHS[0]
 
 
 def load_config(path: Optional[Path] = None) -> Dict:
     """Load the JSON configuration that holds operational parameters."""
-    cfg_path = Path(path or DEFAULT_CONFIG_PATH)
+    cfg_path = _resolve_config_path(path)
     if not cfg_path.exists():
-        raise FileNotFoundError(f"Missing configuration file: {cfg_path}")
+        searched = "\n  - ".join(str(p.resolve()) for p in _CONFIG_SEARCH_PATHS)
+        raise FileNotFoundError(
+            f"Missing configuration file '{CONFIG_FILENAME}'.\n"
+            f"Searched in:\n  - {searched}\n"
+            f"Set PATTERN_KNN_CONFIG_PATH env var to override."
+        )
     with cfg_path.open("r", encoding="utf-8") as fh:
         return json.load(fh)
 
@@ -96,7 +138,7 @@ def build_pattern_library(
     """Create the normalized pattern windows and their realized outcomes.
 
     Args:
-        ret_series: Series of returns (ordered oldest→latest).
+        ret_series: Series of returns (ordered oldest->latest).
         wp: Window length for the pattern.
         ha: Holding horizon used to compute the outcome.
         embargo: Optional number of most-recent observations to exclude when