diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 35a3c07..5871556 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -30,10 +30,10 @@ In all cases, online help can be retrieved by providing the `-h` or ``--help`` f
 ### concatenate
 
 **concatenate** combines a GP2040-CE firmware .bin file (such as from a fresh build) and a GP2040-CE board's storage
-section .bin, and produces a properly-offset .bin file suitable for flashing to a board. This may be useful to ensure
-the board is flashed with a particular configuration, for instances such as producing a binary to flash many boards with
-a particular configuration (specific customizations, etc.), or keeping documented backups of what you're testing with
-during development.
+section .bin or config (with footer) .bin, and produces a properly-offset .bin file suitable for flashing to a board.
+This may be useful to ensure the board is flashed with a particular configuration, for instances such as producing a
+binary to flash many boards with a particular configuration (specific customizations, etc.), or keeping documented
+backups of what you're testing with during development.
 
 Sample usage:
 
diff --git a/gp2040ce_bintools/builder.py b/gp2040ce_bintools/builder.py
index 313f88a..84fa44e 100644
--- a/gp2040ce_bintools/builder.py
+++ b/gp2040ce_bintools/builder.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import argparse
 import logging
 
 from gp2040ce_bintools import core_parser
-from gp2040ce_bintools.storage import STORAGE_LOCATION
+from gp2040ce_bintools.storage import STORAGE_LOCATION, pad_config_to_storage_size
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -17,6 +17,18 @@ class FirmwareLengthError(ValueError):
     """Exception raised when the firmware is too large to fit the known storage location."""
 
 
+def combine_firmware_and_config(firmware_binary: bytearray, config_binary: bytearray) -> bytearray:
+    """Given firmware and config binaries, combine the two to one, with proper offsets for GP2040-CE.
+
+    Args:
+        firmware_binary: binary data of the raw GP2040-CE firmware, probably but not necessarily unpadded
+        config_binary: binary data of board config + footer, possibly padded to be a full storage section
+    Returns:
+        the resulting correctly-offset binary suitable for a GP2040-CE board
+    """
+    return pad_firmware_up_to_storage(firmware_binary) + pad_config_to_storage_size(config_binary)
+
+
 def concatenate_firmware_and_storage_files(firmware_filename: str, storage_filename: str, combined_filename: str):
     """Open the provided binary files and combine them into one combined GP2040-CE with config file.
 
@@ -26,7 +38,7 @@ def concatenate_firmware_and_storage_files(firmware_filename: str, storage_filen
         combined_filename: filename of where to write the combine binary
     """
     with open(firmware_filename, 'rb') as firmware, open(storage_filename, 'rb') as storage:
-        new_binary = pad_firmware_up_to_storage(firmware.read()) + bytearray(storage.read())
+        new_binary = combine_firmware_and_config(bytearray(firmware.read()), bytearray(storage.read()))
     with open(combined_filename, 'wb') as combined:
         combined.write(new_binary)
 
@@ -35,7 +47,7 @@ def pad_firmware_up_to_storage(firmware: bytes) -> bytearray:
     """Provide a copy of the firmware padded with zero bytes up to the provided position.
 
     Args:
-        firmware: the read-in binary file to process
+        firmware: the firmware binary to process
     Returns:
         the resulting padded binary as a bytearray
     Raises:
@@ -47,7 +59,7 @@ def pad_firmware_up_to_storage(firmware: bytes) -> bytearray:
         raise FirmwareLengthError(f"provided firmware binary is larger than the start of "
                                   f"storage at {STORAGE_LOCATION}!")
 
-    return bytes(bytearray(firmware) + bytearray(b'\x00' * bytes_to_pad))
+    return bytearray(firmware) + bytearray(b'\x00' * bytes_to_pad)
 
 
 ############
@@ -57,13 +69,13 @@ def pad_firmware_up_to_storage(firmware: bytes) -> bytearray:
 def concatenate():
     """Combine a built firmware .bin and a storage .bin."""
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
-        description="Combine a compiled GP2040-CE firmware-only .bin and an existing storage area .bin into one file "
-                    "suitable for flashing onto a board.",
+        description="Combine a compiled GP2040-CE firmware-only .bin and an existing storage area or config .bin "
+                    "into one file suitable for flashing onto a board.",
         parents=[core_parser],
     )
     parser.add_argument('firmware_filename', help=".bin file of a GP2040-CE firmware, probably from a build")
-    parser.add_argument('storage_filename', help=".bin file of a GP2040-CE board's storage section")
+    parser.add_argument('config_filename', help=".bin file of a GP2040-CE board's storage section or config w/footer")
     parser.add_argument('new_binary_filename', help="output .bin file of the resulting firmware + storage")
 
     args, _ = parser.parse_known_args()
-    concatenate_firmware_and_storage_files(args.firmware_filename, args.storage_filename, args.new_binary_filename)
+    concatenate_firmware_and_storage_files(args.firmware_filename, args.config_filename, args.new_binary_filename)
diff --git a/gp2040ce_bintools/storage.py b/gp2040ce_bintools/storage.py
index 629cb15..79169e1 100644
--- a/gp2040ce_bintools/storage.py
+++ b/gp2040ce_bintools/storage.py
@@ -114,6 +114,25 @@ def get_storage_section(content: bytes) -> bytes:
     logger.debug("returning bytes from %s to %s", hex(STORAGE_LOCATION), hex(STORAGE_LOCATION + STORAGE_SIZE))
     return content[STORAGE_LOCATION:(STORAGE_LOCATION + STORAGE_SIZE)]
 
+
+def pad_config_to_storage_size(config: bytes) -> bytearray:
+    """Provide a copy of the config (with footer) padded with zero bytes to be the proper storage section size.
+
+    Args:
+        firmware: the config section binary to process
+    Returns:
+        the resulting padded binary as a bytearray
+    Raises:
+        FirmwareLengthError: if the  is larger than the storage location
+    """
+    bytes_to_pad = STORAGE_SIZE - len(config)
+    logger.debug("config is length %s, padding %s bytes", len(config), bytes_to_pad)
+    if bytes_to_pad < 0:
+        raise ConfigLengthError(f"provided config binary is larger than the allowed storage of "
+                                f"storage at {STORAGE_SIZE} bytes!")
+
+    return bytearray(b'\x00' * bytes_to_pad) + bytearray(config)
+
 ############
 # COMMANDS #
 ############
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 4062aa9..22df89f 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -6,6 +6,16 @@ import pytest
 HERE = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
 
 
+@pytest.fixture
+def config_binary():
+    """Read in a test GP2040-CE configuration, Protobuf serialized binary form with footer."""
+    filename = os.path.join(HERE, 'test-files', 'test-config.bin')
+    with open(filename, 'rb') as file:
+        content = file.read()
+
+    yield content
+
+
 @pytest.fixture
 def firmware_binary():
     """Read in a test GP2040-CE firmware binary file."""
diff --git a/tests/test-files/test-config.bin b/tests/test-files/test-config.bin
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0229fd2
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/test-files/test-config.bin differ
diff --git a/tests/test_builder.py b/tests/test_builder.py
index a5829a9..c50722f 100644
--- a/tests/test_builder.py
+++ b/tests/test_builder.py
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 """Tests for the image builder module."""
 import pytest
 
-from gp2040ce_bintools.builder import FirmwareLengthError, pad_firmware_up_to_storage
+from gp2040ce_bintools.builder import FirmwareLengthError, combine_firmware_and_config, pad_firmware_up_to_storage
+from gp2040ce_bintools.storage import get_config_footer, get_storage_section
 
 
 def test_padding_firmware(firmware_binary):
@@ -10,6 +11,24 @@ def test_padding_firmware(firmware_binary):
     assert len(padded) == 2088960
 
 
+def test_firmware_plus_storage(firmware_binary, storage_dump):
+    """Test that combining firmware and storage produces a valid combined binary."""
+    whole_board = combine_firmware_and_config(firmware_binary, storage_dump)
+    # if this is valid, we should be able to find the storage and footer again
+    storage = get_storage_section(whole_board)
+    footer_size, _, _ = get_config_footer(storage)
+    assert footer_size == 2032
+
+
+def test_firmware_plus_config_binary(firmware_binary, config_binary):
+    """Test that combining firmware and storage produces a valid combined binary."""
+    whole_board = combine_firmware_and_config(firmware_binary, config_binary)
+    # if this is valid, we should be able to find the storage and footer again
+    storage = get_storage_section(whole_board)
+    footer_size, _, _ = get_config_footer(storage)
+    assert footer_size == 2032
+
+
 def test_padding_firmware_too_big(firmware_binary):
     """Test that firmware is padded to the expected size."""
     with pytest.raises(FirmwareLengthError):
diff --git a/tests/test_storage.py b/tests/test_storage.py
index 2d65964..7c4666b 100644
--- a/tests/test_storage.py
+++ b/tests/test_storage.py
@@ -95,3 +95,15 @@ def test_config_from_whole_board_parses(whole_board_dump):
     config = storage.get_config(storage.get_storage_section(whole_board_dump))
     assert config.boardVersion == 'v0.7.2'
     assert config.hotkeyOptions.hotkeyF1Up.dpadMask == 1
+
+
+def test_pad_config_to_storage(config_binary):
+    """Test that we can properly pad a config section to the correct storage section size."""
+    storage_section = storage.pad_config_to_storage_size(config_binary)
+    assert len(storage_section) == 8192
+
+
+def test_pad_config_to_storage_raises(config_binary):
+    """Test that we raise an exception if the config is bigger than the storage section."""
+    with pytest.raises(storage.ConfigLengthError):
+        _ = storage.pad_config_to_storage_size(config_binary * 5)