diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 659f319..7d1bd91 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -42,15 +42,14 @@ Some SSH arguments have default values - for example, the default value for
 given Host/keyword pair exists in the config, we'll return a default for the
 keyword if one exists.
 
-### Clearing cached SSH config files
+### Reloading SSH config files
 Once the first call to `Get()`, `GetStrict()`, `GetAll()`, or `GetAllStrict()`
 has been made, the contents of the config files will be cached for all future
-calls to any of those functions. This cache can manually be cleared with the
-`ClearCachedConfigs()` function. Once this is done, it will be cached again by
-the next call to `Get()`, `GetStrict()`, `GetAll()`, or `GetAllStrict()`.
+calls to any of those functions. The `ReloadConfigs()` function will reset
+this cache and replace it with the current config file contents.
 
 ```go
-ssh_config.ClearCachedConfigs()
+ssh_config.ReloadConfigs()
 ```
 
 ### Manipulating SSH config files
diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index 3d56bea..a26e4d3 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -167,13 +167,12 @@ func GetAllStrict(alias, key string) ([]string, error) {
 	return DefaultUserSettings.GetAllStrict(alias, key)
 }
 
-// ClearCachedConfigs resets the loaded config so it can be reloaded on the
-// next retrieval.
+// ReloadConfigs clears the cached config data and freshly loads the config
+// files again.
 //
-// ClearCachedConfigs is a wrapper around
-// DefaultUserSettings.ClearCachedConfigs.
-func ClearCachedConfigs() {
-	DefaultUserSettings.ClearCachedConfigs()
+// ReloadConfigs is a wrapper around DefaultUserSettings.ReloadConfigs.
+func ReloadConfigs() {
+	DefaultUserSettings.ReloadConfigs()
 }
 
 // Get finds the first value for key within a declaration that matches the
@@ -281,6 +280,9 @@ func (u *UserSettings) ConfigFinder(f func() string) {
 }
 
 func (u *UserSettings) doLoadConfigs() {
+	if u.loadConfigs == nil {
+		u.loadConfigs = new(sync.Once)
+	}
 	u.loadConfigs.Do(func() {
 		var filename string
 		var err error
@@ -319,10 +321,11 @@ func (u *UserSettings) doLoadConfigs() {
 	})
 }
 
-// ClearCachedConfigs resets the loaded config so it can be reloaded on the
-// next retrieval.
-func (u *UserSettings) ClearCachedConfigs() {
+// ReloadConfigs clears the cached config data and freshly loads the config
+// files again.
+func (u *UserSettings) ReloadConfigs() {
 	u.loadConfigs = new(sync.Once)
+	u.doLoadConfigs()
 }
 
 func parseFile(filename string) (*Config, error) {