diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 9f910ba..798a03a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -21,6 +21,21 @@
         "title": "Roadmap: Open Tab"
       }
     ],
+    "configuration": [
+      {
+        "type": "string",
+        "default": "Development Checklist.md",
+        "description": "Filename of the markdown checklist to use for the roadmap view.",
+        "scope": "workspace",
+        "properties": {
+          "roadmapChecklist.filename": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "default": "Development Checklist.md",
+            "description": "The relative path to the markdown file used for the roadmap checklist."
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    ],
     "viewsContainers": {
       "activitybar": [
         {
diff --git a/src/extension.ts b/src/extension.ts
index a661d86..adaccc0 100644
--- a/src/extension.ts
+++ b/src/extension.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,48 @@
 import * as vscode from 'vscode';
 import { RoadmapTreeProvider, RoadmapItem } from './roadmapTree';
+import * as fs from 'fs';
 import * as path from 'path';
 
-export function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
-	const checklistFile = path.join(vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders?.[0].uri.fsPath || '', 'Development Checklist.md');
-	console.log('[Extension] Using checklist path:', checklistFile);
+export function activate(this: any, context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
+	const output = vscode.window.createOutputChannel('Roadmap Checklist');
+	const config = vscode.workspace.getConfiguration('roadmapChecklist');
+	const checklistFilename = config.get<string>('filename') || 'Development Checklist.md';
+	const workspaceFolder = vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders?.[0];
 
-	const roadmapProvider = new RoadmapTreeProvider(checklistFile, context);
+	if (workspaceFolder) {
+		const filePath = path.join(workspaceFolder.uri.fsPath, checklistFilename);
+		this.checklistPath = filePath;
+
+		console.log(`Using checklist file: ${this.checklistPath}`);
+		output.appendLine(`Using checklist file: ${this.checklistPath}`);
+
+		if (!fs.existsSync(this.checklistPath)) {
+			vscode.window.showWarningMessage(`Checklist file not found: ${this.checklistPath}`);
+		} else {
+			output.appendLine('Checklist file found, refreshing...');
+			setTimeout(() => this.refresh(), 0);
+		}
+	}
+
+	const configSet = `Roadmap Checklist filename set to: ${checklistFilename}`;
+	output.appendLine(configSet);
+
+	const checklistPath = vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders?.[0]
+		? vscode.Uri.joinPath(vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders[0].uri, checklistFilename).fsPath
+		: '';
+
+	const message = `Using checklist file: ${this.checklistPath}`;
+	console.log(message);
+	output.appendLine(message);
+	output.show(); // Optional, only if you want it to be visible
+
+	// if (fs.existsSync(checklistPath)) {
+	// 	console.log('[Extension] Roadmap checklist file found:', checklistPath);
+	// } else {
+	// 	vscode.window.showWarningMessage(`Roadmap checklist file not found: ${checklistPath}`);
+	// }
+
+	const roadmapProvider = new RoadmapTreeProvider(checklistPath, context);
 	vscode.window.registerTreeDataProvider('roadmapChecklist', roadmapProvider);
 	const treeView = vscode.window.createTreeView('roadmapChecklist', {
 		treeDataProvider: roadmapProvider
@@ -14,11 +50,14 @@ export function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
 
 	context.subscriptions.push(
 		vscode.commands.registerCommand('roadmap.toggleCheckbox', async (item: RoadmapItem) => {
-			const doc = vscode.workspace.textDocuments.find(d => d.uri.fsPath === checklistFile);
+			const doc = vscode.workspace.textDocuments.find(d => d.uri.fsPath === checklistPath);
 			if (!doc) { return; }
 
 			const edit = new vscode.WorkspaceEdit();
-			const lines = doc.getText().split('\n');
+			const rawText = doc.getText();
+
+			// Normalize line endings and split into lines
+			const lines = rawText.split(/\r?\n/);
 			const index = lines.findIndex(line =>
 				line.trim().match(/^[-*]\s+\[[ xX]\]/) &&
 				line.includes(item.label)
@@ -27,11 +66,20 @@ export function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
 
 			const line = lines[index];
 			const toggledLine = line.replace(/\[(x| )\]/i, item.checked ? '[ ]' : '[x]');
-			const range = new vscode.Range(new vscode.Position(index, 0), new vscode.Position(index, line.length));
-			edit.replace(doc.uri, range, toggledLine);
+			lines[index] = toggledLine;
+
+			// Ensure exactly one trailing newline
+			const finalText = lines.join('\n').replace(/\n+$/, '') + '\n';
+
+			const fullRange = new vscode.Range(
+				doc.positionAt(0),
+				doc.positionAt(rawText.length)
+			);
+
+			edit.replace(doc.uri, fullRange, finalText);
 
 			await vscode.workspace.applyEdit(edit);
-			await doc.save(); // ✅ Triggers the existing onDidSaveTextDocument → refresh()
+			await doc.save(); // ✅ Triggers refresh via onDidSave
 		}),
 		vscode.commands.registerCommand('roadmapChecklist.reveal', async (item: RoadmapItem) => {
 			treeView.reveal(item, { expand: true });
diff --git a/src/roadmapTree.ts b/src/roadmapTree.ts
index 957476d..2a3b59a 100644
--- a/src/roadmapTree.ts
+++ b/src/roadmapTree.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 // roadmapTree.ts
 import * as vscode from 'vscode';
+import * as fs from 'fs';
 
 export class RoadmapItem extends vscode.TreeItem {
   public children: RoadmapItem[] = [];
@@ -60,6 +61,8 @@ export class RoadmapItem extends vscode.TreeItem {
 }
 
 export class RoadmapTreeProvider implements vscode.TreeDataProvider<RoadmapItem> {
+  private output = vscode.window.createOutputChannel('Roadmap Checklist');
+
   private _onDidChangeTreeData: vscode.EventEmitter<RoadmapItem | undefined | void> = new vscode.EventEmitter();
   readonly onDidChangeTreeData: vscode.Event<RoadmapItem | undefined | void> = this._onDidChangeTreeData.event;
 
@@ -83,8 +86,20 @@ export class RoadmapTreeProvider implements vscode.TreeDataProvider<RoadmapItem>
   }
 
   refresh(): void {
+    let content = '';
     const doc = vscode.workspace.textDocuments.find(d => d.uri.fsPath === this.checklistPath);
-    const content = doc?.getText() || '';
+
+    if (doc) {
+      content = doc.getText();
+    } else {
+      try {
+        content = fs.readFileSync(this.checklistPath, 'utf8');
+      } catch (err) {
+        vscode.window.showErrorMessage(`Failed to read checklist file: ${err}`);
+        return;
+      }
+    }
+
     const expanded = this.context.workspaceState.get<string[]>('expandedPhases') || [];
     const { items, firstOpenPhase } = this.parseMarkdown(content, expanded);
     this.items = items;