diff --git a/.flake8 b/.flake8
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7edb1b7d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.flake8
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+[flake8]
+exclude = 
+  python/ray/core/generated/
+  streaming/python/generated
+  doc/source/conf.py
+  python/ray/cloudpickle/
+  python/ray/thirdparty_files/
+  python/build/
+  python/.eggs/
+max-line-length = 79
+inline-quotes = "
+ignore =
+  C408
+  E121
+  E123
+  E126
+  E226
+  E24
+  E704
+  W503
+  W504
+  W605
+avoid-escape = no
diff --git a/ci/travis/format.sh b/ci/travis/format.sh
index 2e6171662..5ef26ff35 100755
--- a/ci/travis/format.sh
+++ b/ci/travis/format.sh
@@ -114,8 +114,6 @@ GIT_LS_EXCLUDES=(
 # TODO(barakmich): This should be cleaned up. I've at least excised the copies
 # of these arguments to this location, but the long-term answer is to actually
 # make a flake8 config file
-FLAKE8_EXCLUDE="--exclude=python/ray/core/generated/,streaming/python/generated,doc/source/conf.py,python/ray/cloudpickle/,python/ray/thirdparty_files/,python/build/,python/.eggs/"
-FLAKE8_IGNORES="--ignore=C408,E121,E123,E126,E226,E24,E704,W503,W504,W605"
 FLAKE8_PYX_IGNORES="--ignore=C408,E121,E123,E126,E211,E225,E226,E227,E24,E704,E999,W503,W504,W605"
 
 shellcheck_scripts() {
@@ -195,10 +193,10 @@ format_all() {
     if [ $HAS_FLAKE8 ]; then
       echo "$(date)" "Flake8...."
       git ls-files -- '*.py' "${GIT_LS_EXCLUDES[@]}" | xargs -P 5 \
-        flake8 --inline-quotes '"' --no-avoid-escape  "$FLAKE8_EXCLUDE" "$FLAKE8_IGNORES"
+        flake8 --config=.flake8
 
       git ls-files -- '*.pyx' '*.pxd' '*.pxi' "${GIT_LS_EXCLUDES[@]}" | xargs -P 5 \
-        flake8 --inline-quotes '"' --no-avoid-escape "$FLAKE8_EXCLUDE" "$FLAKE8_PYX_IGNORES"
+        flake8 --config=.flake8 "$FLAKE8_PYX_IGNORES"
     fi
 
     echo "$(date)" "clang-format...."
@@ -237,14 +235,14 @@ format_changed() {
              yapf --in-place "${YAPF_EXCLUDES[@]}" "${YAPF_FLAGS[@]}"
         if which flake8 >/dev/null; then
             git diff --name-only --diff-filter=ACRM "$MERGEBASE" -- '*.py' | xargs -P 5 \
-                 flake8 --inline-quotes '"' --no-avoid-escape "$FLAKE8_EXCLUDE" "$FLAKE8_IGNORES"
+                 flake8 --config=.flake8
         fi
     fi
 
     if ! git diff --diff-filter=ACRM --quiet --exit-code "$MERGEBASE" -- '*.pyx' '*.pxd' '*.pxi' &>/dev/null; then
         if which flake8 >/dev/null; then
             git diff --name-only --diff-filter=ACRM "$MERGEBASE" -- '*.pyx' '*.pxd' '*.pxi' | xargs -P 5 \
-                 flake8 --inline-quotes '"' --no-avoid-escape "$FLAKE8_EXCLUDE" "$FLAKE8_PYX_IGNORES"
+                 flake8 --config=.flake8 "$FLAKE8_PYX_IGNORES"
         fi
     fi