diff -Naur jrnl-2.8.3-old/jrnl/jrnl.py jrnl-2.8.3/jrnl/jrnl.py
--- jrnl-2.8.3-old/jrnl/jrnl.py	2021-09-06 15:43:07.000000000 -0400
+++ jrnl-2.8.3/jrnl/jrnl.py	2022-06-05 08:39:02.005242333 -0400
@@ -323,20 +323,20 @@
 
 
 def _display_search_results(args, journal, **kwargs):
-    if args.short or args.export == "short":
+    # Get export format from config file if not provided at the command line
+    args.export = args.export or kwargs["config"].get("display_format")
+
+    if args.tags:
+        print(plugins.get_exporter("tags").export(journal))
+
+    elif args.short or args.export == "short":
         print(journal.pprint(short=True))
 
     elif args.export == "pretty":
         print(journal.pprint())
 
-    elif args.tags:
-        print(plugins.get_exporter("tags").export(journal))
-
     elif args.export:
         exporter = plugins.get_exporter(args.export)
         print(exporter.export(journal, args.filename))
-    elif kwargs["config"].get("display_format"):
-        exporter = plugins.get_exporter(kwargs["config"]["display_format"])
-        print(exporter.export(journal, args.filename))
     else:
         print(journal.pprint())
diff -Naur jrnl-2.8.3-old/tests/bdd/features/format.feature jrnl-2.8.3/tests/bdd/features/format.feature
--- jrnl-2.8.3-old/tests/bdd/features/format.feature	2021-09-06 15:43:07.000000000 -0400
+++ jrnl-2.8.3/tests/bdd/features/format.feature	2022-06-05 08:39:02.005242333 -0400
@@ -559,3 +559,19 @@
         | basic_encrypted.yaml |
         | basic_folder.yaml    |
         | basic_dayone.yaml    |
+
+
+    Scenario Outline: display_format short and pretty do not crash if specified as config values
+        Given we use the config "<config_file>"
+        And we use the password "test" if prompted
+        When we run "jrnl --config-override display_format short -1"
+        Then we should get no error
+        When we run "jrnl --config-override display_format pretty -1"
+        Then we should get no error            
+
+        Examples: configs
+        | config_file          |
+        | basic_onefile.yaml   |
+        | basic_encrypted.yaml |
+        | basic_folder.yaml    |
+        | basic_dayone.yaml    |
diff -Naur jrnl-2.8.3-old/tests/unit/test_display.py jrnl-2.8.3/tests/unit/test_display.py
--- jrnl-2.8.3-old/tests/unit/test_display.py	2021-09-06 15:43:07.000000000 -0400
+++ jrnl-2.8.3/tests/unit/test_display.py	1969-12-31 19:00:00.000000000 -0500
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-import argparse
-from unittest import mock
-
-import pytest
-
-import jrnl
-from jrnl.jrnl import _display_search_results
-
-
-# fmt: off
-# see: https://github.com/psf/black/issues/664
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("export_format", [ "pretty", "short","markdown"])
-#fmt: on
-@mock.patch.object(argparse, "Namespace", return_value={"export": "markdown", "filename": "irrele.vant"})
-def test_export_format(mock_args, export_format):
-
-    test_journal = jrnl.Journal.Journal
-    mock_args.export = export_format
-    #fmt: off
-    # see: https://github.com/psf/black/issues/664
-    with mock.patch("builtins.print") as mock_spy_print, \
-    mock.patch('jrnl.Journal.Journal.pprint') as mock_pprint:
-        _display_search_results(mock_args, test_journal)
-    mock_spy_print.assert_called_once_with(mock_pprint())
-    #fmt: on
diff -Naur jrnl-2.8.3-old/tests/unit/test_jrnl.py jrnl-2.8.3/tests/unit/test_jrnl.py
--- jrnl-2.8.3-old/tests/unit/test_jrnl.py	1969-12-31 19:00:00.000000000 -0500
+++ jrnl-2.8.3/tests/unit/test_jrnl.py	2022-06-05 08:39:43.991783382 -0400
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+from unittest import mock
+
+import pytest
+
+import random
+import string
+import jrnl
+from jrnl.jrnl import _display_search_results
+from jrnl.args import parse_args
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def random_string():
+    return "".join(random.choices(string.ascii_uppercase + string.digits, k=25))
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("export_format", ["pretty", "short"])
+@mock.patch("builtins.print")
+@mock.patch("jrnl.Journal.Journal.pprint")
+def test_display_search_results_pretty_short(mock_pprint, mock_print, export_format):
+    mock_args = parse_args(["--format", export_format])
+    test_journal = mock.Mock(wraps=jrnl.Journal.Journal)
+
+    _display_search_results(mock_args, test_journal)
+
+    mock_print.assert_called_once_with(mock_pprint.return_value)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "export_format", ["markdown", "json", "xml", "yaml", "fancy", "dates"]
+)
+@mock.patch("jrnl.plugins.get_exporter")
+@mock.patch("builtins.print")
+def test_display_search_results_builtin_plugins(
+    mock_print, mock_exporter, export_format, random_string
+):
+    test_filename = random_string
+    mock_args = parse_args(["--format", export_format, "--file", test_filename])
+
+    test_journal = mock.Mock(wraps=jrnl.Journal.Journal)
+    mock_export = mock.Mock()
+    mock_exporter.return_value.export = mock_export
+
+    _display_search_results(mock_args, test_journal)
+
+    mock_exporter.assert_called_once_with(export_format)
+    mock_export.assert_called_once_with(test_journal, test_filename)
+    mock_print.assert_called_once_with(mock_export.return_value)