diff --git a/src/qt/forms/optionsdialog.ui b/src/qt/forms/optionsdialog.ui
--- a/src/qt/forms/optionsdialog.ui
+++ b/src/qt/forms/optionsdialog.ui
@@ -692,17 +692,34 @@
    <item>
     <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="horizontalLayout_Buttons">
      <item>
-      <widget class="QPushButton" name="resetButton">
-       <property name="toolTip">
-        <string>Reset all client options to default.</string>
-       </property>
-       <property name="text">
-        <string>&amp;Reset Options</string>
-       </property>
-       <property name="autoDefault">
-        <bool>false</bool>
-       </property>
-      </widget>
+      <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_Buttons">
+       <item>
+        <widget class="QPushButton" name="openBitcoinConfButton">
+         <property name="toolTip">
+          <string>Open the %1 configuration file from the working directory.</string>
+         </property>
+         <property name="text">
+          <string>Open Configuration File</string>
+         </property>
+         <property name="autoDefault">
+          <bool>false</bool>
+         </property>
+        </widget>
+       </item>
+       <item>
+        <widget class="QPushButton" name="resetButton">
+         <property name="toolTip">
+          <string>Reset all client options to default.</string>
+         </property>
+         <property name="text">
+          <string>&amp;Reset Options</string>
+         </property>
+         <property name="autoDefault">
+          <bool>false</bool>
+         </property>
+        </widget>
+       </item>
+      </layout>
      </item>
      <item>
       <spacer name="horizontalSpacer_1">
@@ -756,27 +773,48 @@
       </spacer>
      </item>
      <item>
-      <widget class="QPushButton" name="okButton">
-       <property name="text">
-        <string>&amp;OK</string>
-       </property>
-       <property name="autoDefault">
-        <bool>false</bool>
-       </property>
-       <property name="default">
-        <bool>true</bool>
-       </property>
-      </widget>
-     </item>
-     <item>
-      <widget class="QPushButton" name="cancelButton">
-       <property name="text">
-        <string>&amp;Cancel</string>
-       </property>
-       <property name="autoDefault">
-        <bool>false</bool>
-       </property>
-      </widget>
+      <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_4">
+       <item>
+        <spacer name="verticalSpacer">
+         <property name="orientation">
+          <enum>Qt::Vertical</enum>
+         </property>
+         <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
+          <size>
+           <width>20</width>
+           <height>40</height>
+          </size>
+         </property>
+        </spacer>
+       </item>
+       <item>
+        <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="horizontalLayout">
+         <item>
+          <widget class="QPushButton" name="okButton">
+           <property name="text">
+            <string>&amp;OK</string>
+           </property>
+           <property name="autoDefault">
+            <bool>false</bool>
+           </property>
+           <property name="default">
+            <bool>true</bool>
+           </property>
+          </widget>
+         </item>
+         <item>
+          <widget class="QPushButton" name="cancelButton">
+           <property name="text">
+            <string>&amp;Cancel</string>
+           </property>
+           <property name="autoDefault">
+            <bool>false</bool>
+           </property>
+          </widget>
+         </item>
+        </layout>
+       </item>
+      </layout>
      </item>
     </layout>
    </item>
diff --git a/src/qt/guiutil.h b/src/qt/guiutil.h
--- a/src/qt/guiutil.h
+++ b/src/qt/guiutil.h
@@ -146,6 +146,9 @@
 // Open debug.log
 void openDebugLogfile();
 
+// Open the config file
+bool openBitcoinConf();
+
 // Replace invalid default fonts with known good ones
 void SubstituteFonts(const QString &language);
 
diff --git a/src/qt/guiutil.cpp b/src/qt/guiutil.cpp
--- a/src/qt/guiutil.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/guiutil.cpp
@@ -426,6 +426,23 @@
     }
 }
 
+bool openBitcoinConf() {
+    fs::path pathConfig = GetConfigFile(BITCOIN_CONF_FILENAME);
+
+    /* Create the file */
+    fs::ofstream configFile(pathConfig, std::ios_base::app);
+
+    if (!configFile.good()) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    configFile.close();
+
+    /* Open bitcoin.conf with the associated application */
+    return QDesktopServices::openUrl(
+        QUrl::fromLocalFile(boostPathToQString(pathConfig)));
+}
+
 void SubstituteFonts(const QString &language) {
 #if defined(Q_OS_MAC)
 // Background:
diff --git a/src/qt/optionsdialog.h b/src/qt/optionsdialog.h
--- a/src/qt/optionsdialog.h
+++ b/src/qt/optionsdialog.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
     /* set OK button state (enabled / disabled) */
     void setOkButtonState(bool fState);
     void on_resetButton_clicked();
+    void on_openBitcoinConfButton_clicked();
     void on_okButton_clicked();
     void on_cancelButton_clicked();
 
diff --git a/src/qt/optionsdialog.cpp b/src/qt/optionsdialog.cpp
--- a/src/qt/optionsdialog.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/optionsdialog.cpp
@@ -229,6 +229,22 @@
     }
 }
 
+void OptionsDialog::on_openBitcoinConfButton_clicked() {
+    /* explain the purpose of the config file */
+    QMessageBox::information(
+        this, tr("Configuration options"),
+        tr("The configuration file is used to specify advanced user options "
+           "which override GUI settings. Additionally, any command-line "
+           "options will override this configuration file."));
+
+    /* show an error if there was some problem opening the file */
+    if (!GUIUtil::openBitcoinConf()) {
+        QMessageBox::critical(
+            this, tr("Error"),
+            tr("The configuration file could not be opened."));
+    }
+}
+
 void OptionsDialog::on_okButton_clicked() {
     mapper->submit();
     accept();