diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 039cd4e..ba1c0e3 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ chrono = { version = "0.4", features = ["serde"] }
 uuid = { version = "1.8", features = ["v4"] }
 serde = { version = "1", features = ["derive"] }
 serde_json = "1"
+serde_default = "0.1"
+serde-inline-default = "0.2"
 mdhtml = { path = "mdhtml", features = ["markdown"] }
 jrd = "0.1"
 tracing = "0.1"
@@ -44,6 +46,7 @@ sea-orm-migration = { version = "0.12", optional = true }
 mastodon-async-entities = { version = "1.1.0", optional = true }
 time = { version = "0.3", features = ["serde"], optional = true }
 async-recursion = "1.1"
+toml = "0.8.12"
 
 [features]
 default = ["migrations", "cli"]
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8be6af3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+
+
+#[serde_inline_default::serde_inline_default]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, serde::Deserialize, serde::Serialize, serde_default::DefaultFromSerde)]
+pub struct Config {
+	#[serde(default)]
+	pub instance: InstanceConfig,
+
+	#[serde(default)]
+	pub datasource: DatasourceConfig,
+
+	// TODO should i move app keys here?
+}
+
+#[serde_inline_default::serde_inline_default]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, serde::Deserialize, serde::Serialize, serde_default::DefaultFromSerde)]
+pub struct DatasourceConfig {
+	#[serde_inline_default("sqlite://./upub.db".into())]
+	pub connection_string: String,
+
+	#[serde_inline_default(4)]
+	pub max_connections: u32,
+
+	#[serde_inline_default(1)]
+	pub min_connections: u32,
+
+	#[serde_inline_default(300u64)]
+	pub connect_timeout_seconds: u64,
+
+	#[serde_inline_default(300u64)]
+	pub acquire_timeout_seconds: u64,
+
+	#[serde_inline_default(1u64)]
+	pub slow_query_warn_seconds: u64,
+
+	#[serde_inline_default(true)]
+	pub slow_query_warn_enable: bool,
+}
+
+#[serde_inline_default::serde_inline_default]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, serde::Deserialize, serde::Serialize, serde_default::DefaultFromSerde)]
+pub struct InstanceConfig {
+	#[serde_inline_default("μpub".into())]
+	pub name: String,
+
+	#[serde_inline_default("micro social network, federated".into())]
+	pub description: String,
+
+	#[serde_inline_default("upub.social".into())]
+	pub domain: String,
+
+	#[serde(default)]
+	pub contact: Option<String>,
+
+	#[serde(default)]
+	pub frontend: Option<String>,
+}
+
+
+
+
+impl Config {
+	pub fn load(path: Option<std::path::PathBuf>) -> Self {
+		let Some(cfg_path) = path else { return Config::default() };
+		match std::fs::read_to_string(cfg_path) {
+			Ok(x) => match toml::from_str(&x) {
+				Ok(cfg) => return cfg,
+				Err(e) => tracing::error!("failed parsing config file: {e}"),
+			},
+			Err(e) => tracing::error!("failed reading config file: {e}"),
+		}
+		Config::default()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index aeaab1f..51d1065 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ mod model;
 mod routes;
 
 mod errors;
-
 mod config;
 
 #[cfg(feature = "cli")]
@@ -14,6 +13,8 @@ mod migrations;
 
 #[cfg(feature = "migrations")]
 use sea_orm_migration::MigratorTrait;
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+use config::Config;
 
 use clap::{Parser, Subcommand};
 use sea_orm::{ConnectOptions, Database};
@@ -30,13 +31,17 @@ struct Args {
 	/// command to run
 	command: Mode,
 
-	#[arg(short = 'd', long = "db", default_value = "sqlite://./upub.db")]
-	/// database connection uri
-	database: String,
+	/// path to config file, leave empty to not use any
+	#[arg(short, long)]
+	config: Option<PathBuf>,
 
-	#[arg(short = 'D', long, default_value = "http://localhost:3000")]
-	/// instance base domain, for AP ids
-	domain: String,
+	#[arg(long = "db")]
+	/// database connection uri, overrides config value
+	database: Option<String>,
+
+	#[arg(long)]
+	/// instance base domain, for AP ids, overrides config value
+	domain: Option<String>,
 
 	#[arg(long, default_value_t=false)]
 	/// run with debug level tracing
@@ -46,7 +51,10 @@ struct Args {
 #[derive(Clone, Subcommand)]
 enum Mode {
 	/// run fediverse server
-	Serve ,
+	Serve,
+
+	/// print current or default configuration
+	Config,
 
 	#[cfg(feature = "migrations")]
 	/// apply database migrations
@@ -71,11 +79,24 @@ async fn main() {
 		.with_max_level(if args.debug { tracing::Level::DEBUG } else { tracing::Level::INFO })
 		.init();
 
+	let config = Config::load(args.config);
+
+	let database = args.database.unwrap_or(config.datasource.connection_string.clone());
+	let domain = args.domain.unwrap_or(config.instance.domain.clone());
+
 	// TODO can i do connectoptions.into() or .connect() and skip these ugly bindings?
-	let mut opts = ConnectOptions::new(&args.database);
+	let mut opts = ConnectOptions::new(&database);
 
 	opts
-		.sqlx_logging_level(tracing::log::LevelFilter::Debug);
+		.sqlx_logging_level(tracing::log::LevelFilter::Debug)
+		.max_connections(config.datasource.max_connections)
+		.min_connections(config.datasource.min_connections)
+		.acquire_timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(config.datasource.acquire_timeout_seconds))
+		.connect_timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(config.datasource.connect_timeout_seconds))
+		.sqlx_slow_statements_logging_settings(
+			if config.datasource.slow_query_warn_enable { tracing::log::LevelFilter::Warn } else { tracing::log::LevelFilter::Off },
+			std::time::Duration::from_secs(config.datasource.slow_query_warn_seconds)
+		);
 
 	let db = Database::connect(opts)
 		.await.expect("error connecting to db");
@@ -88,11 +109,13 @@ async fn main() {
 
 		#[cfg(feature = "cli")]
 		Mode::Cli { command } =>
-			cli::run(command, db, args.domain)
+			cli::run(command, db, domain, config)
 				.await.expect("failed running cli task"),
 
+		Mode::Config => println!("{}", toml::to_string_pretty(&config).expect("failed serializing config")),
+
 		Mode::Serve => {
-			let ctx = server::Context::new(db, args.domain)
+			let ctx = server::Context::new(db, domain, config)
 				.await.expect("failed creating server context");
 
 			use routes::activitypub::ActivityPubRouter;
diff --git a/src/routes/activitypub/application.rs b/src/routes/activitypub/application.rs
index 451885a..d524260 100644
--- a/src/routes/activitypub/application.rs
+++ b/src/routes/activitypub/application.rs
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ pub async fn view(
 		serde_json::Value::new_object()
 			.set_id(Some(&url!(ctx, "")))
 			.set_actor_type(Some(apb::ActorType::Application))
-			.set_name(Some("μpub"))
-			.set_summary(Some("micro social network, federated"))
+			.set_name(Some(&ctx.cfg().instance.name))
+			.set_summary(Some(&ctx.cfg().instance.description))
 			.set_inbox(apb::Node::link(url!(ctx, "/inbox")))
 			.set_outbox(apb::Node::link(url!(ctx, "/outbox")))
 			.set_published(Some(ctx.app().created))
diff --git a/src/routes/mastodon/instance.rs b/src/routes/mastodon/instance.rs
index b1b8e23..86be3c9 100644
--- a/src/routes/mastodon/instance.rs
+++ b/src/routes/mastodon/instance.rs
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ pub async fn get(
 ) -> crate::Result<Json<mastodon_async_entities::instance::Instance>> {
 	Ok(Json(mastodon_async_entities::instance::Instance {
 		uri: ctx.domain().to_string(),
-		title: "μpub".to_string(),
-		description: "micro social network, federated".to_string(),
-		email: "me@alemi.dev".to_string(),
+		title: ctx.cfg().instance.name.clone(),
+		description: ctx.cfg().instance.description.clone(),
+		email: ctx.cfg().instance.contact.as_deref().unwrap_or_default().to_string(),
 		version: crate::VERSION.to_string(),
 		urls: None,
 		stats: None,
diff --git a/src/server/context.rs b/src/server/context.rs
index a5c281d..a9c2edf 100644
--- a/src/server/context.rs
+++ b/src/server/context.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use std::{collections::BTreeSet, sync::Arc};
 use openssl::rsa::Rsa;
 use sea_orm::{ColumnTrait, DatabaseConnection, EntityTrait, QueryFilter, QuerySelect, SelectColumns, Set};
 
-use crate::{model, server::fetcher::Fetcher};
+use crate::{config::Config, model, server::fetcher::Fetcher};
 
 use super::dispatcher::Dispatcher;
 
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use super::dispatcher::Dispatcher;
 pub struct Context(Arc<ContextInner>);
 struct ContextInner {
 	db: DatabaseConnection,
+	config: Config,
 	domain: String,
 	protocol: String,
 	dispatcher: Dispatcher,
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ macro_rules! url {
 impl Context {
 
 	// TODO slim constructor down, maybe make a builder?
-	pub async fn new(db: DatabaseConnection, mut domain: String) -> crate::Result<Self> {
+	pub async fn new(db: DatabaseConnection, mut domain: String, config: Config) -> crate::Result<Self> {
 		let protocol = if domain.starts_with("http://")
 		{ "http://" } else { "https://" }.to_string();
 		if domain.ends_with('/') {
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ impl Context {
 			.await?;
 
 		Ok(Context(Arc::new(ContextInner {
-			db, domain, protocol, app, dispatcher,
+			db, domain, protocol, app, dispatcher, config,
 			relays: BTreeSet::from_iter(relays.into_iter()),
 		})))
 	}
@@ -84,6 +85,10 @@ impl Context {
 		&self.0.db
 	}
 
+	pub fn cfg(&self) -> &Config {
+		&self.0.config
+	}
+
 	pub fn domain(&self) -> &str {
 		&self.0.domain
 	}