diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 4083037..4b879d4 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 local
+config.json
diff --git a/api/config.dev.json b/api/config.dev.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3b7f9b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/config.dev.json
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+  "secret": "CHANGEME!!!!!!!!!!@##@!!$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!",
+  "mail": false
+}
diff --git a/api/config.json.production b/api/config.json.production
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e9a02f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/config.json.production
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{
+  "secret": "CHANGEME",
+  "mail": {
+    "from": "Sender Name <sender@example.com>",
+    "smtp" : {
+      "host": "mail.example.com",
+      "port": 587,
+      "username": "sender@example.com",
+      "password": "hunter2"
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/api/src/_helpers/send-email.js b/api/src/_helpers/send-email.js
index 87684f8..6afabe2 100644
--- a/api/src/_helpers/send-email.js
+++ b/api/src/_helpers/send-email.js
@@ -1,18 +1,29 @@
 const nodemailer = require('nodemailer');
-const config = require('../config/email');
+const config = require('../config');
 
 module.exports = sendEmail;
 
-async function sendEmail({ to, subject, html, from = config.emailFrom }) {
-  if (config.sendMails) {
-    const transporter = nodemailer.createTransport(config.smtpOptions);
+async function sendEmail({ to, subject, html }) {
+  if (config.mail) {
+    const from = config.mail.from;
+
+    const transporter = nodemailer.createTransport({
+      host: config.mail.smtp.host,
+      port: config.mail.smtp.port,
+      secure: true,
+      auth: {
+        user: config.mail.smtp.username,
+        pass: config.mail.smtp.password,
+      },
+    });
+
     await transporter.sendMail({ from, to, subject, html });
   } else {
-    console.log({
-      to,
-      subject,
-      html,
-      from,
-    });
+    console.log(`========== E-Mail disabled, see contents below =========
+To: ${to}
+Subject: ${subject}
+
+${html}
+`)
   }
 }
diff --git a/api/src/config.js b/api/src/config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a82d2d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/src/config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+const fs = require('fs');
+const Joi = require('joi');
+
+const configSchema = Joi.object()
+  .required()
+  .keys({
+    secret: Joi.string().min(16).max(128).required(),
+
+    mail: Joi.alternatives().try(
+      Joi.object({
+        from: Joi.string().required(),
+        smtp: Joi.object().required().keys({
+          host: Joi.string().required(),
+          port: Joi.number().default(587),
+          username: Joi.string().required(),
+          password: Joi.string().required(),
+        }),
+      }),
+      Joi.boolean().valid(false),
+    ),
+  });
+
+const configFiles = [
+  process.env.CONFIG_FILE,
+  process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production' ? 'config.prod.json' : 'config.dev.json',
+  'config.json',
+].filter((x) => x && fs.existsSync(x));
+
+if (!configFiles.length) {
+  throw new Error('No config file found.');
+}
+
+module.exports = Joi.attempt(JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(configFiles[0], 'utf8')), configSchema);
diff --git a/api/src/config/email.js b/api/src/config/email.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 82deb15..0000000
--- a/api/src/config/email.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-const isProduction = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production';
-const forcedMail = process.argv.findIndex((s) => s === '--devSendMails') !== -1;
-
-module.exports = {
-  sendMails: isProduction || forcedMail,
-  emailFrom: process.env.MAILSENDER,
-  smtpOptions: {
-    host: process.env.MAILSERVER,
-    port: 587,
-    auth: {
-      user: process.env.MAILUSER,
-      pass: process.env.MAILPW,
-    },
-  },
-};
diff --git a/api/src/config/index.js b/api/src/config/index.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 2982515..0000000
--- a/api/src/config/index.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-module.exports = {
-  secret: process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production' ? process.env.SECRET : 'secret',
-};
diff --git a/api/src/db.js b/api/src/db.js
index a8e2ee3..cfb4f40 100644
--- a/api/src/db.js
+++ b/api/src/db.js
@@ -10,6 +10,6 @@ require('./models/TrackData');
 require('./models/User');
 require('./models/Track');
 require('./models/Comment');
-require('./config/passport');
+require('./passport');
 
 module.exports = mongoose;
diff --git a/api/src/index.js b/api/src/index.js
index 4dcd326..46f6ede 100644
--- a/api/src/index.js
+++ b/api/src/index.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ const cors = require('cors');
 const errorhandler = require('errorhandler');
 const passport = require('passport');
 
-require('./config/passport');
+require('./passport');
 
 const isProduction = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production';
 
diff --git a/api/src/config/passport.js b/api/src/passport.js
similarity index 98%
rename from api/src/config/passport.js
rename to api/src/passport.js
index 644a645..0c21436 100644
--- a/api/src/config/passport.js
+++ b/api/src/passport.js
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ const { Strategy: BearerStrategy } = require('passport-http-bearer');
 const { Strategy: JwtStrategy } = require('passport-jwt');
 const { Strategy: CustomStrategy } = require('passport-custom');
 
-const { User, AccessToken, RefreshToken } = require('../models');
+const { User, AccessToken, RefreshToken } = require('./models');
 
-const secret = require('../config').secret;
+const secret = require('./config').secret;
 
 // used to serialize the user for the session
 passport.serializeUser(function (user, done) {
diff --git a/api/src/routes/api/profiles.js b/api/src/routes/api/profiles.js
index 9d87766..eafbd86 100644
--- a/api/src/routes/api/profiles.js
+++ b/api/src/routes/api/profiles.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ const router = require('express').Router();
 const mongoose = require('mongoose');
 const User = mongoose.model('User');
 const wrapRoute = require('../../_helpers/wrapRoute');
-const auth = require('../../config/passport');
+const auth = require('../../passport');
 
 // Preload user profile on routes with ':username'
 router.param('username', async function (req, res, next, username) {
diff --git a/api/src/routes/api/tracks.js b/api/src/routes/api/tracks.js
index ac5d63a..d976de2 100644
--- a/api/src/routes/api/tracks.js
+++ b/api/src/routes/api/tracks.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ const Track = mongoose.model('Track');
 const Comment = mongoose.model('Comment');
 const User = mongoose.model('User');
 const busboy = require('connect-busboy');
-const auth = require('../../config/passport');
+const auth = require('../../passport');
 const { normalizeUserAgent, buildObsver1 } = require('../../logic/tracks');
 const wrapRoute = require('../../_helpers/wrapRoute');
 
diff --git a/api/src/routes/api/users.js b/api/src/routes/api/users.js
index 8451217..0eeec5a 100644
--- a/api/src/routes/api/users.js
+++ b/api/src/routes/api/users.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 const router = require('express').Router();
-const passport = require('passport');
 const wrapRoute = require('../../_helpers/wrapRoute');
-const auth = require('../../config/passport');
+const auth = require('../../passport');
 
 router.get(
   '/user',
diff --git a/api/src/routes/auth.js b/api/src/routes/auth.js
index 8c6c6c7..0e059b3 100644
--- a/api/src/routes/auth.js
+++ b/api/src/routes/auth.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ const { URL } = require('url');
 const { createChallenge } = require('pkce');
 
 const { AuthorizationCode, AccessToken, RefreshToken, Client } = require('../models');
-const auth = require('../config/passport');
+const auth = require('../passport');
 const wrapRoute = require('../_helpers/wrapRoute');
 
 // Check whether the "bigScope" fully includes the "smallScope".
diff --git a/docker-compose.yaml b/docker-compose.yaml
index 34e11b5..4eb2450 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ services:
       - ./local/api-data:/data
       - ./api/.migrations.js:/opt/obs/api/.migrations.js
       - ./api/migrations:/opt/obs/api/migrations/
+      - ./api/config.dev.json:/opt/obs/api/config.json
     environment:
       - PORT=3000
       - MONGODB_URL=mongodb://mongo/obsTest