diff --git a/doerg/src/net/deertopia/doerg/config.clj b/doerg/src/net/deertopia/doerg/config.clj
index 6c0cc07..91263ed 100644
--- a/doerg/src/net/deertopia/doerg/config.clj
+++ b/doerg/src/net/deertopia/doerg/config.clj
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
                   ::s/invalid)))
 
 (s/def ::d/file
-  (s/conformer #(or (-> % fs/file fs/expand-home fs/absolutize)
+  (s/conformer #(or (-> % fs/expand-home fs/file)
                     ::s/invalid)))
 
 (s/def ::d/executable
@@ -44,12 +44,16 @@
            (and (fs/exists? x) x))
         (fs/split-paths (System/getenv "XDG_DATA_DIRS"))))
 
-(defn read-config [f]
-  (->> f aero/read-config (s/conform ::d/config)))
+(defn read-config [& files]
+  (->> files
+       (filter identity)
+       (map aero/read-config)
+       (apply merge)
+       (s/conform ::d/config)))
 
 (def default
-  (let [r (->> "net/deertopia/doerg/config.edn"
-               io/resource read-config)]
+  (let [r (-> "net/deertopia/doerg/config.edn"
+              io/resource (read-config (System/getenv "DOERG_CONFIG")))]
     (if (s/invalid? r)
       (throw (IllegalArgumentException.
               "default config is bad!"))
diff --git a/publisher/resources/net/deertopia/publisher/config.edn b/publisher/resources/net/deertopia/publisher/config.edn
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d467e9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/publisher/resources/net/deertopia/publisher/config.edn
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#:net.deertopia.publisher
+{:state-directory #join [#or [#env XDG_STATE_HOME
+                              #envf ["%s/.local/share" HOME]]
+                         "/doerg-publisher"]
+ :org-roam-db-path #join [#env HOME "/.cache/emacs/org-roam.db"]}
diff --git a/publisher/src/net/deertopia/publisher/config.clj b/publisher/src/net/deertopia/publisher/config.clj
index c1328c1..0e86e8a 100644
--- a/publisher/src/net/deertopia/publisher/config.clj
+++ b/publisher/src/net/deertopia/publisher/config.clj
@@ -1,17 +1,32 @@
 (ns net.deertopia.publisher.config
   (:require [babashka.fs :as fs]
             [clojure.spec.alpha :as s]
-            [net.deertopia.doerg.config :as doerg]))
+            [net.deertopia.doerg :as-alias doerg]
+            [net.deertopia.publisher :as-alias p]
+            [aero.core :as aero]
+            [clojure.java.io :as io]))
 
-(s/def ::config
-  (s/keys :req [::state-directory
-                ::org-roam-db-path]))
+(s/def ::p/config
+  (s/keys :req [::p/state-directory
+                ::p/org-roam-db-path]))
+
+(s/def ::p/state-directory ::doerg/file)
+(s/def ::p/org-roam-db-path ::doerg/file)
+
+(defn read-config [& files]
+  (->> files
+       (filter identity)
+       (map aero/read-config)
+       (apply merge)
+       (s/conform ::p/config)))
 
 (def default
-  {::state-directory (fs/xdg-state-home "doerg-publisher")
-   ::org-roam-db-path (fs/file (fs/home) ".cache" "emacs" "org-roam.db")})
+  (let [r (-> "net/deertopia/publisher/config.edn"
+              io/resource
+              (read-config (System/getenv "DOERG_PUBLISHER_CONFIG")))]
+    (if (s/invalid? r)
+      (throw (IllegalArgumentException.
+              "default config is bad!"))
+      r)))
 
 (def ^:dynamic *cfg* default)
-
-(s/def ::state-directory ::doerg/file)
-(s/def ::org-roam-db-path ::doerg/file)
diff --git a/publisher/src/net/deertopia/publisher/roam.clj b/publisher/src/net/deertopia/publisher/roam.clj
index 765bb45..f34f650 100644
--- a/publisher/src/net/deertopia/publisher/roam.clj
+++ b/publisher/src/net/deertopia/publisher/roam.clj
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
             [net.deertopia.publisher.config :as cfg]
             [net.deertopia.publisher.elisp :as elisp]
             [net.deertopia.publisher.slug :as slug]
+            [net.deertopia.publisher :as-alias publisher]
             [next.jdbc :as sql])
   (:import (java.util UUID)))
 
@@ -11,7 +12,7 @@
 
 (defonce ^:dynamic *use-db-cache?* true)
 
-(def db-path (-> cfg/*cfg* ::cfg/org-roam-db-path
+(def db-path (-> cfg/*cfg* ::publisher/org-roam-db-path
                  fs/expand-home str))
 
 (def db {:dbtype "sqlite"