diff --git a/addrbook.rex b/addrbook.rex
index 16e7ce0..73505d8 100755
--- a/addrbook.rex
+++ b/addrbook.rex
@@ -10,7 +10,11 @@
  **************************************************************************/
 signal on HALT name ProgramHalt
 .environment['STOPNOW'] = 0
-call setEnv
+rc = setEnv("./config.json")
+if rc \= 0 then do
+    say "Configuration failed."
+    exit rc
+end
 
 app = .AddressBookApp~new()
 app~run()
@@ -51,20 +55,59 @@ Exit
       db~closeDb()
       return
 
-::ROUTINE setEnv
-    .environment~home = SysGetpwnam("gmgauthier", "d")
-    .environment~projectRoot = .home||"/Projects/rexx-address-book"
-    .environment~pkgPath = .projectRoot||"/app"
-    .environment~dbPath = .projectRoot||"/db"
-    .environment~dbFile = .dbPath||"/contacts.sqlite"
-    .environment["REXX_PATH"] = .projectRoot||";"||.pkgPath||";"||.dbPath||";"
+/******** HELPER FUNCTIONS ****************/
 
+/* Configuration Retrieval */
+::ROUTINE setConfig
+    use arg filespec
+
+    file = .Stream~new(filespec)
+    json_string = ""
+    do file~lines
+        json_string = json_string||file~lineIn
+    end
+    json_config = .json~new()~fromJSON(json_string)
+    Do index over json_config~allIndexes
+        val = json_config[index]
+        INTERPRET '.environment~'index' = "'val'"'
+    END
+return 0
+
+/** SET ENV **/
+::ROUTINE setEnv
+    use arg configFilePath
+
+    rc = 0
+    .environment~home = SysGetpwuid(SysGetuid(), "d")
+    if configFilePath = .nil | configFilePath = '' then do
+        configFilePath = .environment~home||"/.config/rexx-address-book/config.json" /* assume its in the same location */
+        Say "No config specified. Default will be used at : "configFilePath
+    END
+
+    if SysFileExists(configFilePath) then do
+        call setConfig(configFilePath)
+        /* set up the database config */
+        IF .environment~dbFile = .nil then do
+            .environment~dbFile = .environment~home||"/.local/share/rexx-address-book/rexx-address-book/contacts.db"
+            say "Config has no detabase specified. A default will be created at: ".environment~dbFile
+        END
+        IF \SysFileExists(.environment~dbFile) then do
+            say "Specified database not found. A new database will be created."
+        END
+    END
+    else do
+        say "No config file Not Found at: "configFilePath
+        rc = -1
+    END
+
+return rc
 
 /** External Libraries **/
-::requires 'app/appdb.cls'
-::requires 'app/appui.cls'
-::requires 'app/utils.rex'
+::requires 'appdb.cls'
+::requires 'appui.cls'
+::requires 'utils.rex'
 
 ::requires 'ooSQLite.cls'
 ::requires "rxunixsys" LIBRARY
 ::requires 'ncurses.cls'
+::requires 'json.cls'
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/utils.rex b/app/utils.rex
index 3a86a17..411d6c7 100644
--- a/app/utils.rex
+++ b/app/utils.rex
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 ::ROUTINE SysWait PUBLIC
-  use arg seconds
-  address system 'sleep' seconds
-  return
+    use arg seconds
+    address system 'sleep' seconds
+return
 
 
 /* Handle program termination */
 ::ROUTINE ProgramHalt
   signal off halt
   Say "PROGRAM TERMINATED AT THE KEYBOARD"
-  exit 0
+exit 0
+
diff --git a/config.json b/config.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..63910f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+    "dbFile":"/home/gmgauthier/Projects/rexx-address-book/db/contacts.sqlite"
+}