diff --git a/cmd/config.go b/cmd/config.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 2a8d936..0000000
--- a/cmd/config.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,30 +0,0 @@
-package cmd
-
-import (
-	"fmt"
-	"log"
-
-	"gitea.nehmer.net/torben/dyndns/service"
-	"gitea.nehmer.net/torben/dyndns/webapi"
-	"github.com/spf13/viper"
-)
-
-func InitializeViper() {
-	viper.SetConfigName("conf.yml")
-	viper.SetConfigType("yaml")
-	viper.AddConfigPath("/etc/dyndns")
-	viper.AddConfigPath(".")
-
-	if err := viper.ReadInConfig(); err != nil {
-		if _, ok := err.(viper.ConfigFileNotFoundError); ok {
-			log.Println("Could not find configfile, using defaults")
-		} else {
-			log.Fatalln(fmt.Sprintf("configuration is invalid: %s", err))
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-func setAllConfigDefaults() {
-	service.SetConfigDefaults()
-	webapi.SetConfigDefaults()
-}
diff --git a/cmd/dns-update.go b/cmd/dns-update.go
index 83c517c..1e345bc 100644
--- a/cmd/dns-update.go
+++ b/cmd/dns-update.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 
 	"gitea.nehmer.net/torben/dyndns/service"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
-	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 )
 
 var cmdDNSUpdate = &cobra.Command{
@@ -26,7 +25,6 @@ func init() {
 	cmdDNSUpdate.MarkFlagRequired("domain")
 
 	cmdDNSUpdate.Run = func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-		log.Printf("Configuration in use: %v", viper.AllSettings())
 		service.LoadConfig()
 
 		err := service.DNSUpdateEntry(*domain, *name, *ip4, *ip6)
diff --git a/cmd/hash-password.go b/cmd/hash-password.go
index be71751..a02748d 100644
--- a/cmd/hash-password.go
+++ b/cmd/hash-password.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 
 	"gitea.nehmer.net/torben/dyndns/service"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
-	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh/terminal"
 )
 
@@ -18,7 +17,6 @@ var cmdHashPassword = &cobra.Command{
 	Long: `Creates a salted hash using bcrypt for use in userconfig files, so that we don't
 have to store a plaintext password.`,
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-		log.Printf("Configuration in use: %v", viper.AllSettings())
 		service.LoadConfig()
 
 		fmt.Println("Enter password:")
diff --git a/cmd/nft-update.go b/cmd/nft-update.go
index 2a994d4..5e8945a 100644
--- a/cmd/nft-update.go
+++ b/cmd/nft-update.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 
 	"gitea.nehmer.net/torben/dyndns/service"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
-	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 )
 
 var cmdNFTUpdate = &cobra.Command{
@@ -27,7 +26,6 @@ func init() {
 	set6 := cmdNFTUpdate.Flags().StringP("set6", "r", "", "The IPv6 NFT Set name in the given table.")
 
 	cmdNFTUpdate.Run = func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-		log.Printf("Configuration in use: %v", viper.AllSettings())
 		service.LoadConfig()
 
 		err := service.NFTUpdateSetsCmd(*table, *set4, *ip4, *set6, *ip6)
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 140ef32..bc8b403 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -2,11 +2,18 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 
+	"gitea.nehmer.net/torben/dyndns/service"
+	"gitea.nehmer.net/torben/dyndns/webapi"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 )
 
+var ConfigDir string
+
 var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "dyndns",
 	Short: "Go DynDNS Server",
@@ -14,10 +21,50 @@ var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 NFTable Firewall and a properly configured Bind DNS Server.`,
 }
 
+func init() {
+	cobra.OnInitialize(initConfig)
+
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&ConfigDir, "config-dir", "c", ".", "base configuration directory, defaults to .")
+}
+
 func Exec() {
-	err := rootCmd.Execute()
-	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Println(err)
-		os.Exit(1)
+	if err := os.Chdir(ConfigDir); err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Could not change to directory %s: %v", ConfigDir, err)
+	}
+	if err := rootCmd.Execute(); err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Failed to execute command: %v", err)
 	}
 }
+
+func sanitizeConfigDir() {
+	var err error
+	if ConfigDir, err = filepath.Abs(ConfigDir); err != nil {
+		cobra.CheckErr(fmt.Sprintf("path is invalid: %v", err))
+	}
+	log.Printf("Using configuration directory %s", ConfigDir)
+}
+
+func initConfig() {
+	sanitizeConfigDir()
+
+	viper.SetConfigName("conf.yml")
+	viper.SetConfigType("yaml")
+	viper.AddConfigPath(ConfigDir)
+
+	if err := viper.ReadInConfig(); err != nil {
+		if _, ok := err.(viper.ConfigFileNotFoundError); ok {
+			log.Println("Could not find configfile, using defaults")
+		} else {
+			cobra.CheckErr(fmt.Sprintf("configuration is invalid: %s", err))
+		}
+	}
+
+	viper.Set("ConfigDir", ConfigDir)
+
+	log.Printf("Configuration in use: %v", viper.AllSettings())
+}
+
+func setAllConfigDefaults() {
+	service.SetConfigDefaults()
+	webapi.SetConfigDefaults()
+}
diff --git a/cmd/serve.go b/cmd/serve.go
index ec3da57..ce2ebaf 100644
--- a/cmd/serve.go
+++ b/cmd/serve.go
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 package cmd
 
 import (
-	"log"
-
 	"gitea.nehmer.net/torben/dyndns/service"
 	"gitea.nehmer.net/torben/dyndns/webapi"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -14,7 +12,6 @@ var cmdServe = &cobra.Command{
 	Short: "Start webserver",
 	Long:  ``,
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-		log.Printf("Configuration in use: %v", viper.AllSettings())
 		webapi.LoadConfig()
 		service.LoadConfig()
 		webapi.Server()
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index feb9fc1..fbeb6ad 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -5,6 +5,5 @@ import (
 )
 
 func main() {
-	cmd.InitializeViper()
 	cmd.Exec()
 }
diff --git a/service/config.go b/service/config.go
index 7c23ca1..91c5116 100644
--- a/service/config.go
+++ b/service/config.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package service
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"log"
+	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 )
@@ -40,7 +41,12 @@ func LoadConfig() {
 	// viper.UnmarshalKey("Service", &C)
 	C.DNS.Server = viper.GetString("Service.DNS.Server")
 	C.DNS.DefaultTTL = viper.GetUint32("Service.DNS.DefaultTTL")
-	C.Users.ConfigDir = viper.GetString("Service.Users.ConfigDir")
+	path := viper.GetString("Service.Users.ConfigDir")
+	if filepath.IsAbs(path) {
+		C.Users.ConfigDir = filepath.Clean(path)
+	} else {
+		C.Users.ConfigDir = filepath.Join(viper.GetString("ConfigDir"), path)
+	}
 }
 
 func (obj *config) PrettyPrint() string {