diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 4fffb2f..8eb581d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 /target
 /Cargo.lock
+/.idea
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index c683d96..7f246ed 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,9 +1,16 @@
 [package]
 name = "downloader_config"
-version = "0.3.0"
+version = "0.3.1"
 edition = "2021"
 
 # See more keys and their definitions at https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
 
 [dependencies]
 log = "0.4.17"
+serde = { version = "1.0", features = ["derive"] }
+serde_json = { version = "1.0", optional = true }
+
+
+[features]
+default = []
+file = ["dep:serde_json"]
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 56d7902..87554e8 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ use std::env;
 use std::fmt::Debug;
 
 use log::{info, trace};
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct Config {
@@ -29,78 +30,173 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub download_folder_path: String,
 }
 
+#[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Default)]
+struct ConfigBuilder {
+    pub path_auth_code: Option<String>,
+    pub path_authentications: Option<String>,
+    pub use_file_auth_response: Option<String>,
+    pub use_local_auth_redirect: Option<String>,
+    pub auth_file_read_timeout: Option<String>,
+
+    pub twitch_client_id: Option<String>,
+    pub twitch_client_secret: Option<String>,
+    pub twitch_downloader_id: Option<String>,
+    pub twitch_downloader_thread_count: Option<String>,
+
+    pub bigquery_project_id: Option<String>,
+    pub bigquery_dataset_id: Option<String>,
+    pub bigquery_service_account_path: Option<String>,
+
+    pub youtube_client_secret_path: Option<String>,
+    pub youtube_tags: Option<String>,
+    pub youtube_description_template: Option<String>,
+    pub youtube_video_length_minutes_soft_cap: Option<String>,
+    pub youtube_video_length_minutes_hard_cap: Option<String>,
+
+    pub download_folder_path: Option<String>,
+}
+
 pub fn load_config() -> Config {
     trace!("load_config()");
-    info!("Loading config from environment variables");
-    let twitch_client_id = env::var("TWITCH_CLIENT_ID").expect("TWITCH_CLIENT_ID not set");
-    let twitch_client_secret = env::var("TWITCH_CLIENT_SECRET").expect("TWITCH_CLIENT_SECRET not set");
-    let twitch_downloader_id = env::var("TWITCH_DOWNLOADER_ID")
-        .unwrap_or("kimne78kx3ncx6brgo4mv6wki5h1ko".to_string());
+    let config_builder: ConfigBuilder;
+    let use_env;
 
-    let twitch_downloader_thread_count = env::var("TWITCH_DOWNLOADER_THREAD_COUNT")
-        .unwrap_or("50".to_string())
-        .parse()
-        .expect("TWITCH_DOWNLOADER_THREAD_COUNT is not a number");
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "file"))]
+    {
+        use_env = true;
+    }
+    #[cfg(feature = "file")]
+    let config_file_path: Option<String>;
+    #[cfg(feature = "file")]
+    {
+        info!("Loading config from file");
+        config_file_path = env::var("CONFIG_FILE_PATH").ok();
+        if config_file_path.is_some() {
+            log::warn!("Failed to load config file path from environment variable. Using environment variables instead.");
+            use_env = true;
+        } else {
+            use_env = false;
+        }
+    }
+    if use_env {
+        info!("Loading config from environment variables");
+        config_builder = ConfigBuilder {
+            twitch_client_id: env::var("TWITCH_CLIENT_ID").ok(),
+            twitch_client_secret: env::var("TWITCH_CLIENT_SECRET").ok(),
+            twitch_downloader_id: env::var("TWITCH_DOWNLOADER_ID").ok(),
 
-    let path_auth_code =
-        env::var("PATH_AUTH_CODE").unwrap_or("/tmp/twba/auth/code.txt".to_string());
-    let path_authentications =
-        env::var("PATH_AUTHENTICATIONS").unwrap_or("/tmp/twba/auth/{user}.json".to_string());
-    let use_file_auth_response =
-        env::var("USE_FILE_AUTH_RESPONSE").unwrap_or("1".to_string()) == "1";
-    let use_local_auth_redirect =
-        env::var("USE_LOCAL_AUTH_REDIRECT").unwrap_or("0".to_string()) == "1";
-    let auth_file_read_timeout = env::var("AUTH_FILE_READ_TIMEOUT")
-        .unwrap_or("5".to_string())
-        .parse()
-        .unwrap();
+            twitch_downloader_thread_count: env::var("TWITCH_DOWNLOADER_THREAD_COUNT").ok(),
+            path_auth_code: env::var("PATH_AUTH_CODE").ok(),
+            path_authentications: env::var("PATH_AUTHENTICATIONS").ok(),
+            use_file_auth_response: env::var("USE_FILE_AUTH_RESPONSE").ok(),
+            use_local_auth_redirect: env::var("USE_LOCAL_AUTH_REDIRECT").ok(),
+            auth_file_read_timeout: env::var("AUTH_FILE_READ_TIMEOUT").ok(),
 
-    let bigquery_project_id =
-        env::var("BIGQUERY_PROJECT_ID").unwrap_or("twitchbackup-v1".to_string());
-    let bigquery_dataset_id = env::var("BIGQUERY_DATASET_ID").unwrap_or("backup_data".to_string());
-    let bigquery_service_account_path = env::var("BIGQUERY_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_PATH")
-        .unwrap_or("auth/bigquery_service_account.json".to_string());
+            bigquery_project_id: env::var("BIGQUERY_PROJECT_ID").ok(),
+            bigquery_dataset_id: env::var("BIGQUERY_DATASET_ID").ok(),
+            bigquery_service_account_path: env::var("BIGQUERY_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_PATH").ok(),
 
-    let youtube_client_secret_path = env::var("YOUTUBE_CLIENT_SECRET_PATH")
-        .unwrap_or("auth/youtube_client_secret.json".to_string());
+            youtube_client_secret_path: env::var("YOUTUBE_CLIENT_SECRET_PATH").ok(),
+            youtube_tags: env::var("YOUTUBE_TAGS").ok(),
+            youtube_description_template: env::var("YOUTUBE_DESCRIPTION_TEMPLATE").ok(),
+            youtube_video_length_minutes_soft_cap: env::var(
+                "YOUTUBE_VIDEO_LENGTH_MINUTES_SOFT_CAP",
+            )
+            .ok(),
+            youtube_video_length_minutes_hard_cap: env::var(
+                "YOUTUBE_VIDEO_LENGTH_MINUTES_HARD_CAP",
+            )
+            .ok(),
 
-    let youtube_tags = env::var("YOUTUBE_TAGS")
-        .unwrap_or("".to_string())
-        .split(",")
-        .map(|s| s.to_string())
-        .collect();
+            download_folder_path: env::var("DOWNLOAD_FOLDER_PATH").ok(),
+        };
+        trace!("load_config() done loading fields");
+    } else {
+        #[cfg(feature = "file")]
+        {
+            let config_file_path = config_file_path.expect(
+                "Failed to load config file path from environment variable, \
+                but still ended up in the file config loading code.",
+            );
+            let config_file = std::fs::read_to_string(&config_file_path).expect(&format!(
+                "Failed to read config file at path: {}",
+                config_file_path
+            ));
+            config_builder =
+                serde_json::from_str(&config_file).expect("Failed to parse config file");
+            trace!("load_config() done loading fields from file");
+        }
+        #[cfg(not(feature = "file"))]
+        panic!("Failed to load config from file and environment variables");
+    }
 
-    let youtube_description_template =
-        env::var("YOUTUBE_DESCRIPTION_TEMPLATE").unwrap_or("test description for \"$$video_title$$\"".to_string());
-
-    let youtube_video_length_minutes_soft_cap =
-        env::var("YOUTUBE_VIDEO_LENGTH_MINUTES_SOFT_CAP").unwrap_or("300".to_string()).parse().unwrap_or(30i64);
-    let youtube_video_length_minutes_hard_cap =
-        env::var("YOUTUBE_VIDEO_LENGTH_MINUTES_HARD_CAP").unwrap_or("359".to_string()).parse().unwrap_or(30i64);
-
-
-    let download_folder_path =
-        env::var("DOWNLOAD_FOLDER_PATH").unwrap_or("/tmp/twba/videos/".to_string());
-
-    trace!("load_config() done loading fields");
     Config {
-        path_auth_code,
-        use_file_auth_response,
-        path_authentications,
-        use_local_auth_redirect,
-        auth_file_read_timeout,
-        twitch_client_id,
-        twitch_client_secret,
-        twitch_downloader_id,
-        twitch_downloader_thread_count,
-        bigquery_project_id,
-        bigquery_dataset_id,
-        bigquery_service_account_path,
-        youtube_client_secret_path,
-        youtube_tags,
-        youtube_description_template,
-        youtube_video_length_minutes_soft_cap,
-        youtube_video_length_minutes_hard_cap,
-        download_folder_path,
+        path_auth_code: config_builder
+            .path_auth_code
+            .unwrap_or("/tmp/twba/auth/code.txt".to_string()),
+        use_file_auth_response: config_builder
+            .use_file_auth_response
+            .unwrap_or("1".to_string())
+            == "1",
+        path_authentications: config_builder
+            .path_authentications
+            .unwrap_or("/tmp/twba/auth/{user}.json".to_string()),
+        use_local_auth_redirect: config_builder
+            .use_local_auth_redirect
+            .unwrap_or("0".to_string())
+            == "1",
+        auth_file_read_timeout: config_builder
+            .auth_file_read_timeout
+            .unwrap_or("5".to_string())
+            .parse()
+            .expect("AUTH_FILE_READ_TIMEOUT is not a number"),
+        twitch_client_id: config_builder
+            .twitch_client_id
+            .expect("TWITCH_CLIENT_ID not set"),
+        twitch_client_secret: config_builder
+            .twitch_client_secret
+            .expect("TWITCH_CLIENT_SECRET not set"),
+        twitch_downloader_id: config_builder
+            .twitch_downloader_id
+            .unwrap_or("kimne78kx3ncx6brgo4mv6wki5h1ko".to_string()),
+        twitch_downloader_thread_count: config_builder
+            .twitch_downloader_thread_count
+            .unwrap_or("50".to_string())
+            .parse()
+            .expect("TWITCH_DOWNLOADER_THREAD_COUNT is not a number"),
+        bigquery_project_id: config_builder
+            .bigquery_project_id
+            .unwrap_or("twitchbackup-v1".to_string()),
+        bigquery_dataset_id: config_builder
+            .bigquery_dataset_id
+            .unwrap_or("backup_data".to_string()),
+        bigquery_service_account_path: config_builder
+            .bigquery_service_account_path
+            .unwrap_or("auth/bigquery_service_account.json".to_string()),
+        youtube_client_secret_path: config_builder
+            .youtube_client_secret_path
+            .unwrap_or("auth/youtube_client_secret.json".to_string()),
+        youtube_tags: config_builder
+            .youtube_tags
+            .unwrap_or("".to_string())
+            .split(",")
+            .map(|s| s.to_string())
+            .collect(),
+        youtube_description_template: config_builder
+            .youtube_description_template
+            .unwrap_or("test description for \"$$video_title$$\"".to_string()),
+        youtube_video_length_minutes_soft_cap: config_builder
+            .youtube_video_length_minutes_soft_cap
+            .unwrap_or("300".to_string())
+            .parse()
+            .unwrap_or(30i64),
+        youtube_video_length_minutes_hard_cap: config_builder
+            .youtube_video_length_minutes_hard_cap
+            .unwrap_or("359".to_string())
+            .parse()
+            .unwrap_or(60i64),
+        download_folder_path: config_builder
+            .download_folder_path
+            .unwrap_or("/tmp/twba/videos/".to_string()),
     }
 }