diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 445a5cb6..1b778966 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ target_sources(tomato PUBLIC
 	./main.cpp
 	./icon.rc
 
+	./json_to_config.hpp
+	./json_to_config.cpp
+
 	./screen.hpp
 	./start_screen.hpp
 	./start_screen.cpp
diff --git a/src/json_to_config.cpp b/src/json_to_config.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..60fae161
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/json_to_config.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+#include "./json_to_config.hpp"
+
+#include <solanaceae/util/simple_config_model.hpp>
+
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+#include <iostream>
+
+bool load_json_into_config(const nlohmann::ordered_json& config_json, SimpleConfigModel& conf) {
+	if (!config_json.is_object()) {
+		std::cerr << "TOMATO error: config file is not an json object!!!\n";
+		return false;
+	}
+	for (const auto& [mod, cats] : config_json.items()) {
+		for (const auto& [cat, cat_v] : cats.items()) {
+			if (cat_v.is_object()) {
+				if (cat_v.contains("default")) {
+					const auto& value = cat_v["default"];
+					if (value.is_string()) {
+						conf.set(mod, cat, value.get_ref<const std::string&>());
+					} else if (value.is_boolean()) {
+						conf.set(mod, cat, value.get_ref<const bool&>());
+					} else if (value.is_number_float()) {
+						conf.set(mod, cat, value.get_ref<const double&>());
+					} else if (value.is_number_integer()) {
+						conf.set(mod, cat, value.get_ref<const int64_t&>());
+					} else {
+						std::cerr << "JSON error: wrong value type in " << mod << "::" << cat << " = " << value << "\n";
+						return false;
+					}
+				}
+				if (cat_v.contains("entries")) {
+					for (const auto& [ent, ent_v] : cat_v["entries"].items()) {
+						if (ent_v.is_string()) {
+							conf.set(mod, cat, ent, ent_v.get_ref<const std::string&>());
+						} else if (ent_v.is_boolean()) {
+							conf.set(mod, cat, ent, ent_v.get_ref<const bool&>());
+						} else if (ent_v.is_number_float()) {
+							conf.set(mod, cat, ent, ent_v.get_ref<const double&>());
+						} else if (ent_v.is_number_integer()) {
+							conf.set(mod, cat, ent, ent_v.get_ref<const int64_t&>());
+						} else {
+							std::cerr << "JSON error: wrong value type in " << mod << "::" << cat << "::" << ent << " = " << ent_v << "\n";
+							return false;
+						}
+					}
+				}
+			} else {
+				if (cat_v.is_string()) {
+					conf.set(mod, cat, cat_v.get_ref<const std::string&>());
+				} else if (cat_v.is_boolean()) {
+					conf.set(mod, cat, cat_v.get_ref<const bool&>());
+				} else if (cat_v.is_number_float()) {
+					conf.set(mod, cat, cat_v.get_ref<const double&>());
+				} else if (cat_v.is_number_integer()) {
+					conf.set(mod, cat, cat_v.get_ref<const int64_t&>());
+				} else {
+					std::cerr << "JSON error: wrong value type in " << mod << "::" << cat << " = " << cat_v << "\n";
+					return false;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return true;
+}
+
diff --git a/src/json_to_config.hpp b/src/json_to_config.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5f2b72b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/json_to_config.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <nlohmann/json_fwd.hpp>
+
+// fwd
+struct SimpleConfigModel;
+
+bool load_json_into_config(const nlohmann::ordered_json& config_json, SimpleConfigModel& conf);
+
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 88567dea..89822040 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -12,10 +12,17 @@
 
 #include <memory>
 #include <iostream>
+#include <string_view>
 #include <thread>
 #include <chrono>
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv) {
+	// better args
+	std::vector<std::string_view> args;
+	for (int i = 0; i < argc; i++) {
+		args.push_back(argv[i]);
+	}
+
 	// setup hints
 	if (SDL_SetHint(SDL_HINT_VIDEO_ALLOW_SCREENSAVER, "1") != SDL_TRUE) {
 		std::cerr << "Failed to set '" << SDL_HINT_VIDEO_ALLOW_SCREENSAVER << "' to 1\n";
@@ -91,7 +98,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 	ImGui_ImplSDL3_InitForSDLRenderer(window.get(), renderer.get());
 	ImGui_ImplSDLRenderer3_Init(renderer.get());
 
-	std::unique_ptr<Screen> screen = std::make_unique<StartScreen>(renderer.get(), theme);
+	std::unique_ptr<Screen> screen = std::make_unique<StartScreen>(args, renderer.get(), theme);
 
 
 	bool quit = false;
diff --git a/src/main_screen.cpp b/src/main_screen.cpp
index 798d239b..f8012d29 100644
--- a/src/main_screen.cpp
+++ b/src/main_screen.cpp
@@ -12,8 +12,9 @@
 #include <memory>
 #include <cmath>
 
-MainScreen::MainScreen(SDL_Renderer* renderer_, Theme& theme_, std::string save_path, std::string save_password, std::string new_username, std::vector<std::string> plugins) :
+MainScreen::MainScreen(SimpleConfigModel&& conf_, SDL_Renderer* renderer_, Theme& theme_, std::string save_path, std::string save_password, std::string new_username, std::vector<std::string> plugins) :
 	renderer(renderer_),
+	conf(std::move(conf_)),
 	rmm(cr),
 	msnj{cr, {}, {}},
 	mts(rmm),
diff --git a/src/main_screen.hpp b/src/main_screen.hpp
index 2b7bb763..7b1f78ee 100644
--- a/src/main_screen.hpp
+++ b/src/main_screen.hpp
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ struct MainScreen final : public Screen {
 	uint64_t _window_hidden_ts {0};
 	float _time_since_event {0.f};
 
-	MainScreen(SDL_Renderer* renderer_, Theme& theme_, std::string save_path, std::string save_password, std::string new_username, std::vector<std::string> plugins);
+	MainScreen(SimpleConfigModel&& conf_, SDL_Renderer* renderer_, Theme& theme_, std::string save_path, std::string save_password, std::string new_username, std::vector<std::string> plugins);
 	~MainScreen(void);
 
 	bool handleEvent(SDL_Event& e) override;
diff --git a/src/start_screen.cpp b/src/start_screen.cpp
index 5fc33c90..020dcb00 100644
--- a/src/start_screen.cpp
+++ b/src/start_screen.cpp
@@ -2,14 +2,53 @@
 
 #include "./main_screen.hpp"
 
+#include "./json_to_config.hpp"
+
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
 #include <imgui/imgui.h>
 #include <imgui/misc/cpp/imgui_stdlib.h>
 
 #include <cctype>
 #include <memory>
 #include <filesystem>
+#include <fstream>
 
-StartScreen::StartScreen(SDL_Renderer* renderer, Theme& theme) : _renderer(renderer), _theme(theme) {
+StartScreen::StartScreen(const std::vector<std::string_view>& args, SDL_Renderer* renderer, Theme& theme) : _renderer(renderer), _theme(theme) {
+	for (size_t ai = 0; ai < args.size(); ai++) {
+		if (args.at(ai) == "--config" || args.at(ai) == "-c") {
+			if (args.size() == ai+1) {
+				std::cerr << "TOMATO error: argument '" << args.at(ai) << "' missing parameter!\n";
+				break;
+			}
+			ai++;
+
+			const auto& config_path = args.at(ai);
+			auto config_file = std::ifstream(static_cast<std::string>(config_path));
+			if (!config_file.is_open()) {
+				std::cerr << "TOMATO error: failed to open config file '" << config_path << "'\n";
+				break;
+			}
+
+			auto config_json = nlohmann::ordered_json::parse(config_file);
+			if (!load_json_into_config(config_json, _conf)) {
+				std::cerr << "TOMATO error in config json, exiting...\n";
+				break;
+			}
+		} else if (args.at(ai) == "--plugin" || args.at(ai) == "-p") {
+			if (args.size() == ai+1) {
+				std::cerr << "TOMATO error: argument '" << args.at(ai) << "' missing parameter!\n";
+				break;
+			}
+			ai++;
+
+			const auto& plugin_path = args.at(ai);
+			// TODO: check for dups
+			queued_plugin_paths.push_back(static_cast<std::string>(plugin_path));
+		} else {
+			std::cerr << "TOMATO error: unknown cli arg: '" << args.at(ai) << "'\n";
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 Screen* StartScreen::render(float, bool&) {
@@ -143,7 +182,7 @@ Screen* StartScreen::render(float, bool&) {
 		}
 	} else {
 		if (ImGui::Button("load", {60, 25})) {
-			auto new_screen = std::make_unique<MainScreen>(_renderer, _theme, _tox_profile_path, _password, _user_name, queued_plugin_paths);
+			auto new_screen = std::make_unique<MainScreen>(std::move(_conf), _renderer, _theme, _tox_profile_path, _password, _user_name, queued_plugin_paths);
 			return new_screen.release();
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/start_screen.hpp b/src/start_screen.hpp
index 78f08be8..f427de83 100644
--- a/src/start_screen.hpp
+++ b/src/start_screen.hpp
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 #include "./chat_gui/theme.hpp"
 #include "./chat_gui/file_selector.hpp"
 
+#include <solanaceae/util/simple_config_model.hpp>
+
 #include <vector>
 #include <string>
 
@@ -16,6 +18,7 @@ extern "C" {
 struct StartScreen final : public Screen {
 	SDL_Renderer* _renderer;
 	Theme& _theme;
+	SimpleConfigModel _conf;
 	FileSelector _fss;
 
 	bool _new_save {false};
@@ -28,7 +31,7 @@ struct StartScreen final : public Screen {
 	std::vector<std::string> queued_plugin_paths;
 
 	StartScreen(void) = delete;
-	StartScreen(SDL_Renderer* renderer, Theme& theme);
+	StartScreen(const std::vector<std::string_view>& args, SDL_Renderer* renderer, Theme& theme);
 	~StartScreen(void) = default;
 
 	// return nullptr if not next