diff --git a/docs/setup_docker.md b/docs/setup_docker.md
index f91518f..3ce6919 100644
--- a/docs/setup_docker.md
+++ b/docs/setup_docker.md
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ In short, please make sure that the mjolnir configuration exists under `./config
 Run the following command in your terminal, replace `./mjolnir` with the root directory of your config, if it is in another spot.
 
 ```bash
-docker run --rm -it -v ./mjolnir:/data matrixdotorg/mjolnir:latest
+docker run --rm -it -v ./mjolnir:/data matrixdotorg/mjolnir:latest bot --mjolnir-config /data/config/production.yaml
 ```
 
 # Docker Compose
diff --git a/docs/setup_selfbuild.md b/docs/setup_selfbuild.md
index b39a755..35c06e9 100644
--- a/docs/setup_selfbuild.md
+++ b/docs/setup_selfbuild.md
@@ -13,5 +13,5 @@ yarn build
 cp config/default.yaml config/production.yaml
 nano config/production.yaml
 
-NODE_ENV=production node lib/index.js
+node lib/index.js --mjolnir-config ./config/production.yaml
 ```
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 99f3696..d1d404b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
     "version": "sed -i '/# version automated/s/[0-9][0-9]*\\.[0-9][0-9]*\\.[0-9][0-9]*/'$npm_package_version'/' synapse_antispam/setup.py && git add synapse_antispam/setup.py && cat synapse_antispam/setup.py"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
+    "@types/config": "^3.3.0",
     "@types/crypto-js": "^4.0.2",
     "@types/express": "^4.17.13",
     "@types/html-to-text": "^8.0.1",
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "await-lock": "^2.2.2",
     "body-parser": "^1.20.1",
+    "config": "^3.3.8",
     "express": "^4.17",
     "html-to-text": "^8.0.0",
     "humanize-duration": "^3.27.1",
diff --git a/src/config.ts b/src/config.ts
index dad9ee4..e62359a 100644
--- a/src/config.ts
+++ b/src/config.ts
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ limitations under the License.
 */
 
 import * as fs from "fs";
-import * as path from "path";
 import { load } from "js-yaml";
 import { MatrixClient } from "matrix-bot-sdk";
+import Config from "config";
 
 /**
  * The configuration, as read from production.yaml
@@ -170,12 +170,32 @@ const defaultConfig: IConfig = {
     },
 };
 
-export function read(): IConfig {
-    const config_dir = process.env.NODE_CONFIG_DIR || "./config";
-    const config_file = `${process.env.NODE_ENV || "default"}.yaml`
-
-    const content = fs.readFileSync(path.join(config_dir, config_file), "utf8");
-    const parsed = load(content);
-    const config = {...defaultConfig, ...(parsed as object)} as IConfig;
-    return config;
+/**
+ * Grabs an explicit path provided for mjolnir's config from an arguments vector if provided, otherwise returns undefined.
+ * @param argv An arguments vector sourced from `process.argv`.
+ * @returns The path if one was provided or undefined.
+ */
+function configPathFromArguments(argv: string[]): undefined|string {
+    const configOptionIndex = argv.findIndex(arg => arg === "--mjolnir-config");
+    if (configOptionIndex > 0) {
+        const configOptionPath = argv.at(configOptionIndex + 1);
+        if (!configOptionPath) {
+            throw new Error("No path provided with option --mjolnir-config");
+        }
+        return configOptionPath;
+    } else {
+        return;
+    }
+}
+
+export function read(): IConfig {
+    const explicitConfigPath = configPathFromArguments(process.argv);
+    if (explicitConfigPath) {
+        const content = fs.readFileSync(explicitConfigPath, "utf8");
+        const parsed = load(content);
+        return Config.util.extendDeep({}, defaultConfig, parsed);
+    } else {
+        const config = Config.util.extendDeep({}, defaultConfig, Config.util.toObject()) as IConfig;
+        return config;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index b21a752..ffcaeb5 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -122,6 +122,11 @@
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@types/caseless/-/caseless-0.12.2.tgz#f65d3d6389e01eeb458bd54dc8f52b95a9463bc8"
   integrity sha512-6ckxMjBBD8URvjB6J3NcnuAn5Pkl7t3TizAg+xdlzzQGSPSmBcXf8KoIH0ua/i+tio+ZRUHEXp0HEmvaR4kt0w==
 
+"@types/config@^3.3.0":
+  version "3.3.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@types/config/-/config-3.3.0.tgz#2b632cb37c639bf8d57054561f5a77d31dcebc1e"
+  integrity sha512-9kZSbl3/X3TVNowLCu5HFQdQmD+4287Om55avknEYkuo6R2dDrsp/EXEHUFvfYeG7m1eJ0WYGj+cbcUIhARJAQ==
+
 "@types/connect@*":
   version "3.4.35"
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/connect/-/connect-3.4.35.tgz"
@@ -776,6 +781,13 @@ concat-map@0.0.1:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/concat-map/-/concat-map-0.0.1.tgz#d8a96bd77fd68df7793a73036a3ba0d5405d477b"
   integrity sha512-/Srv4dswyQNBfohGpz9o6Yb3Gz3SrUDqBH5rTuhGR7ahtlbYKnVxw2bCFMRljaA7EXHaXZ8wsHdodFvbkhKmqg==
 
+config@^3.3.8:
+  version "3.3.8"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/config/-/config-3.3.8.tgz#14ef7aef22af25877fdaee696ec64d761feb7be0"
+  integrity sha512-rFzF6VESOdp7wAXFlB9IOZI4ouL05g3A03v2eRcTHj2JBQaTNJ40zhAUl5wRbWHqLZ+uqp/7OE0BWWtAVgrong==
+  dependencies:
+    json5 "^2.2.1"
+
 content-disposition@0.5.3:
   version "0.5.3"
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/content-disposition/-/content-disposition-0.5.3.tgz"
@@ -2052,6 +2064,11 @@ json5@^1.0.1:
   dependencies:
     minimist "^1.2.0"
 
+json5@^2.2.1:
+  version "2.2.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/json5/-/json5-2.2.1.tgz#655d50ed1e6f95ad1a3caababd2b0efda10b395c"
+  integrity sha512-1hqLFMSrGHRHxav9q9gNjJ5EXznIxGVO09xQRrwplcS8qs28pZ8s8hupZAmqDwZUmVZ2Qb2jnyPOWcDH8m8dlA==
+
 jsonpointer@^5.0.0:
   version "5.0.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/jsonpointer/-/jsonpointer-5.0.1.tgz#2110e0af0900fd37467b5907ecd13a7884a1b559"