diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index ae29a73..e83b286 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 set(CMAKE_INCLUDE_CURRENT_DIR ON)
 
-set(SOURCES "main.c" "logfile.c" "log.c" "matches.c" "ipaddr.c" "filelist.c" "regexps_posix.c")
+set(SOURCES "main.c" "logfile.c" "log.c" "matches.c" "ipaddr.c" "filelist.c" "regexps_posix.c" "config.c")
 
 add_executable(f2b ${SOURCES})
 
diff --git a/src/config.c b/src/config.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b6da87a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/config.c
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+#include "common.h"
+#include "config.h"
+
+f2b_config_param_t *
+f2b_config_parse_kv_pair(char *line) {
+  f2b_config_param_t *param = NULL;
+  char *p, *key, *value;
+
+  key = line;
+
+  if ((value = strchr(key, '=')) == NULL)
+    return NULL;
+
+  /* strip spaces after key */
+  p = value - 1;
+  while (p > line && isblank(*p))
+    p--;
+  p++, *p = '\0';
+
+  value++; /* move to next char after '=' */
+  while (isblank(*value))
+    value++;
+
+  /* strip trailing comment */
+  if ((p = strstr(value, " #")) || (p = strstr(value, "\t#")))
+    *p = '\0';
+
+  /* strip trailing spaces */
+  p = value + strlen(value);
+  if (p > value)
+    p--; /* step back at char before '\0' */
+  while (p > value && isblank(*p))
+    p--;
+  p++, *p = '\0';
+
+  if (strlen(key) > CONFIG_KEY_MAX || strlen(value) > CONFIG_VAL_MAX)
+    return NULL;
+
+  if ((param = calloc(1, sizeof(f2b_config_param_t))) == NULL) {
+    strncpy(param->name,  key,   sizeof(param->name));
+    strncpy(param->value, value, sizeof(param->value));
+    param->name[CONFIG_KEY_MAX] = '\0';
+    param->name[CONFIG_VAL_MAX] = '\0';
+    return param;
+  }
+
+  return NULL;
+}
+
+f2b_config_section_t *
+f2b_config_parse_section(char *line) {
+  f2b_config_section_t *section = NULL;
+  char *name, *end;
+
+  if ((end = strchr(line, ']')) == NULL)
+    return NULL;
+  *end = '\0';
+
+  if ((section = calloc(1, sizeof(f2b_config_section_t))) == NULL)
+    return NULL;
+
+  name = "[defaults]";
+  if (strncmp(line, name, strlen(name)) == 0) {
+    section->type = t_defaults;
+    return section;
+  }
+
+  name = "[backend:";
+  if (strncmp(line, name, strlen(name)) == 0) {
+    section->type = t_backend;
+    strncpy(section->name, line + strlen(name), sizeof(section->name));
+    return section;
+  }
+
+  name = "[jail:";
+  if (strncmp(line, name, strlen(name)) == 0) {
+    section->type = t_jail;
+    strncpy(section->name, line + strlen(name), sizeof(section->name));
+    return section;
+  }
+
+  free(section);
+  return NULL;
+}
+
+f2b_config_section_t *
+f2b_config_find_section(f2b_config_section_t *config, f2b_section_type type, const char *name) {
+  for (; config != NULL; config = config->next) {
+    if (config->type == type && strcmp(config->name, name) == 0)
+      return config;
+  }
+
+  return NULL;
+}
+
+void
+f2b_config_free(f2b_config_section_t *config) {
+  f2b_config_section_t *next_section = NULL;
+  f2b_config_param_t   *next_param   = NULL;
+
+  for (; config != NULL; config = next_section) {
+    next_section = config->next;
+    for (; config->param != NULL; config->param = next_param) {
+      next_param = config->param->next;
+      FREE(config->param);
+    }
+    FREE(next_section);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/config.h b/src/config.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1fa839e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/config.h
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#ifndef CONFIG_H_
+#define CONFIG_H_
+
+#define CONFIG_KEY_MAX 32
+#define CONFIG_VAL_MAX 192
+
+typedef enum f2b_section_type {
+  t_unknown = 0,
+  t_global,
+  t_defaults,
+  t_backend,
+  t_jail,
+} f2b_section_type;
+
+typedef struct f2b_config_param_t {
+  struct f2b_config_param_t *next;
+  char name[CONFIG_KEY_MAX + 1];
+  char value[CONFIG_VAL_MAX + 1];
+} f2b_config_param_t;
+
+typedef struct f2b_config_section_t {
+  struct f2b_config_section_t *next;
+  char name[CONFIG_KEY_MAX];
+  f2b_section_type type;
+  f2b_config_param_t *param;
+} f2b_config_section_t;
+
+#endif /* CONFIG_H_ */
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 3072cd1..140cfb2 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include "logfile.h"
 #include "ipaddr.h"
 #include "regexps.h"
+#include "config.h"
 
 int main() {
     printf("Hello world!\n");