diff --git a/emseries/Cargo.lock b/emseries/Cargo.lock
index 4435e02..cc38833 100644
--- a/emseries/Cargo.lock
+++ b/emseries/Cargo.lock
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "emseries"
-version = "0.5.1"
+version = "0.6.0"
 dependencies = [
  "chrono",
  "chrono-tz",
diff --git a/kifu/core/src/api.rs b/kifu/core/src/api.rs
index ec3987d..3af2fe0 100644
--- a/kifu/core/src/api.rs
+++ b/kifu/core/src/api.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use crate::{
     types::{AppState, GameState, Player, Rank},
     ui::{home, playing_field, HomeView, PlayingFieldView},
-    Config,
+    Config, DatabasePath,
 };
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use std::sync::{Arc, RwLock};
@@ -71,10 +71,14 @@ pub struct CoreApp {
 
 impl CoreApp {
     pub fn new(config_path: std::path::PathBuf) -> Self {
+        println!("config_path: {:?}", config_path);
         let config = Config::from_path(config_path).expect("configuration to open");
-        let state = Arc::new(RwLock::new(AppState::new()));
+
+        let db_path: DatabasePath = config.get();
+        let state = Arc::new(RwLock::new(AppState::new(db_path)));
 
         println!("config: {:?}", config);
+        println!("games database: {:?}", state.read().unwrap().database.len());
 
         Self { config, state }
     }
diff --git a/kifu/core/src/config.rs b/kifu/core/src/config.rs
index 5a7b26b..c2807e4 100644
--- a/kifu/core/src/config.rs
+++ b/kifu/core/src/config.rs
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ enum OptionNames {
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+#[serde(untagged)]
 pub enum ConfigOption {
     DatabasePath(DatabasePath),
     Me(Me),
@@ -96,14 +97,14 @@ impl Config {
         }
     }
 
-    fn set(&mut self, val: ConfigOption) {
+    pub fn set(&mut self, val: ConfigOption) {
         let _ = match val {
             ConfigOption::DatabasePath(_) => self.values.insert(OptionNames::DatabasePath, val),
             ConfigOption::Me(_) => self.values.insert(OptionNames::Me, val),
         };
     }
 
-    fn get<'a, T>(&'a self) -> T
+    pub fn get<'a, T>(&'a self) -> T
     where
         T: From<&'a Self>,
     {
@@ -111,9 +112,16 @@ impl Config {
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct DatabasePath(PathBuf);
 
+impl std::ops::Deref for DatabasePath {
+    type Target = PathBuf;
+    fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
+        &self.0
+    }
+}
+
 impl From<&Config> for DatabasePath {
     fn from(config: &Config) -> Self {
         match config.values.get(&OptionNames::DatabasePath) {
@@ -123,7 +131,7 @@ impl From<&Config> for DatabasePath {
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct Me(Player);
 
 impl From<&Config> for Option<Me> {
@@ -137,3 +145,54 @@ impl From<&Config> for Option<Me> {
             })
     }
 }
+
+impl std::ops::Deref for Me {
+    type Target = Player;
+    fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
+        &self.0
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod test {
+    use super::*;
+    use crate::types::Rank;
+    use cool_asserts::assert_matches;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn it_can_set_and_get_options() {
+        let mut config = Config::new(PathBuf::from("."));
+        config.set(ConfigOption::DatabasePath(DatabasePath(PathBuf::from(
+            "fixtures/five_games",
+        ))));
+        config.set(ConfigOption::Me(Me(Player {
+            name: "Savanni".to_owned(),
+            rank: Some(Rank::Kyu(10)),
+        })));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn it_can_serialize_and_deserialize() {
+        let mut config = Config::new(PathBuf::from("."));
+        config.set(ConfigOption::DatabasePath(DatabasePath(PathBuf::from(
+            "fixtures/five_games",
+        ))));
+        config.set(ConfigOption::Me(Me(Player {
+            name: "Savanni".to_owned(),
+            rank: Some(Rank::Kyu(10)),
+        })));
+        let s = serde_json::to_string(&config.values).unwrap();
+        println!("{}", s);
+        let values: HashMap<OptionNames, ConfigOption> = serde_json::from_str(s.as_ref()).unwrap();
+        println!("options: {:?}", values);
+
+        assert_matches!(values.get(&OptionNames::DatabasePath),
+                        Some(ConfigOption::DatabasePath(db_path)) =>
+                        assert_eq!(*db_path, config.get())
+        );
+
+        assert_matches!(values.get(&OptionNames::Me), Some(ConfigOption::Me(val)) =>
+            assert_eq!(Some(val.clone()), config.get())
+        );
+    }
+}
diff --git a/kifu/core/src/database.rs b/kifu/core/src/database.rs
index d83c3a2..6797e29 100644
--- a/kifu/core/src/database.rs
+++ b/kifu/core/src/database.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ impl From<std::io::Error> for Error {
     }
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct Database {
     path: PathBuf,
     games: Vec<GameTree>,
@@ -49,6 +50,10 @@ impl Database {
         Ok(Database { path, games })
     }
 
+    pub fn len(&self) -> usize {
+        self.games.len()
+    }
+
     pub fn all_games(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = &GameTree> {
         self.games.iter()
     }
diff --git a/kifu/core/src/types.rs b/kifu/core/src/types.rs
index 1b3ce32..7ee8eba 100644
--- a/kifu/core/src/types.rs
+++ b/kifu/core/src/types.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 use crate::{
     api::PlayStoneRequest,
     board::{Board, Coordinate},
+    config::DatabasePath,
+    database::Database,
 };
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
-use std::time::Duration;
+use std::{path::PathBuf, time::Duration};
 use thiserror::Error;
 use typeshare::typeshare;
 
@@ -43,12 +45,14 @@ impl Default for Size {
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct AppState {
     pub game: Option<GameState>,
+    pub database: Database,
 }
 
 impl AppState {
-    pub fn new() -> Self {
+    pub fn new(database_path: DatabasePath) -> Self {
         Self {
             game: Some(GameState::new()),
+            database: Database::open_path(database_path.to_path_buf()).unwrap(),
         }
     }
 
@@ -91,7 +95,7 @@ impl From<Rank> for String {
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct Player {
     pub name: String,
     pub rank: Option<Rank>,
diff --git a/kifu/gtk/Makefile b/kifu/gtk/Makefile
index be968cd..3692242 100644
--- a/kifu/gtk/Makefile
+++ b/kifu/gtk/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ release:
 	cargo build --release
 
 dev:
+	export CONFIG=.
 	cargo watch -x 'run --bin kifu-gtk'
 
 screenplay:
diff --git a/kifu/gtk/config b/kifu/gtk/config
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6ad4a86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kifu/gtk/config
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{"Me":{"name":"Savanni","rank":{"Kyu":10}},"DatabasePath":"../core/fixtures/five_games"}
diff --git a/kifu/gtk/src/main.rs b/kifu/gtk/src/main.rs
index c29f15c..95cda24 100644
--- a/kifu/gtk/src/main.rs
+++ b/kifu/gtk/src/main.rs
@@ -44,10 +44,17 @@ fn main() {
             .unwrap(),
     );
 
-    let user_home = std::env::var("HOME").expect("the user's home directory isn't set");
-    let mut config_path = std::path::PathBuf::from(user_home);
-    config_path.push(".config");
-    config_path.push("kifu");
+    let config_path = std::env::var("CONFIG")
+        .and_then(|config| Ok(std::path::PathBuf::from(config)))
+        .or({
+            std::env::var("HOME").and_then(|base| {
+                let mut config_path = std::path::PathBuf::from(base);
+                config_path.push(".config");
+                config_path.push("kifu");
+                Ok(config_path)
+            })
+        })
+        .expect("no config path could be found");
 
     let core = CoreApp::new(config_path);