diff --git a/balius-runtime/src/lib.rs b/balius-runtime/src/lib.rs
index a09989f..35d7a99 100644
--- a/balius-runtime/src/lib.rs
+++ b/balius-runtime/src/lib.rs
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ impl Runtime {
         &mut self,
         id: &str,
         wasm_path: impl AsRef<Path>,
-        config: Option<serde_json::Value>,
+        config: serde_json::Value,
     ) -> Result<(), Error> {
         let component = wasmtime::component::Component::from_file(&self.engine, wasm_path)?;
 
diff --git a/balius-runtime/tests/e2e.rs b/balius-runtime/tests/e2e.rs
index cbe60c5..c78740a 100644
--- a/balius-runtime/tests/e2e.rs
+++ b/balius-runtime/tests/e2e.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ async fn faucet_claim() {
     });
 
     runtime
-        .register_worker("faucet", "tests/faucet.wasm", Some(config))
+        .register_worker("faucet", "tests/faucet.wasm", config)
         .await
         .unwrap();
 
diff --git a/balius-runtime/tests/u5c.rs b/balius-runtime/tests/u5c.rs
index 1d24328..be9ac61 100644
--- a/balius-runtime/tests/u5c.rs
+++ b/balius-runtime/tests/u5c.rs
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ async fn faucet_claim() {
     });
 
     runtime
-        .register_worker("faucet", "tests/faucet.wasm", Some(config))
+        .register_worker("faucet", "tests/faucet.wasm", config)
         .await
         .unwrap();
 
diff --git a/baliusd/example/baliusd.toml b/baliusd/example/baliusd.toml
index ec327dd..cb44f75 100644
--- a/baliusd/example/baliusd.toml
+++ b/baliusd/example/baliusd.toml
@@ -12,8 +12,4 @@ api_key = "dmtr_utxorpc1wgnnj0qcfj32zxsz2uc8d4g7uclm2s2w"
 [[workers]]
 name = "faucet"
 module = "faucet.wasm"
-
-[workers.config.validator]
-ref_txo = { transaction_id = "f7d3837715680f3a170e99cd202b726842d97f82c05af8fcd18053c64e33ec4f", index = 0 }
-hash = "ef7a1cebb2dc7de884ddf82f8fcbc91fe9750dcd8c12ec7643a99bbe"
-address = "addr1qx2fxv2umyhttkxyxp8x0dlpdt3k6cwng5pxj3jhsydzer3n0d3vllmyqwsx5wktcd8cc3sq835lu7drv2xwl2wywfgse35a3x"
+config = "faucet.json"
diff --git a/baliusd/example/faucet.json b/baliusd/example/faucet.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6b9d1a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/baliusd/example/faucet.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "validator": {
+    "ref_txo": {
+      "transaction_id": "f7d3837715680f3a170e99cd202b726842d97f82c05af8fcd18053c64e33ec4f",
+      "index": 0
+    },
+    "hash": "ef7a1cebb2dc7de884ddf82f8fcbc91fe9750dcd8c12ec7643a99bbe",
+    "address": "addr1qx2fxv2umyhttkxyxp8x0dlpdt3k6cwng5pxj3jhsydzer3n0d3vllmyqwsx5wktcd8cc3sq835lu7drv2xwl2wywfgse35a3x"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/baliusd/src/main.rs b/baliusd/src/main.rs
index 4a7f0d1..8bc3373 100644
--- a/baliusd/src/main.rs
+++ b/baliusd/src/main.rs
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ pub struct WorkerConfig {
     pub module: PathBuf,
     pub since_slot: Option<u64>,
     pub until_slot: Option<u64>,
-    pub config: Option<serde_json::Value>,
+    pub config: Option<PathBuf>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Deserialize, Serialize, Clone, Debug)]
@@ -36,6 +36,21 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub logging: LoggingConfig,
 }
 
+fn load_worker_config(config_path: Option<PathBuf>) -> miette::Result<serde_json::Value> {
+    match config_path {
+        Some(path) => {
+            let config_str = std::fs::read_to_string(&path)
+                .into_diagnostic()
+                .context("reading worker config file")?;
+
+            serde_json::from_str::<serde_json::Value>(&config_str)
+                .into_diagnostic()
+                .context("parsing worker config as JSON")
+        }
+        None => Ok(serde_json::Value::Null),
+    }
+}
+
 #[tokio::main]
 async fn main() -> miette::Result<()> {
     let config: Config = boilerplate::load_config(&None)
@@ -60,8 +75,10 @@ async fn main() -> miette::Result<()> {
         .context("setting up runtime")?;
 
     for worker in config.workers {
+        let config = load_worker_config(worker.config)?;
+
         runtime
-            .register_worker(&worker.name, worker.module, worker.config)
+            .register_worker(&worker.name, worker.module, config)
             .await
             .into_diagnostic()
             .context("registering worker")?;