diff --git a/manage.py b/manage.py
index 05a774b..de93e4e 100755
--- a/manage.py
+++ b/manage.py
@@ -1,28 +1,27 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python

+import yaml
+
 from werkzeug import script, create_environ, run_wsgi_app

 from lodgeit import local
 from lodgeit.application import make_app
 from lodgeit.database import db

-dburi = 'sqlite:////tmp/lodgeit.db'
-
-SECRET_KEY = 'no secret key'
-
+settings = yaml.load(open('/etc/lodgeit/settings.yaml', 'r'))

 def run_app(app, path='/'):
-    env = create_environ(path, SECRET_KEY)
+    env = create_environ(path, settings.get('secret_key'))
     return run_wsgi_app(app, env)

 action_runserver = script.make_runserver(
-    lambda: make_app(dburi, SECRET_KEY, debug=True),
+    lambda: make_app(settings.get('dburi'), settings.get('secret_key'), settings.get('debug')),
     use_reloader=True)

 action_shell = script.make_shell(
     lambda: {
-        'app': make_app(dburi, SECRET_KEY, False, True),
-        'local': local,
+        'app': make_app(settings.get('dburi'), settings.get('secret_key'), False, True),
+        'local': local,'r'
         'db': db,
         'run_app': run_app
     },
diff --git a/settings.yaml b/settings.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f6e40d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/settings.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+dburi: 'sqlite:////tmp/lodgeit.db'
+secret_key: 'blah-blah'
+debug: true
