diff --git a/src/config/loader.c b/src/config/loader.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec07854
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/config/loader.c
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+#include "config/loader.h"
+
+#include <dlfcn.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+#include "utils.h"
+
+static char *config_loader_join_path(const char *base, const char *suffix) {
+  if (!base || !suffix) return nullptr;
+
+  size_t base_len = strlen(base);
+  size_t suffix_len = strlen(suffix);
+  char *path = p_new(char, base_len + suffix_len + 1);
+  memcpy(path, base, base_len);
+  memcpy(path + base_len, suffix, suffix_len + 1);
+  return path;
+}
+
+static bool config_loader_resolve_path(char **out_path, bool *out_is_explicit,
+                                       const char *override_path) {
+  const char *path = override_path;
+  if (path && *path) {
+    *out_path = p_strdup(path);
+    *out_is_explicit = true;
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  path = getenv("ZDWM_CONFIG_LIB");
+  if (path && *path) {
+    *out_path = p_strdup(path);
+    *out_is_explicit = true;
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  path = getenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME");
+  if (path && *path) {
+    *out_path = config_loader_join_path(path, "/zdwm/config.so");
+    *out_is_explicit = false;
+    return *out_path != nullptr;
+  }
+
+  path = getenv("HOME");
+  if (path && *path) {
+    *out_path = config_loader_join_path(path, "/.config/zdwm/config.so");
+    *out_is_explicit = false;
+    return *out_path != nullptr;
+  }
+
+  return false;
+}
+
+bool config_loader_load(config_loader_t *loader, const char *override_path) {
+  if (!loader) return false;
+  config_loader_cleanup(loader);
+
+  char *path = nullptr;
+  bool is_explicit = false;
+  if (!config_loader_resolve_path(&path, &is_explicit, override_path)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  loader->path = path;
+
+  if (access(path, F_OK) != 0) {
+    if (is_explicit) {
+      warn("config library not found: %s", path);
+      config_loader_cleanup(loader);
+      return false;
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  loader->handle = dlopen(path, RTLD_NOW | RTLD_LOCAL);
+  if (!loader->handle) {
+    warn("failed to load config library %s: %s", path, dlerror());
+    config_loader_cleanup(loader);
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  dlerror();
+  loader->setup = (zdwm_config_setup_fn *)dlsym(loader->handle, "setup");
+  const char *error = dlerror();
+  if (error) {
+    warn("failed to resolve setup from %s: %s", path, error);
+    config_loader_cleanup(loader);
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  return true;
+}
+
+void config_loader_cleanup(config_loader_t *loader) {
+  if (!loader) return;
+
+  loader->setup = nullptr;
+
+  if (loader->handle) dlclose(loader->handle);
+  loader->handle = nullptr;
+
+  p_delete(&loader->path);
+}
diff --git a/src/config/loader.h b/src/config/loader.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5eb84c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/config/loader.h
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <zdwm/config.h>
+
+typedef struct config_loader_t {
+  char *path;
+  void *handle;
+  zdwm_config_setup_fn *setup;
+} config_loader_t;
+
+bool config_loader_load(config_loader_t *loader, const char *override_path);
+void config_loader_cleanup(config_loader_t *loader);