diff --git a/src/server/distrend.c b/src/server/distrend.c
--- a/src/server/distrend.c
+++ b/src/server/distrend.c
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ struct distrend_config
   cfg_t *mycfg;
   struct options_common *options;
   struct distrend_listen **listens; /*< Null terminated array of structs */
+  char *datadir;
 };
 
 
@@ -451,36 +452,42 @@ void blendjob_remove(struct blendjob **h
 
 
 // Begin non-working framework?
-	int distrend_do_config(int argc, char *argv[], struct distrend_config **config)
-	{
-	  cfg_opt_t myopts_listen[] =
-	    {
-	      CFG_SIMPLE_STR("type", NULL),
-	      CFG_SIMPLE_STR("path", NULL),
-	      CFG_SIMPLE_INT("port", NULL),
-	      CFG_END()
-	  };
-	  cfg_opt_t myopts[] =
-	    {
-	      CFG_SEC("listen",  /* this must be imported into struct listens (which must still be declared) */
-		      myopts_listen
-		      ,
-		      CFGF_MULTI),
-	      CFG_END()
-	    };
+int distrend_do_config(int argc, char *argv[], struct distrend_config **config)
+{
+  cfg_opt_t myopts_listen[] =
+    {
+      CFG_SIMPLE_STR("type", NULL),
+      CFG_SIMPLE_STR("path", NULL),
+      CFG_SIMPLE_INT("port", NULL),
+      CFG_END()
+    };
+  cfg_opt_t myopts[] =
+    {
+      CFG_SEC("listen",  /* this must be imported into struct listens (which must still be declared) */
+	      myopts_listen,
+	      CFGF_MULTI),
+      CFG_SIMPLE_STR("datadir", NULL),
+      CFG_END()
+    };
+  
+  fprintf(stderr, "%s:%d running config\n", __FILE__, __LINE__);
 
-	  *config = malloc(sizeof(struct distrend_config));
-	  options_init(argc, argv, &(*config)->mycfg, myopts, "server", &(*config)->options);
+  *config = malloc(sizeof(struct distrend_config));
+  myopts[1].simple_value = &(*config)->datadir;
+  
+  options_init(argc, argv, &(*config)->mycfg, myopts, "server", &(*config)->options);
 
-	  return 0;
-	}
-	int distrend_config_free(struct distrend_config *config)
-	{
-	  options_free(config->options);
-	  free(config);
-
-	  return 0;
-	}
+  fprintf(stderr, "using %s as datadir\n", (*config)->datadir); 
+  
+  return 0;
+}
+int distrend_config_free(struct distrend_config *config)
+{
+  options_free(config->options);
+  free(config);
+  
+  return 0;
+}
 // End non-working framework?
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])