diff --git a/src/xmpp_api/config/config.py b/src/xmpp_api/config/config.py
index 09ea351..7743c25 100644
--- a/src/xmpp_api/config/config.py
+++ b/src/xmpp_api/config/config.py
@@ -27,11 +27,11 @@ class _ComponentConfig(BaseModel):
 
     @model_validator(mode="after")
     def validate_secret(self) -> Self:
-        if self.secret is None and self.secret_file is None:
+        if self.secret_plain is None and self.secret_file is None:
             raise ConfigurationException("No component secret is specified")
-        if self.secret is not None and self.secret_file is not None:
+        if self.secret_plain is not None and self.secret_file is not None:
             log.warn(
-                "Both secret and secret_file specified! secret_file takes precedence"
+                "Both component.secret and component.secret_file specified! component.secret_file takes precedence"
             )
         return self
 
@@ -46,9 +46,38 @@ class _ComponentConfig(BaseModel):
         return cast(str, self.secret_plain)
 
 
+class _DatabaseConfig(BaseModel):
+    # The URI to connect to
+    uri_plain: str | None = Field(default=None, alias="uri")
+
+    # The file to read the database URI from
+    uri_file: str | None = Field(default=None)
+
+    @model_validator(mode="after")
+    def validate_secret(self) -> Self:
+        if self.uri_plain is None and self.uri_file is None:
+            raise ConfigurationException("No database URI is specified")
+        if self.uri_plain is not None and self.uri_file is not None:
+            log.warn(
+                "Both database.uri and database.uri_file specified! database.uri_file takes precedence"
+            )
+        return self
+
+    @property
+    def uri(self) -> str:
+        """
+        The database URI.
+
+        The backing may be None if uri_file is used instead. uri_plain is, however, replaced
+        with that file's contents during configuration loading.
+        """
+
+        return cast(str, self.uri_plain)
+
+
 class _Config(BaseModel):
-    # DB URI for sqlmodel
-    database: str
+    # Database config
+    database: _DatabaseConfig
 
     # Component configuration
     component: _ComponentConfig
@@ -73,6 +102,12 @@ def load_config() -> _Config:
         with open(config.component.secret_file, "r", encoding="utf8") as f:
             config.component.secret_plain = f.read().strip().replace("\n", "")
 
+    # Read the database URI from a file, if specified
+    if config.database.uri_file is not None:
+        log.info("Reading database URI from %s", config.database.uri_file)
+        with open(config.database.uri_file, "r", encoding="utf8") as f:
+            config.database.uri_plain = f.read().strip().replace("\n", "")
+
     return config
 
 
diff --git a/src/xmpp_api/db/__init__.py b/src/xmpp_api/db/__init__.py
index f31dc96..7f14468 100644
--- a/src/xmpp_api/db/__init__.py
+++ b/src/xmpp_api/db/__init__.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from xmpp_api.db.bot import Bot, AllowedJid
 
 def get_engine(config: ConfigDep) -> Engine:
     return create_engine(
-        config.database,
+        config.database.uri,
         connect_args={
             "check_same_thread": False,
         },