diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..24f047a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config.go
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"go.wit.com/lib/config"
+	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/forgepb"
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+)
+
+// sent via -ldflags
+
+func configInit() *forgepb.ForgeConfigs {
+	configs := new(forgepb.ForgeConfigs)
+	err := config.ConfigLoad(configs, "forge", "forge")
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Info("This tool requires your repos be scanned by forge first")
+		badExit(err)
+	}
+	return configs
+}
diff --git a/exit.go b/exit.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..151a176
--- /dev/null
+++ b/exit.go
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"os"
+
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+)
+
+func okExit(thing string) {
+	log.Info(thing, "ok")
+	// log.Info("Finished go-clean on", check.GetGoPath(), "ok")
+	os.Exit(0)
+}
+
+func badExit(err error) {
+	log.Info("go-gui-toolkits failed: ", err)
+	os.Exit(-1)
+}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index df3b3ef..5466d99 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -38,19 +38,13 @@ func main() {
 	if argv.Hostname != "" {
 		HOSTNAME = argv.Hostname
 	}
-	forge = forgepb.Init()
 
 	gitMap = make(map[string]*gitpb.Repo)
 	repoMap = make(map[string]string)
 
-	/*
-		all := forge.Repos.SortByGoPath()
-		for all.Scan() {
-			repo := all.Next()
-
-			log.Info("forge protobuf has:", repo.GoPath)
-		}
-	*/
+	// read in forge info
+	cfg := configInit()
+	forge = forgepb.InitFromConfig(cfg)
 
 	// parse the repomap file
 	readRepomap()