diff --git a/src/auth/common.py b/src/auth/common.py
index 1492d5c..0fc7c14 100644
--- a/src/auth/common.py
+++ b/src/auth/common.py
@@ -37,8 +37,21 @@
 
 
 # JWT settings
-JWT_SECRET_KEY = config["auth"]["secret_jwt_key"]
 JWT_ALGORITHM = config["auth"]["jwt_algorithm"]
+JWT_SECRET_KEY = config["auth"].get("secret_jwt_key")
+JWT_SECRET_KEY_FILE = config["auth"].get("secret_jwt_key_file")
+if JWT_SECRET_KEY_FILE:
+    if not os.path.exists(JWT_SECRET_KEY_FILE):
+        raise FileNotFoundError(f"secret_jwt_key file not found: {JWT_SECRET_KEY_FILE}")
+    try:
+        with open(JWT_SECRET_KEY_FILE, 'r') as f:
+            JWT_SECRET_KEY = f.read().strip()
+    except PermissionError:
+        raise PermissionError(f"Cannot read secret_jwt_key file: {JWT_SECRET_KEY_FILE}")
+    except Exception as e:
+        raise RuntimeError(f"Error reading secret_jwt_key file {JWT_SECRET_KEY_FILE}: {e}")
+if JWT_SECRET_KEY is None:
+    raise RuntimeError("No secret_jwt_key provided (c.f. setting auth.secret_jwt_key)")
 
 # Server settings
 API_SERVER_URL = config["server"].get("api_server_url")
diff --git a/src/datastores/sql/alembic/env.py b/src/datastores/sql/alembic/env.py
index b7f5e90..39f2120 100644
--- a/src/datastores/sql/alembic/env.py
+++ b/src/datastores/sql/alembic/env.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 # Import OpenRelik models so Alembic finds them.
 from datastores.sql.database import BaseModel
+from datastores.sql.database import get_db_url
 from datastores.sql.models.file import (
     File,
     FileAttribute,
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ def run_migrations_online() -> None:
     and associate a connection with the context.
 
     """
-    url = os.environ.get("SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URL")
+    url = get_db_url()
     connectable = create_engine(url)
 
     # connectable = engine_from_config(
diff --git a/src/datastores/sql/database.py b/src/datastores/sql/database.py
index e88b90f..9914fbf 100644
--- a/src/datastores/sql/database.py
+++ b/src/datastores/sql/database.py
@@ -43,22 +43,50 @@
 
 from config import config
 
-SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URL = config["datastores"]["sqlalchemy"]["database_url"]
-SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URL_ENV = os.getenv("SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URL")
-
 # Set SQLAlchemy connection pool settings
 SQLALCHEMY_POOL_SIZE = 20
 SQLALCHEMY_MAX_OVERFLOW = 30
 SQLALCHEMY_POOL_TIMEOUT = 60
 
-if SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URL_ENV:
-    SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URL = SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URL_ENV
-
 # For SQLite you need to set check_same_thread
 # engine = create_engine(
 #    SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URL, connect_args={"check_same_thread": False}
 # )
 
+def get_db_url() -> str:
+    # config file
+    sqlalchemy_database_url = config["datastores"]["sqlalchemy"].get("database_url")
+    sqlalchemy_database_url_file = config["datastores"]["sqlalchemy"].get("database_url_file")
+
+    # env vars
+    sqlalchemy_database_url_env = os.getenv("SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URL")
+    sqlalchemy_database_url_env_file = os.getenv("SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URL_FILE")
+
+    # environment variable takes precedence
+    if sqlalchemy_database_url_env_file:
+        sqlalchemy_database_url_file = sqlalchemy_database_url_env_file
+
+    # file takes precedence over direct configuration
+    if sqlalchemy_database_url_file:
+        if not os.path.exists(sqlalchemy_database_url_file):
+            raise FileNotFoundError(f"Database URL file not found: {sqlalchemy_database_url_file}")
+        try:
+            with open(sqlalchemy_database_url_file, 'r') as f:
+                sqlalchemy_database_url = f.read().strip()
+        except PermissionError:
+            raise PermissionError(f"Cannot read database URL file: {sqlalchemy_database_url_file}")
+        except Exception as e:
+            raise RuntimeError(f"Error reading database URL file {sqlalchemy_database_url_file}: {e}")
+    elif sqlalchemy_database_url_env:
+        sqlalchemy_database_url = sqlalchemy_database_url_env
+
+    if sqlalchemy_database_url is None:
+        raise RuntimeError("No database URL provided (c.f. setting datastores.sqlalchemy.database_url)")
+
+    return sqlalchemy_database_url
+
+SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URL = get_db_url()
+
 engine = create_engine(
     SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URL,
     pool_pre_ping=True,
diff --git a/src/main.py b/src/main.py
index 7fe7bfc..21c9d81 100644
--- a/src/main.py
+++ b/src/main.py
@@ -96,8 +96,28 @@ async def lifespan(app: FastAPI):
 
 
 # Create the main app
+
+secret_key = config["auth"].get("secret_session_key")
+secret_key_file = config["auth"].get("secret_session_key_file")
+if secret_key_file:
+    if not os.path.exists(secret_key_file):
+        raise FileNotFoundError(f"secret_session_key file not found: {secret_key_file}")
+    try:
+        with open(secret_key_file, 'r') as f:
+            secret_key = f.read().strip()
+    except PermissionError:
+        raise PermissionError(f"Cannot read secret_session_key file: {secret_key_file}")
+    except Exception as e:
+        raise RuntimeError(f"Error reading secret_session_key file {secret_key_file}: {e}")
+
+if secret_key is None:
+    raise RuntimeError("No secret_session_key provided (c.f. setting auth.secret_session_key)")
+
 app = FastAPI(lifespan=lifespan)
-app.add_middleware(SessionMiddleware, secret_key=config["auth"]["secret_session_key"])
+app.add_middleware(SessionMiddleware, secret_key=secret_key)
+
+# avoid further usage (of course the secret is still stored in the middleware component)
+del secret_key
 
 # Create app for API version 1
 api_v1 = FastAPI()