diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d8f4d13a..d07d454b 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ _testmain.go
 
 
 ### Oragono ###
-/ircd.*
+/ircd*
 /ssl.*
 /tls.*
 /oragono
diff --git a/irc/config.go b/irc/config.go
index 7eb01379..72894408 100644
--- a/irc/config.go
+++ b/irc/config.go
@@ -49,11 +49,15 @@ type Config struct {
 		Name string
 	}
 
+	Datastore struct {
+		Path       string
+		SQLitePath string `yaml:"sqlite-path"`
+	}
+
 	Server struct {
 		PassConfig
 		Password         string
 		Name             string
-		Database         string
 		Listen           []string
 		Wslisten         string                      `yaml:"ws-listen"`
 		TLSListeners     map[string]*TLSListenConfig `yaml:"tls-listeners"`
@@ -131,8 +135,11 @@ func LoadConfig(filename string) (config *Config, err error) {
 	if !IsHostname(config.Server.Name) {
 		return nil, errors.New("Server name must match the format of a hostname")
 	}
-	if config.Server.Database == "" {
-		return nil, errors.New("Server database missing")
+	if config.Datastore.Path == "" {
+		return nil, errors.New("Datastore path missing")
+	}
+	if config.Datastore.SQLitePath == "" {
+		return nil, errors.New("SQLite database path missing")
 	}
 	if len(config.Server.Listen) == 0 {
 		return nil, errors.New("Server listening addresses missing")
diff --git a/irc/server.go b/irc/server.go
index 384d0c76..65e6006b 100644
--- a/irc/server.go
+++ b/irc/server.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/DanielOaks/girc-go/ircmsg"
+	"github.com/tidwall/buntdb"
 )
 
 type Server struct {
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ type Server struct {
 	commands         chan Command
 	ctime            time.Time
 	db               *sql.DB
+	store            buntdb.DB
 	idle             chan *Client
 	motdLines        []string
 	name             Name
@@ -65,7 +67,7 @@ func NewServer(config *Config) *Server {
 		clients:          NewClientLookupSet(),
 		commands:         make(chan Command),
 		ctime:            time.Now(),
-		db:               OpenDB(config.Server.Database),
+		db:               OpenDB(config.Datastore.SQLitePath),
 		idle:             make(chan *Client),
 		name:             NewName(config.Server.Name),
 		nameString:       NewName(config.Server.Name).String(),
@@ -78,6 +80,14 @@ func NewServer(config *Config) *Server {
 		checkIdent:       config.Server.CheckIdent,
 	}
 
+	// open data store
+	db, err := buntdb.Open(config.Datastore.Path)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to open datastore: %s", err.Error()))
+	}
+	defer db.Close()
+	server.store = *db
+
 	if config.Server.MOTD != "" {
 		file, err := os.Open(config.Server.MOTD)
 		if err == nil {
diff --git a/oragono.go b/oragono.go
index 95ea6d26..5ce0f8e2 100644
--- a/oragono.go
+++ b/oragono.go
@@ -54,11 +54,11 @@ Options:
 		fmt.Print("\n")
 		fmt.Println(encoded)
 	} else if arguments["initdb"].(bool) {
-		irc.InitDB(config.Server.Database)
-		log.Println("database initialized: ", config.Server.Database)
+		irc.InitDB(config.Datastore.SQLitePath)
+		log.Println("database initialized: ", config.Datastore.SQLitePath)
 	} else if arguments["upgradedb"].(bool) {
-		irc.UpgradeDB(config.Server.Database)
-		log.Println("database upgraded: ", config.Server.Database)
+		irc.UpgradeDB(config.Datastore.SQLitePath)
+		log.Println("database upgraded: ", config.Datastore.SQLitePath)
 	} else if arguments["mkcerts"].(bool) {
 		log.Println("making self-signed certificates")
 
diff --git a/oragono.yaml b/oragono.yaml
index f8502d3a..e8eb5938 100644
--- a/oragono.yaml
+++ b/oragono.yaml
@@ -5,14 +5,22 @@ network:
     # name of the network
     name: OragonoTest
 
+# datastore configuration
+datastore:
+    # path to the datastore
+    # this can also be ":memory:" for an in-memory-only db
+    path: ircd.db
+
+    # path to our sqlite db
+    # currently used to lookup masks and store persistent chan data
+    # but planned to be deprecated in a future release
+    sqlite-path: ircd-sqlite.db
+
 # server configuration
 server:
     # server name
     name: oragono.test
 
-    # database filename (sqlite db)
-    database: ircd.db
-
     # addresses to listen on
     listen:
         - ":6667"