diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index 2accc8c3..e6939c2e 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package config
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	Database DatabaseConfig `yaml:"database"`
 	Log      LogConfig      `yaml:"log"`
 	Auth     AuthConfig     `yaml:"auth"`
+	Library  LibraryConfig  `yaml:"library"`
 }
 
 type ServerConfig struct {
@@ -40,6 +42,11 @@ type AdminBootstrapConfig struct {
 	Password string `yaml:"password"`
 }
 
+type LibraryConfig struct {
+	ScanPaths     []string `yaml:"scan_paths"`
+	ScanOnStartup bool     `yaml:"scan_on_startup"`
+}
+
 func Default() Config {
 	return Config{
 		Server:   ServerConfig{Address: ":4533"},
@@ -83,4 +90,25 @@ func applyEnv(cfg *Config) {
 	if v, ok := os.LookupEnv("SMARTMUSIC_AUTH_ADMIN_PASSWORD"); ok {
 		cfg.Auth.AdminBootstrap.Password = v
 	}
+	if v, ok := os.LookupEnv("SMARTMUSIC_LIBRARY_SCAN_PATHS"); ok {
+		cfg.Library.ScanPaths = splitPaths(v)
+	}
+	if v, ok := os.LookupEnv("SMARTMUSIC_LIBRARY_SCAN_ON_STARTUP"); ok {
+		if b, err := strconv.ParseBool(v); err == nil {
+			cfg.Library.ScanOnStartup = b
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// splitPaths splits a colon-separated path list, dropping empty entries.
+// Colon matches PATH-style Unix conventions; Minstrel ships Linux-only.
+func splitPaths(s string) []string {
+	parts := strings.Split(s, ":")
+	out := parts[:0]
+	for _, p := range parts {
+		if p != "" {
+			out = append(out, p)
+		}
+	}
+	return out
 }