diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 276c918..d453af6 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -965,6 +965,17 @@ dependencies = [
  "libc",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "kdl"
+version = "3.0.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "114071e31456ec827056ca691d141f8e96327d9d9a29140da2e6fba9a5f17b83"
+dependencies = [
+ "nom 7.1.0",
+ "phf",
+ "thiserror",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "kqueue"
 version = "1.0.4"
@@ -1418,7 +1429,9 @@ version = "0.8.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "3dfb61232e34fcb633f43d12c58f83c1df82962dcdfa565a4e866ffc17dafe12"
 dependencies = [
+ "phf_macros",
  "phf_shared",
+ "proc-macro-hack",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1441,6 +1454,20 @@ dependencies = [
  "rand 0.7.3",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "phf_macros"
+version = "0.8.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "7f6fde18ff429ffc8fe78e2bf7f8b7a5a5a6e2a8b58bc5a9ac69198bbda9189c"
+dependencies = [
+ "phf_generator",
+ "phf_shared",
+ "proc-macro-hack",
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "phf_shared"
 version = "0.8.0"
@@ -1553,6 +1580,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "toml",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "proc-macro-hack"
+version = "0.5.19"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "dbf0c48bc1d91375ae5c3cd81e3722dff1abcf81a30960240640d223f59fe0e5"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "proc-macro2"
 version = "1.0.36"
@@ -1833,18 +1866,18 @@ checksum = "d29ab0c6d3fc0ee92fe66e2d99f700eab17a8d57d1c1d3b748380fb20baa78cd"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "serde"
-version = "1.0.133"
+version = "1.0.134"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "97565067517b60e2d1ea8b268e59ce036de907ac523ad83a0475da04e818989a"
+checksum = "96b3c34c1690edf8174f5b289a336ab03f568a4460d8c6df75f2f3a692b3bc6a"
 dependencies = [
  "serde_derive",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "serde_derive"
-version = "1.0.133"
+version = "1.0.134"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "ed201699328568d8d08208fdd080e3ff594e6c422e438b6705905da01005d537"
+checksum = "784ed1fbfa13fe191077537b0d70ec8ad1e903cfe04831da608aa36457cb653d"
 dependencies = [
  "proc-macro2",
  "quote",
@@ -2583,6 +2616,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "embed-resource",
  "futures",
  "insta",
+ "kdl",
  "miette",
  "mimalloc",
  "notify-rust",
diff --git a/cli/Cargo.toml b/cli/Cargo.toml
index 5abcbc7..35681b2 100644
--- a/cli/Cargo.toml
+++ b/cli/Cargo.toml
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ path = "src/main.rs"
 console-subscriber = { version = "0.1.0", optional = true }
 dunce = "1.0.2"
 futures = "0.3.17"
+kdl = "3.0.0"
 miette = { version = "3.2.0", features = ["fancy"] }
 notify-rust = "4.5.2"
 tracing = "0.1.26"
diff --git a/cli/src/config.rs b/cli/src/config.rs
index 200a573..727c420 100644
--- a/cli/src/config.rs
+++ b/cli/src/config.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
+pub mod file;
 mod init;
 mod runtime;
 
+pub use file::Config as File;
 pub use init::init;
 pub use runtime::runtime;
diff --git a/cli/src/config/file.rs b/cli/src/config/file.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3fcce8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/src/config/file.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,284 @@
+use kdl::{parse_document, KdlNode, KdlValue};
+use miette::{IntoDiagnostic, Report, Result};
+use watchexec::command::Shell;
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct Config {
+	pub commands: Vec<Command>,
+}
+
+impl Config {
+	pub fn parse(input: &str) -> Result<Config> {
+		let kdl = parse_document(input).into_diagnostic()?;
+		let mut config = Config::default();
+
+		for root in kdl {
+			match root.name.as_str() {
+				"command" => config.commands.push(Command::parse(root)?),
+				otherwise => todo!("Root: {:?}", otherwise),
+			}
+		}
+
+		Ok(config)
+	}
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct Command {
+	pub name: String,
+	pub run: Option<Run>,
+}
+
+impl Command {
+	fn parse(node: KdlNode) -> Result<Self> {
+		let name = node
+			.values
+			.first()
+			.ok_or_else(|| Report::msg("Command has no name"))
+			.and_then(|name| match name {
+				KdlValue::String(s) => Ok(s.to_owned()),
+				otherwise => Err(Report::msg("Command name is not a string")
+					.wrap_err(format!("{:?}", otherwise))),
+			})?;
+
+		let mut runs = node
+			.children
+			.iter()
+			.filter(|node| node.name == "run")
+			.map(Run::parse)
+			.collect::<Result<Vec<_>>>()?;
+
+		if runs.len() > 1 {
+			return Err(Report::msg("Command has multiple runs"));
+		}
+
+		Ok(Command {
+			name,
+			run: runs.pop(),
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct Run {
+	pub shell: Shell,
+	pub args: Vec<String>,
+}
+
+impl Run {
+	fn parse(node: &KdlNode) -> Result<Self> {
+		let args = node
+			.values
+			.iter()
+			.enumerate()
+			.map(|(n, v)| match v {
+				KdlValue::String(s) => Ok(s.to_owned()),
+				otherwise => Err(Report::msg(format!("Run argument {n} is not a string"))
+					.wrap_err(format!("{otherwise:?}"))),
+			})
+			.collect::<Result<Vec<_>>>()
+			.and_then(|run| {
+				if run.is_empty() {
+					Err(Report::msg("Run has no arguments"))
+				} else {
+					Ok(run)
+				}
+			})?;
+
+		let shell = node
+			.properties
+			.get("shell")
+			.map(|shell| match shell {
+				KdlValue::String(s) => Ok(s.to_owned()),
+				otherwise => {
+					Err(Report::msg("Run shell is not a string").wrap_err(format!("{otherwise:?}")))
+				}
+			})
+			.transpose()?
+			.map(|shell| match shell.as_str() {
+				"powershell" | "pwsh" => Shell::Powershell,
+				"none" => Shell::None,
+				#[cfg(windows)]
+				"cmd" => Shell::Cmd,
+				unix => Shell::Unix(unix.to_owned()),
+			})
+			.unwrap_or_default();
+
+		if args.len() > 1 && shell != Shell::None {
+			Err(Report::msg("Run has more than one argument and a shell"))
+		} else {
+			Ok(Run { shell, args })
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+	use super::*;
+
+	#[test]
+	fn empty_command() {
+		let config = Config::parse(r#"command "empty""#).unwrap();
+		assert_eq!(config.commands.len(), 1);
+		assert_eq!(config.commands[0].name, "empty");
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn empty_command_with_braces() {
+		let config = Config::parse(r#"command "empty" {}"#).unwrap();
+		assert_eq!(config.commands.len(), 1);
+		assert_eq!(config.commands[0].name, "empty");
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn command_with_run_one() {
+		let config = Config::parse(
+			r#"command "running" {
+			run "echo hello-world"
+		}"#,
+		)
+		.unwrap();
+		assert_eq!(config.commands.len(), 1);
+		assert_eq!(config.commands[0].name, "running");
+		assert_eq!(
+			config.commands[0].run,
+			Some(Run {
+				args: vec!["echo hello-world".to_owned()],
+				shell: Shell::default()
+			})
+		);
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn command_with_run_two() {
+		let config = Config::parse(
+			r#"command "running" {
+			run "echo" "hello-world"
+		}"#,
+		)
+		.unwrap();
+		assert_eq!(config.commands.len(), 1);
+		assert_eq!(config.commands[0].name, "running");
+		assert_eq!(
+			config.commands[0].run,
+			Some(Run {
+				args: vec!["echo".to_owned(), "hello-world".to_owned()],
+				shell: Shell::default()
+			})
+		);
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn command_with_no_run() {
+		let config = Config::parse(r#"command "running" {}"#).unwrap();
+		assert_eq!(config.commands.len(), 1);
+		assert_eq!(config.commands[0].name, "running");
+		assert_eq!(config.commands[0].run, None);
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	#[should_panic]
+	fn command_with_empty_run() {
+		Config::parse(
+			r#"command "running" {
+			run
+		}"#,
+		)
+		.unwrap();
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn run_with_default_shell() {
+		let config = Config::parse(
+			r#"command "running" {
+			run "echo hello-world"
+		}"#,
+		)
+		.unwrap();
+		assert_eq!(
+			config.commands[0].run.as_ref().unwrap().shell,
+			Shell::default()
+		);
+		assert_eq!(
+			config.commands[0].run.as_ref().unwrap().shell,
+			Shell::None
+		);
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn run_with_explicit_shell() {
+		let config = Config::parse(
+			r#"command "running" {
+			run shell="bash" "echo hello-world"
+		}"#,
+		)
+		.unwrap();
+		assert_eq!(
+			config.commands[0].run.as_ref().unwrap().shell,
+			Shell::Unix("bash".to_owned())
+		);
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn run_with_powershell() {
+		let config = Config::parse(
+			r#"command "running" {
+			run shell="powershell" "echo hello-world"
+		}"#,
+		)
+		.unwrap();
+		assert_eq!(
+			config.commands[0].run.as_ref().unwrap().shell,
+			Shell::Powershell
+		);
+
+		let config = Config::parse(
+			r#"command "running" {
+			run shell="pwsh" "echo hello-world"
+		}"#,
+		)
+		.unwrap();
+		assert_eq!(
+			config.commands[0].run.as_ref().unwrap().shell,
+			Shell::Powershell
+		);
+	}
+
+	#[cfg(unix)]
+	#[test]
+	fn run_with_cmd_unix() {
+		let config = Config::parse(
+			r#"command "running" {
+			run shell="cmd" "echo hello-world"
+		}"#,
+		)
+		.unwrap();
+		assert_eq!(
+			config.commands[0].run.as_ref().unwrap().shell,
+			Shell::Unix("cmd".to_owned())
+		);
+	}
+
+	#[cfg(windows)]
+	#[test]
+	fn run_with_cmd_windows() {
+		let config = Config::parse(
+			r#"command "running" {
+			run shell="cmd" "echo hello-world"
+		}"#,
+		)
+		.unwrap();
+		assert_eq!(config.commands[0].run.as_ref().unwrap().shell, Shell::Cmd);
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	#[should_panic]
+	fn multi_arg_run_with_shell() {
+		Config::parse(
+			r#"command "running" {
+			run shell="bash" "echo" "hello-world"
+		}"#,
+		)
+		.unwrap();
+	}
+}