diff --git a/storm/config.py b/storm/config.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8feb85b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/storm/config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+import ConfigParser
+
+
+class NovaConfig(object):
+    """Provides configuration information for connecting to Nova."""
+
+    def __init__(self, conf):
+        """Initialize a Nova-specific configuration object."""
+        self.conf = conf
+
+    def get(self, item_name, default_value):
+        try:
+            return self.conf.get("nova", item_name)
+        except (ConfigParser.NoSectionError, ConfigParser.NoOptionError):
+            return default_value
+
+    @property
+    def auth_url(self):
+        """URL used to authenticate. Defaults to 127.0.0.1."""
+        return self.get("auth_url", "127.0.0.1")
+
+    @property
+    def username(self):
+        """Username to use for Nova API requests. Defaults to 'admin'."""
+        return self.get("user", "admin")
+
+    @property
+    def tenant_name(self):
+        """Tenant name to use for Nova API requests. Defaults to 'admin'."""
+        return self.get("tenant_name", "admin")
+
+    @property
+    def api_key(self):
+        """API key to use when authenticating. Defaults to 'admin_key'."""
+        return self.get("api_key", "admin_key")
+
+    @property
+    def build_interval(self):
+        """Time in seconds between build status checks."""
+        return float(self.get("build_interval", 10))
+
+    @property
+    def ssh_timeout(self):
+        """Timeout in seconds to use when connecting via ssh."""
+        return float(self.get("ssh_timeout", 300))
+
+    @property
+    def build_timeout(self):
+        """Timeout in seconds to wait for an entity to build."""
+        return float(self.get("build_timeout", 300))
+
+
+class EnvironmentConfig(object):
+    def __init__(self, conf):
+        """Initialize a Environment-specific configuration object."""
+        self.conf = conf
+
+    def get(self, item_name, default_value):
+        try:
+            return self.conf.get("environment", item_name)
+        except (ConfigParser.NoSectionError, ConfigParser.NoOptionError):
+            return default_value
+
+    @property
+    def image_ref(self):
+        """Valid imageRef to use """
+        return self.get("image_ref", 3)
+
+    @property
+    def image_ref_alt(self):
+        """Valid imageRef to rebuild images with"""
+        return self.get("image_ref_alt", 3)
+
+    @property
+    def flavor_ref(self):
+        """Valid flavorRef to use"""
+        return int(self.get("flavor_ref", 1))
+
+    @property
+    def flavor_ref_alt(self):
+        """Valid flavorRef to resize images with"""
+        return self.get("flavor_ref_alt", 2)
+
+    @property
+    def resize_available(self):
+        """ Does the test environment support resizing """
+        return self.get("resize_available", 'false') != 'false'
+
+    @property
+    def create_image_enabled(self):
+        """ Does the test environment support resizing """
+        return self.get("create_image_enabled", 'false') != 'false'
+
+    @property
+    def authentication(self):
+        """ What auth method does the environment use (basic|keystone) """
+        return self.get("authentication", 'keystone')
+
+
+class StormConfig(object):
+    """Provides OpenStack configuration information."""
+
+    _path = "etc/storm.conf"
+
+    def __init__(self, path=None):
+        """Initialize a configuration from a path."""
+        self._conf = self.load_config(self._path)
+        self.nova = NovaConfig(self._conf)
+        self.env = EnvironmentConfig(self._conf)
+
+    def load_config(self, path=None):
+        """Read configuration from given path and return a config object."""
+        config = ConfigParser.SafeConfigParser()
+        config.read(path)
+        return config