diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 4748b685..610c7014 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package config
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -25,7 +27,7 @@ func NewService(logger log.Logger) Service {
 
 func (s *Service) Load(config interface{}) error {
 	if err := s.LoadFile(pkger.Include("/configs/config.default.yml"), config); err != nil {
-		return err
+		s.logger.LogErrorf("loading default config file using pkger: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	if err := LoadEnvironmentFile(s.logger, APP_CONFIG, config); err != nil {
@@ -45,12 +47,29 @@ func (s *Service) LoadFile(file string, config interface{}) error {
 
 	f, err := pkger.Open(file)
 	if err != nil {
-		return logger.LogErrorf("pkger unable to load %s: %w", file, err).Err()
+		return fmt.Errorf("pkger unable to load %s: %w", file, err)
 	}
 
 	deflt := viper.New()
 	deflt.SetConfigType("yaml")
 	if err := deflt.ReadConfig(f); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to load the defaults: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if err := deflt.Unmarshal(config); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to unmarshal the defaults: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (s *Service) LoadFromReader(in io.Reader, config interface{}) error {
+	logger := s.logger
+	logger.Info().Logf("loading config file from reader")
+
+	deflt := viper.New()
+	deflt.SetConfigType("yaml")
+	if err := deflt.ReadConfig(in); err != nil {
 		return logger.LogErrorf("unable to load the defaults: %w", err).Err()
 	}
 
diff --git a/config/config_test.go b/config/config_test.go
index b4eb506d..3105098c 100644
--- a/config/config_test.go
+++ b/config/config_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package config_test
 
 import (
+	"embed"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ type ConfigModel struct {
 	Default string
 	App     string
 	Secret  string
+	Custom  string
 }
 
 func Test_Load(t *testing.T) {
@@ -37,3 +39,20 @@ func Test_Load(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, "app", cfg.Config.App)
 	require.Equal(t, "keep secret!", cfg.Config.Secret)
 }
+
+//go:embed testdata/*.yml
+var configs embed.FS
+
+func Test_LoadFile(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := &GlobalConfigModel{}
+
+	service := config.NewService(log.NewDefaultLogger())
+
+	file, err := configs.Open("testdata/config.yml")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = service.LoadFromReader(file, cfg)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	require.Equal(t, "custom", cfg.Config.Custom)
+}
diff --git a/config/testdata/config.yml b/config/testdata/config.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6c128f6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/testdata/config.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Config:
+  Custom: "custom"
diff --git a/database/database.go b/database/database.go
index 9b46b5da..8a8d943f 100644
--- a/database/database.go
+++ b/database/database.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func NewAndMigrate(ctx context.Context, logger log.Logger, config DatabaseConfig
 	}
 
 	// run migrations first
-	if err := RunMigrations(logger, config); err != nil {
+	if err := RunMigrations(logger, config, nil); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
diff --git a/database/migrator.go b/database/migrator.go
index eec69b77..e5ce1c74 100644
--- a/database/migrator.go
+++ b/database/migrator.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import (
 
 var migrationMutex sync.Mutex
 
-func RunMigrations(logger log.Logger, config DatabaseConfig) error {
+func RunMigrations(logger log.Logger, config DatabaseConfig, migrationsSource source.Driver) error {
 	db, err := New(context.Background(), logger, config)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -31,9 +31,13 @@ func RunMigrations(logger log.Logger, config DatabaseConfig) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if migrationsSource != nil {
+		source = migrationsSource
+	}
+
 	migrationMutex.Lock()
 	m, err := migrate.NewWithInstance(
-		"filtering-pkger",
+		"migrations",
 		source,
 		config.DatabaseName,
 		driver,
@@ -42,7 +46,18 @@ func RunMigrations(logger log.Logger, config DatabaseConfig) error {
 		return logger.Fatal().LogErrorf("Error running migration: %w", err).Err()
 	}
 
+	ver, _, err := m.Version()
+	switch {
+	case err == migrate.ErrNilVersion:
+		logger.Info().Log("Clean DB, no migrations")
+	case err != nil:
+		return logger.Fatal().LogErrorf("Error getting current migration version: %w", err).Err()
+	default:
+		logger.Info().Logf("DB is at version: %d", ver)
+	}
+
 	err = m.Up()
+
 	migrationMutex.Unlock()
 
 	switch err {
@@ -53,6 +68,16 @@ func RunMigrations(logger log.Logger, config DatabaseConfig) error {
 		return logger.Fatal().LogErrorf("Error running migrations: %w", err).Err()
 	}
 
+	ver, _, err = m.Version()
+	switch {
+	case err == migrate.ErrNilVersion:
+		logger.Info().Log("Clean DB, no migrations")
+	case err != nil:
+		return logger.Fatal().LogErrorf("Error getting current migration version: %w", err).Err()
+	default:
+		logger.Info().Logf("DB migrated to version: %d", ver)
+	}
+
 	logger.Info().Log("Migrations complete")
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 2b955574..3819733c 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module github.com/moov-io/base
 
-go 1.13
+go 1.16
 
 require (
 	github.com/go-kit/kit v0.10.0