diff --git a/packages/server/src/Server.test.ts b/packages/server/src/Server.test.ts
index 228d7efc..69ef1305 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/Server.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/Server.test.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ describe('server', () => {
       user: 'username',
       password: 'password',
     };
-    const server = Nile(config);
+    const server = new Nile(config);
     expect(server.config.db).toEqual({
       host: 'db.thenile.dev',
       port: 5432,
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ describe('server', () => {
       user: 'username',
       password: 'password',
     };
-    const nile = Nile(config);
+    const nile = new Nile(config);
     nile.tenantId = 'tenantId';
     nile.userId = 'userId';
     for (const api in nile.api) {
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ describe('server', () => {
       user: 'username',
       password: 'password',
     };
-    const nile = Nile(config);
+    const nile = new Nile(config);
 
     const another = nile.getInstance({
       databaseId: 'somethingelse?!',
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ describe('server', () => {
       user: 'username',
       password: 'password',
     };
-    const nile = Nile(config);
+    const nile = new Nile(config);
 
     const another = nile.getInstance({
       databaseId: 'somethingelse?!',
diff --git a/packages/server/src/Server.ts b/packages/server/src/Server.ts
index 064bf466..2ae09eee 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/Server.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/Server.ts
@@ -15,17 +15,15 @@ type Api = {
   tenants: Tenants;
 };
 
-const init = (config: Config): [Api] => {
+const init = (config: Config): Api => {
   const auth = new Auth(config);
   const users = new Users(config);
   const tenants = new Tenants(config);
-  return [
-    {
-      auth,
-      users,
-      tenants,
-    },
-  ];
+  return {
+    auth,
+    users,
+    tenants,
+  };
 };
 
 class Server {
@@ -35,10 +33,9 @@ class Server {
   private servers: Map<string, Server>;
 
   constructor(config?: ServerConfig) {
-    this.config = new Config(config as ServerConfig, true);
+    this.config = new Config(config as ServerConfig);
     this.servers = new Map();
-    const [api] = init(this.config);
-    this.api = api;
+    this.api = init(this.config);
     this.manager = new DbManager(this.config);
 
     watchTenantId((tenantId) => {
@@ -55,7 +52,17 @@ class Server {
   }
 
   setConfig(cfg: Config) {
-    this.config = new Config(cfg, false);
+    this.config = new Config(cfg);
+  }
+
+  async init(cfg?: Config) {
+    const updatedConfig = await this.config.configure({
+      ...this.config,
+      ...cfg,
+    });
+    this.setConfig(updatedConfig);
+    this.manager = new DbManager(this.config);
+    this.api = init(updatedConfig);
   }
 
   set databaseId(val: string | void) {
@@ -134,7 +141,7 @@ class Server {
 
     if (existing) {
       // be sure the config is up to date
-      const updatedConfig = new Config(_config, false);
+      const updatedConfig = new Config(_config);
       existing.setConfig(updatedConfig);
       // propagage special config items
       existing.tenantId = updatedConfig.tenantId;
@@ -149,9 +156,4 @@ class Server {
   }
 }
 
-// export default Server;
-export default function Nile(config?: ServerConfig) {
-  const server = new Server(config);
-  // server.setConfig(new Config(config as ServerConfig, false));
-  return server;
-}
+export default Server;
diff --git a/packages/server/src/auth/auth.test.ts b/packages/server/src/auth/auth.test.ts
index 61408e4c..7c20d7b4 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/auth/auth.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/auth/auth.test.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ const baseConfig = [
   'loginSSOUrl',
   'signUp',
   'updateProvider',
+  'configure',
   'user',
   'password',
 ];
diff --git a/packages/server/src/db/DBManager.ts b/packages/server/src/db/DBManager.ts
index eaccbf25..09d225b2 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/db/DBManager.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/db/DBManager.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { Pool } from 'pg';
 import { Config } from '../utils/Config';
 import { watchEvictPool } from '../utils/Event';
 import Logger from '../utils/Logger';
+import { ServerConfig } from '../types';
 
 import NileDatabase from './NileInstance';
 
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@ export default class DBManager {
     }
     return 'base';
   }
-  constructor(config: Config) {
+  constructor(config: ServerConfig) {
     const { info } = Logger(config, '[DBManager]');
     this.connections = new Map();
     // add the base one, so you can at least query
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ export default class DBManager {
     });
   }
 
-  getConnection(config: Config): Pool {
+  getConnection(config: ServerConfig): Pool {
     const { info } = Logger(config, '[DBManager]');
     const id = this.makeId(config.tenantId, config.userId);
     const existing = this.connections.get(id);
diff --git a/packages/server/src/index.ts b/packages/server/src/index.ts
index 7cdbe899..0665c0d9 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/index.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
 import { default as Server } from './Server';
 
-module.exports = Server;
 export default Server;
diff --git a/packages/server/src/tenants/tenants.test.ts b/packages/server/src/tenants/tenants.test.ts
index b478ede0..6040014f 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/tenants/tenants.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/tenants/tenants.test.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ const baseConfig = [
   'databaseId',
   'databaseName',
   'user',
+  'configure',
   'password',
 ];
 const config = {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/users/users.test.ts b/packages/server/src/users/users.test.ts
index 55f318dd..0abd0a73 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/users/users.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/users/users.test.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const baseConfig = [
   'me',
   'databaseName',
   'debug',
+  'configure',
   'updateUser',
   'user',
   'password',
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utils/Config/index.ts b/packages/server/src/utils/Config/index.ts
index 4dce36d8..2619a5dd 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utils/Config/index.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/utils/Config/index.ts
@@ -83,31 +83,75 @@ export class Config {
     this._userId = value;
   }
 
-  constructor(config: ServerConfig, allowPhoneHome?: boolean) {
-    const { info, error } = Logger(config, '[config]');
-
+  constructor(config: ServerConfig) {
     const envVarConfig: EnvConfig = {
       config,
     };
-    if (allowPhoneHome) {
-      envVarConfig.logger = '[config]';
-    }
     this.databaseId = getDatbaseId(envVarConfig) as string;
     this.user = getUsername(envVarConfig) as string;
     this.password = getPassword(envVarConfig) as string;
     this.databaseName = getDatabaseName(envVarConfig) as string;
     this._tenantId = getTenantId(envVarConfig);
     this.debug = Boolean(config?.debug);
+    this._userId = config?.userId;
 
-    let basePath = getBasePath(envVarConfig);
+    const basePath = getBasePath(envVarConfig);
+    const host = getDbHost(envVarConfig);
+    const port = getDbPort(envVarConfig);
+
+    this.api = new ApiConfig({
+      basePath,
+      cookieKey: config?.api?.cookieKey ?? 'token',
+      token: getToken({ config }),
+    });
+    this.db = {
+      user: this.user,
+      password: this.password,
+      host,
+      port,
+      database: this.databaseName,
+      ...(typeof config?.db === 'object' ? config.db : {}),
+    };
+  }
 
+  configure = async (config: ServerConfig): Promise<Config> => {
+    const { info, error } = Logger(config, '[init]');
+    const envVarConfig: EnvConfig = {
+      config,
+    };
+    let basePath = getBasePath(envVarConfig);
     let host = getDbHost(envVarConfig);
     const port = getDbPort(envVarConfig);
 
-    this._userId = config?.userId;
-
-    if (allowPhoneHome && (!host || !this.databaseName || !this.databaseId)) {
-      const database = getInfo(config);
+    const databaseName = getDatabaseName({ config, logger: 'getInfo' });
+    const url = new URL(`${basePath}/databases/configure`);
+    if (databaseName) {
+      url.searchParams.set('databaseName', databaseName);
+    }
+    info(url.href);
+    const res = syncFetch(url, {
+      headers: {
+        Authorization: `Bearer ${getInfoBearer({ config })}`,
+      },
+    });
+    let database: Database;
+    const possibleError = res.clone();
+    try {
+      const json: Database = res.json();
+      if (res.status === 404) {
+        info('is the configured databaseName correct?');
+      }
+      if (json.status && json.status !== 'READY') {
+        database = { message: 'Database is not ready yet' } as Database;
+      } else {
+        database = json;
+      }
+    } catch (e) {
+      const message = possibleError.text();
+      error(message);
+      database = { message } as Database;
+    }
+    if (!host || !this.databaseName || !this.databaseId) {
       info('[fetched database]', database);
       if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'TEST') {
         if ('message' in database) {
@@ -132,7 +176,6 @@ export class Config {
         }
       }
     }
-
     this.api = new ApiConfig({
       basePath,
       cookieKey: config?.api?.cookieKey ?? 'token',
@@ -146,39 +189,7 @@ export class Config {
       database: this.databaseName,
       ...(typeof config?.db === 'object' ? config.db : {}),
     };
-    if (allowPhoneHome) {
-      info(this);
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-function getInfo(config: ServerConfig): Database {
-  const basePath = getBasePath({ config });
-  const databaseName = getDatabaseName({ config, logger: 'getInfo' });
-  const url = new URL(`${basePath}/databases/configure`);
-  if (databaseName) {
-    url.searchParams.set('databaseName', databaseName);
-  }
-  const { info, error } = Logger(config, '[getInfo]');
-  info(url.href);
-  const res = syncFetch(url, {
-    headers: {
-      Authorization: `Bearer ${getInfoBearer({ config })}`,
-    },
-  });
-  const possibleError = res.clone();
-  try {
-    const json: Database = res.json();
-    if (res.status === 404) {
-      info('is the configured databaseName correct?');
-    }
-    if (json.status && json.status !== 'READY') {
-      return { message: 'Database is not ready yet' } as Database;
-    }
-    return json;
-  } catch (e) {
-    const message = possibleError.text();
-    error(message);
-    return { message } as Database;
-  }
+    info('[config set]', this);
+    return this;
+  };
 }
diff --git a/packages/server/test/integration/integration.test.ts b/packages/server/test/integration/integration.test.ts
index 8b654439..b455de94 100644
--- a/packages/server/test/integration/integration.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/test/integration/integration.test.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ const config: ServerConfig = {
 
 describe.skip('api integration', () => {
   it('does a bunch of api calls', async () => {
-    const nile = Server(config);
+    const nile = new Server(config);
+    await nile.init();
     const loginResp = await nile.api.auth.login({
       email: String(process.env.EMAIL),
       password: String(process.env.PASSWORD),
@@ -57,7 +58,8 @@ describe.skip('api integration', () => {
 
 describe.skip('db integration', () => {
   it('queries', async () => {
-    const nile = Server(config);
+    const nile = new Server(config);
+    await nile.init();
     const res = await nile.db.query('select * from tenants');
     expect(res.rowCount).toBeGreaterThan(0);
   });