diff --git a/docker-compose-dev.yaml b/docker-compose-dev.yaml
index 3e67c369..d4d8b887 100644
--- a/docker-compose-dev.yaml
+++ b/docker-compose-dev.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 version: '3'
 
+networks:
+  kibble:
+    driver: bridge
+
 services:
   # Helper service to setup the Apache Kibble es node
   setup:
@@ -12,6 +16,8 @@ services:
       - .:/kibble/
     depends_on:
       - elasticsearch
+    networks:
+      - kibble
 
   # Apache Kibble API server
   kibble:
@@ -25,6 +31,8 @@ services:
       - .:/kibble/
     depends_on:
       - elasticsearch
+    networks:
+      - kibble
 
   # Apache Kibble web ui server
   ui:
@@ -36,6 +44,8 @@ services:
       - 8000:8000
     depends_on:
       - kibble
+    networks:
+      - kibble
 
   # Elasticsearch node required as a database for Apache Kibble
   elasticsearch:
@@ -51,6 +61,8 @@ services:
       ES_JAVA_OPTS: -Xms256m -Xmx256m
     volumes:
       - "kibble-es-data:/usr/share/elasticsearch/data"
+    networks:
+      - kibble
 
   # Kibana to view and manage Elasticsearch
   kibana:
@@ -59,6 +71,11 @@ services:
       - 5601:5601
     depends_on:
       - elasticsearch
+    environment:
+      ELASTICSEARCH_URL: http://elasticsearch:9200
+      ELASTICSEARCH_HOSTS: http://elasticsearch:9200
+    networks:
+      - kibble
 
 volumes:
   # named volumes can be managed easier using docker-compose
diff --git a/kibble/api/handler.py b/kibble/api/handler.py
index d409b54d..8384d183 100644
--- a/kibble/api/handler.py
+++ b/kibble/api/handler.py
@@ -27,12 +27,11 @@
 import sys
 import traceback
 
-import yaml
-
 from kibble.api.plugins import openapi
 from kibble.api.plugins.database import KibbleDatabase
 from kibble.api.plugins.session import KibbleSession
-from kibble.settings import KIBBLE_YAML, YAML_DIRECTORY
+from kibble.configuration import conf
+from kibble.settings import YAML_DIRECTORY
 
 # Compile valid API URLs from the pages library
 # Allow backwards compatibility by also accepting .lua URLs
@@ -45,10 +44,6 @@
         urls.append((r"^(/api/%s)(/.+)?$" % page, handler.run))
 
 
-# Load Kibble master configuration
-with open(KIBBLE_YAML, "r") as f:
-    config = yaml.safe_load(f)
-
 # Instantiate database connections
 DB = None
 
@@ -156,13 +151,13 @@ def application(environ, start_response):
     Checks against the pages library, and if submod found, runs
     it and returns the output.
     """
-    db = KibbleDatabase(config)
+    db = KibbleDatabase(conf)
     path = environ.get("PATH_INFO", "")
     for regex, function in urls:
         m = re.match(regex, path)
         if m:
             callback = KibbleAPIWrapper(path, function)
-            session = KibbleSession(db, environ, config)
+            session = KibbleSession(db, environ, conf)
             a = 0
             for bucket in callback(environ, start_response, session):
                 if a == 0:
diff --git a/kibble/api/plugins/database.py b/kibble/api/plugins/database.py
index fb1a9fab..57467213 100644
--- a/kibble/api/plugins/database.py
+++ b/kibble/api/plugins/database.py
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 
 import elasticsearch
 
+from kibble.configuration import KibbleConfigParser
+
 
 class KibbleESWrapper(object):
     """
@@ -119,24 +121,13 @@ def count(self, index, doc_type="*", body=None):
 
 
 class KibbleDatabase(object):
-    def __init__(self, config):
+    def __init__(self, config: KibbleConfigParser):
         self.config = config
-        self.dbname = config["elasticsearch"]["dbname"]
+        self.dbname = config.get("elasticsearch", "dbname")
         self.ES = elasticsearch.Elasticsearch(
-            [
-                {
-                    "host": config["elasticsearch"]["host"],
-                    "port": int(config["elasticsearch"]["port"]),
-                    "use_ssl": config["elasticsearch"]["ssl"],
-                    "verify_certs": False,
-                    "url_prefix": config["elasticsearch"]["uri"]
-                    if "uri" in config["elasticsearch"]
-                    else "",
-                    "http_auth": config["elasticsearch"]["auth"]
-                    if "auth" in config["elasticsearch"]
-                    else None,
-                }
-            ],
+            [config.get("elasticsearch", "conn_uri")],
+            use_ssl=config.getboolean("elasticsearch", "ssl"),
+            verify_certs=False,
             max_retries=5,
             retry_on_timeout=True,
         )