diff --git a/.idea/runConfigurations/kiwi_next.xml b/.idea/runConfigurations/kiwi_next.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9b3bd56
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.idea/runConfigurations/kiwi_next.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+<component name="ProjectRunConfigurationManager">
+  <configuration default="false" name="kiwi_next" type="PythonConfigurationType" factoryName="Python" nameIsGenerated="true">
+    <module name="kiwi-scp" />
+    <option name="INTERPRETER_OPTIONS" value="" />
+    <option name="PARENT_ENVS" value="true" />
+    <envs>
+      <env name="PYTHONUNBUFFERED" value="1" />
+    </envs>
+    <option name="SDK_HOME" value="" />
+    <option name="WORKING_DIRECTORY" value="$PROJECT_DIR$" />
+    <option name="IS_MODULE_SDK" value="true" />
+    <option name="ADD_CONTENT_ROOTS" value="true" />
+    <option name="ADD_SOURCE_ROOTS" value="true" />
+    <option name="SCRIPT_NAME" value="$PROJECT_DIR$/kiwi_scp/scripts/kiwi_next.py" />
+    <option name="PARAMETERS" value="" />
+    <option name="SHOW_COMMAND_LINE" value="false" />
+    <option name="EMULATE_TERMINAL" value="false" />
+    <option name="MODULE_MODE" value="false" />
+    <option name="REDIRECT_INPUT" value="false" />
+    <option name="INPUT_FILE" value="" />
+    <method v="2" />
+  </configuration>
+</component>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/kiwi_scp/__init__.py b/kiwi_scp/__init__.py
index ba8912f..e69de29 100644
--- a/kiwi_scp/__init__.py
+++ b/kiwi_scp/__init__.py
@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-# local
-from .parser import Parser
-from .runner import Runner
-
-
-def verbosity():
-    # ensure singleton is instantiated: runs subcommand setup routines
-    _ = Runner()
-    return Parser().get_args().verbosity
-
-
-def run():
-    # pass down
-    return Runner().run()
-
-
-__all__ = [
-    'verbosity',
-    'run'
-]
diff --git a/kiwi_scp/config.py b/kiwi_scp/config.py
index 00c0dfc..b276fa6 100644
--- a/kiwi_scp/config.py
+++ b/kiwi_scp/config.py
@@ -1,157 +1,79 @@
-# system
-import copy
-import logging
-import os
 import re
-import yaml
+from typing import Optional, Dict, List
 
-# local
-from ._constants import KIWI_CONF_NAME, HEADER_KIWI_CONF_NAME, DEFAULT_KIWI_CONF_NAME, VERSION_TAG_NAME
+import pydantic
 
 
-class Config:
+class _Storage(pydantic.BaseModel):
+    """a storage subsection"""
+
+    directory: str
+
+
+class _Project(pydantic.BaseModel):
+    """a project subsection"""
+
+    name: str
+    enabled: bool = True
+    storage: Optional[_Storage]
+
+    @pydantic.root_validator(pre=True)
+    @classmethod
+    def check_grammar(cls, values):
+        if isinstance(values, dict):
+            if "name" in values:
+                return values
+
+            elif len(values) == 1:
+                name, enabled = list(values.items())[0]
+                return {"name": name, "enabled": True if enabled is None else enabled}
+
+        elif isinstance(values, str):
+            return {"name": values}
+
+
+class _Network(pydantic.BaseModel):
+    """a network subsection"""
+
+    name: str
+    cidr: str
+
+
+class Config(pydantic.BaseModel):
     """represents a kiwi.yml"""
 
-    __yml_content = {}
-    __keys = {
-        'version': "kiwi-scp version to use in this instance",
+    version: str
+    shells: Optional[List[str]]
+    environment: Optional[Dict[str, Optional[str]]]
 
-        'runtime:storage': "local directory for service data",
-        'runtime:shells': "shell preference for working in service containers",
-        'runtime:env': "common environment for compose yml",
-
-        'markers:project': "marker string for project directories",
-        'markers:disabled': "marker string for disabled projects",
-
-        'network:name': "name for local network hub",
-        'network:cidr': "CIDR block for local network hub",
-    }
-
-    def __key_resolve(self, key):
-        """
-        Resolve nested dictionaries
-
-        If __yml_content is {'a': {'b': {'c': "val"}}} and key is 'a:b:c',
-        this returns a single dict {'c': "val"} and the direct key 'c'
-        """
-
-        # "a:b:c" => path = ['a', 'b'], key = 'c'
-        path = key.split(':')
-        path, key = path[:-1], path[-1]
-
-        # resolve path
-        container = self.__yml_content
-        for step in path:
-            container = container[step]
-
-        return container, key
-
-    def __getitem__(self, key):
-        """array-like read access to __yml_content"""
-
-        container, key = self.__key_resolve(key)
-        return container[key]
-
-    def __setitem__(self, key, value):
-        """array-like write access to __yml_content"""
-
-        container, key = self.__key_resolve(key)
-        container[key] = value
-
-    def __str__(self):
-        """dump into textual representation"""
-
-        # dump yml content
-        yml_string = yaml.dump(
-            self.__yml_content,
-            default_flow_style=False, sort_keys=False
-        ).strip()
-
-        # insert newline before every main key
-        yml_string = re.sub(r'^(\S)', r'\n\1', yml_string, flags=re.MULTILINE)
-
-        # load header comment from file
-        with open(HEADER_KIWI_CONF_NAME, 'r') as stream:
-            yml_string = stream.read() + yml_string
-
-        return yml_string
-
-    def _update_from_file(self, filename):
-        """return a copy updated using a kiwi.yml file"""
-
-        with open(filename, 'r') as stream:
-            try:
-                # create copy
-                result = Config()
-                result.__yml_content = copy.deepcopy(self.__yml_content)
-
-                # read file
-                logging.debug(f"Reading '{filename}' into '{id(result.__yml_content)}'")
-                result.__yml_content.update(yaml.safe_load(stream))
-
-                return result
-            except yaml.YAMLError as exc:
-                logging.error(exc)
-
-    def user_query(self, key):
-        """query user for new config value"""
-
-        # prompt user as per argument
-        try:
-            result = input(f"Enter {self.__keys[key]} [{self[key]}] ").strip()
-        except EOFError:
-            print()
-            result = None
-
-        # store result if present
-        if result:
-            self[key] = result
-
-    def save(self):
-        """save current yml representation in current directory's kiwi.yml"""
-
-        with open(KIWI_CONF_NAME, 'w') as stream:
-            stream.write(str(self))
-            stream.write('\n')
-
-
-class DefaultConfig(Config):
-    """Singleton: The default kiwi.yml file"""
-
-    __instance = None
+    projects: Optional[List[_Project]]
+    storage: _Storage
+    network: _Network
 
+    @pydantic.validator("version")
     @classmethod
-    def get(cls):
-        if cls.__instance is None:
-            # create singleton
-            cls.__instance = cls()._update_from_file(DEFAULT_KIWI_CONF_NAME)
+    def check_version(cls, value: str) -> str:
+        if not re.match(r"^[0-9]+(\.[0-9]+(\.[0-9]+)?)?$", value):
+            raise ValueError
 
-            # add version data from separate file (keeps default config cleaner)
-            with open(VERSION_TAG_NAME, 'r') as stream:
-                cls.__instance['version'] = stream.read().strip()
-
-        # return singleton
-        return cls.__instance
-
-
-class LoadedConfig(Config):
-    """Singleton collection: kiwi.yml files by path"""
-
-    __instances = {}
+        return value
 
+    @pydantic.validator("environment", pre=True)
     @classmethod
-    def get(cls, directory='.'):
-        if directory not in LoadedConfig.__instances:
-            # create singleton for new path
-            result = DefaultConfig.get()
+    def unify_env(cls, value) -> Optional[Dict[str, Optional[str]]]:
+        if isinstance(value, dict):
+            return value
+        elif isinstance(value, list):
+            result: Dict[str, Optional[str]] = {}
+            for item in value:
+                idx = item.find("=")
+                if idx == -1:
+                    key, value = item, None
+                else:
+                    key, value = item[:idx], item[idx + 1:]
 
-            # update with that dir's kiwi.yml
-            try:
-                result = result._update_from_file(os.path.join(directory, KIWI_CONF_NAME))
-            except FileNotFoundError:
-                logging.info(f"No '{KIWI_CONF_NAME}' found at '{directory}'. Using defaults.")
+                result[key] = value
 
-            LoadedConfig.__instances[directory] = result
-
-        # return singleton
-        return LoadedConfig.__instances[directory]
+            return result
+        else:
+            return None
diff --git a/kiwi_scp/data/etc/kiwi_default.yml b/kiwi_scp/data/etc/kiwi_default.yml
index 1404379..44766a7 100644
--- a/kiwi_scp/data/etc/kiwi_default.yml
+++ b/kiwi_scp/data/etc/kiwi_default.yml
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
-version:
-runtime:
-  storage: /var/kiwi
-  shells:
-    - /bin/bash
-  env: null
-markers:
-  project: .project
-  disabled: .disabled
+version: 0.2.0
+shells:
+  - /bin/bash
+projects:
+  - name: admin
+    enabled: true
+  - test:
+  - test2: false
+storage:
+  directory: /var/local/kiwi
 network:
   name: kiwi_hub
   cidr: 10.22.46.0/24
diff --git a/kiwi_scp/scripts/kiwi_next.py b/kiwi_scp/scripts/kiwi_next.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..22bb8a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kiwi_scp/scripts/kiwi_next.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+from kiwi_scp.config import Config
+import yaml
+
+
+def main():
+    with open("./kiwi_scp/data/etc/kiwi_default.yml") as kc:
+        yml = yaml.safe_load(kc)
+        kiwi = Config(**yml)
+
+        print(repr(kiwi))
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 1cb8df1..c7fe7ea 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ authors = ["ldericher <40151420+ldericher@users.noreply.github.com>"]
 [tool.poetry.dependencies]
 python = "^3.6.1"
 PyYAML = "^5.4.1"
+pydantic = "^1.8.2"
 
 [tool.poetry.dev-dependencies]
 virtualenv = "^20.8.1"