diff --git a/cmd/flamenco-manager-poc/main.go b/cmd/flamenco-manager-poc/main.go
index 444d3897..ef3f6858 100644
--- a/cmd/flamenco-manager-poc/main.go
+++ b/cmd/flamenco-manager-poc/main.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"flag"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
+	"runtime"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/benbjohnson/clock"
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	// Load configuration.
 	configService := config.NewService()
+	configService.Load()
 
 	if cliArgs.initDB {
 		log.Info().Msg("creating databases")
@@ -76,27 +78,19 @@ func main() {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// Open the database.
-	dbCtx, dbCtxCancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
-	defer dbCtxCancel()
-	persist, err := persistence.OpenDB(dbCtx)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal().Err(err).Msg("error opening database")
-	}
-
-	// TODO: load port number from the configuration in the database.
 	// TODO: enable TLS via Let's Encrypt.
-	listen := ":8080"
+	listen := configService.Get().Listen
 	_, port, _ := net.SplitHostPort(listen)
 	log.Info().Str("port", port).Msg("listening")
 
 	// Construct the services.
+	persist := openDB(*configService)
 	timeService := clock.New()
 	compiler, err := job_compilers.Load(timeService)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal().Err(err).Msg("error loading job compilers")
 	}
-	logStorage := task_logs.NewStorage("./task-logs") // TODO: load job storage path from configuration.
+	logStorage := task_logs.NewStorage(configService.Get().TaskLogsPath)
 	flamenco := api_impl.NewFlamenco(compiler, persist, logStorage, configService)
 	e := buildWebService(flamenco, persist)
 
@@ -165,3 +159,23 @@ func parseCliArgs() {
 	}
 	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(logLevel)
 }
+
+// openDB opens the database or dies.
+func openDB(configService config.Service) *persistence.DB {
+	dsn := configService.Get().DatabaseDSN
+	if dsn == "" {
+		log.Fatal().Msg("configure the database in flamenco-manager.yaml")
+	}
+
+	dbCtx, dbCtxCancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
+	defer dbCtxCancel()
+	persist, err := persistence.OpenDB(dbCtx, dsn)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal().
+			Err(err).
+			Str("dsn", dsn).
+			Msg("error opening database")
+	}
+
+	return persist
+}
diff --git a/internal/manager/config/service.go b/internal/manager/config/service.go
index 7b39c3eb..45aea88a 100644
--- a/internal/manager/config/service.go
+++ b/internal/manager/config/service.go
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@ type Service struct {
 }
 
 func NewService() *Service {
-	return &Service{}
+	return &Service{
+		config: DefaultConfig(),
+	}
 }
 
 func (s *Service) Load() error {
diff --git a/internal/manager/config/settings.go b/internal/manager/config/settings.go
index def1c7b9..a04a1388 100644
--- a/internal/manager/config/settings.go
+++ b/internal/manager/config/settings.go
@@ -297,6 +297,7 @@ func DefaultConfig() Conf {
 
 // loadConf parses the given file and returns its contents as a Conf object.
 func loadConf(filename string) (Conf, error) {
+	log.Info().Str("file", filename).Msg("loading configuration")
 	yamlFile, err := os.ReadFile(filename)
 	if err != nil {
 		return DefaultConfig(), err
diff --git a/internal/manager/persistence/db.go b/internal/manager/persistence/db.go
index 02da5eab..62bcedf0 100644
--- a/internal/manager/persistence/db.go
+++ b/internal/manager/persistence/db.go
@@ -29,16 +29,13 @@ import (
 	"gorm.io/gorm"
 )
 
-// TODO : have this configurable from the CLI.
-const dbDSN = "host=localhost user=flamenco password=flamenco dbname=flamenco TimeZone=Europe/Amsterdam"
-
 // DB provides the database interface.
 type DB struct {
 	gormDB *gorm.DB
 }
 
-func OpenDB(ctx context.Context) (*DB, error) {
-	db, err := openDB(ctx, dbDSN)
+func OpenDB(ctx context.Context, dsn string) (*DB, error) {
+	db, err := openDB(ctx, dsn)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -56,7 +53,7 @@ func openDB(ctx context.Context, uri string) (*DB, error) {
 
 	gormDB, err := gorm.Open(postgres.Open(uri), &gorm.Config{})
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Panic().Err(err).Msg("failed to connect database")
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	db := DB{
diff --git a/internal/manager/task_logs/task_logs.go b/internal/manager/task_logs/task_logs.go
index 4916a9fd..ac26d51e 100644
--- a/internal/manager/task_logs/task_logs.go
+++ b/internal/manager/task_logs/task_logs.go
@@ -24,8 +24,10 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path"
+	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog"
+	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 )
 
 // Storage can write data to task logs, rotate logs, etc.
@@ -35,6 +37,18 @@ type Storage struct {
 
 // NewStorage creates a new log storage rooted at `basePath`.
 func NewStorage(basePath string) *Storage {
+	if !filepath.IsAbs(basePath) {
+		absPath, err := filepath.Abs(basePath)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Panic().Err(err).Str("path", basePath).Msg("cannot resolve relative path to task logs")
+		}
+		basePath = absPath
+	}
+
+	log.Info().
+		Str("path", basePath).
+		Msg("task logs")
+
 	return &Storage{
 		BasePath: basePath,
 	}