diff --git a/internal/config/read.go b/internal/config/read.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b251a1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/config/read.go
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+package config
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"os"
+)
+
+const MirrorModePublic = "PUBLIC"
+const MirrorModePrivateAndPublic = "PRIVATE_AND_PUBLIC"
+
+type Config struct {
+	MirrorMode string
+	Gitea      GiteaConfig
+}
+
+type GiteaConfig struct {
+	GiteaUrl   string
+	GiteaToken string
+}
+
+func Read() (*Config, error) {
+	mirrorMode, err := readMirrorMode()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	gitea, err := readGiteaConfig()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return &Config{
+		MirrorMode: mirrorMode,
+		Gitea:      gitea,
+	}, nil
+}
+
+func readGiteaConfig() (GiteaConfig, error) {
+	url, a := os.LookupEnv("GITEA_URL")
+	if !a {
+		return GiteaConfig{}, errors.New("")
+	}
+
+	token, a := os.LookupEnv("GITEA_TOKEN")
+	if !a {
+		return GiteaConfig{}, errors.New("")
+	}
+
+	return GiteaConfig{
+		GiteaUrl:   url,
+		GiteaToken: token,
+	}, nil
+
+}
+
+func readMirrorMode() (string, error) {
+	input, present := os.LookupEnv("MIRROR_MODE")
+
+	if !present {
+		return MirrorModePublic, nil
+	}
+
+	switch input {
+	case MirrorModePublic, MirrorModePrivateAndPublic:
+		return input, nil
+	default:
+		return "", errors.New("")
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/internal/config/read_test.go b/internal/config/read_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cf241eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/config/read_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+package config_test
+
+import (
+	"github.com/jaedle/mirror-to-gitea/internal/config"
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+	"os"
+)
+
+const mirrorMode = "MIRROR_MODE"
+const giteaUrl = "GITEA_URL"
+const giteaToken = "GITEA_TOKEN"
+
+const publicMirrorMode = "PUBLIC"
+const privateAndPublicMirrorMode = "PRIVATE_AND_PUBLIC"
+const unknownMirrorMode = "UNKNOWN"
+
+var _ = Describe("Read", func() {
+	BeforeEach(func() {
+		os.Clearenv()
+	})
+
+	Context("Gitea", func() {
+		It("parses configuration", func() {
+			aValidEnv()
+			setEnv(giteaUrl, "https://gitea.url/api")
+			setEnv(giteaToken, "a-gitea-token")
+
+			c, err := config.Read()
+
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(c.Gitea.GiteaUrl).To(Equal("https://gitea.url/api"))
+			Expect(c.Gitea.GiteaToken).To(Equal("a-gitea-token"))
+		})
+
+		It("fails on missing gitea url", func() {
+			aValidEnv()
+			unsetEnv(giteaUrl)
+
+			c, err := config.Read()
+
+			Expect(err).To(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(c).To(BeNil())
+		})
+
+		It("fails on missing gitea token", func() {
+			aValidEnv()
+			unsetEnv(giteaToken)
+
+			c, err := config.Read()
+
+			Expect(err).To(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(c).To(BeNil())
+		})
+	})
+
+	Context("mirror mode", func() {
+		It("sets default mirror mode", func() {
+			aValidEnv()
+			unsetEnv(mirrorMode)
+
+			c, err := config.Read()
+
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(c.MirrorMode).To(Equal(config.MirrorModePublic))
+		})
+
+		It("allows public mirror mode PUBLIC", func() {
+			aValidEnv()
+			setEnv(mirrorMode, publicMirrorMode)
+
+			c, err := config.Read()
+
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(c.MirrorMode).To(Equal(config.MirrorModePublic))
+		})
+
+		It("allows mirror mode PRIVATE_AND_PUBLIC", func() {
+			aValidEnv()
+			setEnv(mirrorMode, privateAndPublicMirrorMode)
+
+			c, err := config.Read()
+
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(c.MirrorMode).To(Equal(config.MirrorModePrivateAndPublic))
+		})
+
+		It("fails on unknown mirror mode", func() {
+			aValidEnv()
+			setEnv(mirrorMode, unknownMirrorMode)
+
+			c, err := config.Read()
+
+			Expect(err).To(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(c).To(BeNil())
+		})
+
+	})
+})
+
+func setEnv(k string, v string) {
+	err := os.Setenv(k, v)
+	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+}
+
+func unsetEnv(k string) {
+	err := os.Unsetenv(k)
+	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+}
+
+func aValidEnv() {
+	setEnv(mirrorMode, "PUBLIC")
+	setEnv(giteaUrl, "https://gitea.url")
+	setEnv(giteaToken, "valid")
+}