diff --git a/src/pylorax/api/config.py b/src/pylorax/api/config.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..879692a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pylorax/api/config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2017  Red Hat, Inc.
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+import ConfigParser
+import os
+
+class ComposerConfig(ConfigParser.SafeConfigParser):
+    def get_default(self, section, option, default):
+        try:
+            return self.get(section, option)
+        except ConfigParser.Error:
+            return default
+
+
+def configure(conf_file="/etc/lorax/composer.conf"):
+    """lorax-composer configuration"""
+    conf = ComposerConfig()
+
+    # set defaults
+    conf.add_section("composer")
+    conf.set("composer", "yum_conf", "/var/lib/lorax/composer/yum.conf")
+    conf.set("composer", "repo_dir", "/var/lib/lorax/composer/repos.d/")
+    conf.set("composer", "cache_dir", "/var/cache/lorax/composer/yum/")
+
+    conf.add_section("users")
+    conf.set("users", "root", "1")
+
+    # Enable all available repo files by default
+    conf.add_section("repos")
+    conf.set("repos", "use_system_repos", "1")
+    conf.set("repos", "enabled", "*")
+
+    # read the config file
+    if os.path.isfile(conf_file):
+        conf.read(conf_file)
+
+    # Create any missing directories
+    for section, key in [("composer", "yum_conf"), ("composer", "repo_dir"), ("composer", "cache_dir")]:
+        path = conf.get(section, key)
+        if not os.path.isdir(os.path.dirname(path)):
+            os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(path))
+
+    return conf
diff --git a/src/sbin/lorax-composer b/src/sbin/lorax-composer
index dc3b5f91..0b74a674 100755
--- a/src/sbin/lorax-composer
+++ b/src/sbin/lorax-composer
@@ -24,13 +24,13 @@ pylorax_log = logging.getLogger("pylorax")
 server_log = logging.getLogger("server")
 
 import argparse
-import ConfigParser
 import os
 import sys
 from threading import Lock
 from gevent.wsgi import WSGIServer
 
 from pylorax import vernum
+from pylorax.api.config import configure
 from pylorax.api.recipes import open_or_create_repo, commit_recipe_directory
 from pylorax.api.server import server, GitLock, YumLock
 from pylorax.api.yumbase import get_base_object
@@ -95,45 +95,6 @@ def setup_logging(logfile):
     server_log.addHandler(fh)
 
 
-class ComposerConfig(ConfigParser.SafeConfigParser):
-    def get_default(self, section, option, default):
-        try:
-            return self.get(section, option)
-        except ConfigParser.Error:
-            return default
-
-
-def configure(conf_file="/etc/lorax/composer.conf"):
-    """lorax-composer configuration"""
-    conf = ComposerConfig()
-
-    # set defaults
-    conf.add_section("composer")
-    conf.set("composer", "yum_conf", "/var/lib/lorax/composer/yum.conf")
-    conf.set("composer", "repo_dir", "/var/lib/lorax/composer/repos.d/")
-    conf.set("composer", "cache_dir", "/var/cache/lorax/composer/yum/")
-
-    conf.add_section("users")
-    conf.set("users", "root", "1")
-
-    # Enable all available repo files by default
-    conf.add_section("repos")
-    conf.set("repos", "use_system_repos", "1")
-    conf.set("repos", "enabled", "*")
-
-    # read the config file
-    if os.path.isfile(conf_file):
-        conf.read(conf_file)
-
-    # Create any missing directories
-    for section, key in [("composer", "yum_conf"), ("composer", "repo_dir"), ("composer", "cache_dir")]:
-        path = conf.get(section, key)
-        if not os.path.isdir(os.path.dirname(path)):
-            os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(path))
-
-    return conf
-
-
 class LogWrapper(object):
     """Wrapper for the WSGIServer which only calls write()"""
     def __init__(self, log_obj):