diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index e039aab..f16bf1f 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -219,10 +219,10 @@ func initLogger(debug bool) {
 }
 
 // loadHMMap loads your instance configuration map from `$HOME/.homeserver` dir.
-func loadHMMap() (models.HMMap, error) {
+func loadHMMap(baseDir string) (models.HMMap, error) {
 	var hmmap models.HMMap
 
-	hmmap_path := path.Join(HOME_PATH, HMDeployDirname, NetworkFilename)
+	hmmap_path := path.Join(baseDir, NetworkFilename)
 	c, err := os.ReadFile(hmmap_path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return hmmap, fmt.Errorf(
@@ -428,6 +428,11 @@ func main() { //nolint: funlen // TODO: to reduce
 	)
 
 	projectDir := flag.String("path", ".", "define the .homeserver project root dir")
+	configDir := flag.String(
+		"config",
+		path.Join(HOME_PATH, HMDeployDirname),
+		"define the configuration directory",
+	)
 	destroy := flag.Bool("destroy", false, "delete the deployed project")
 	noNginx := flag.Bool("no-nginx", false, "no Nginx deployment")
 	noSwarm := flag.Bool("no-swarm", false, "no Swarm deployment")
@@ -448,7 +453,7 @@ func main() { //nolint: funlen // TODO: to reduce
 
 	initLogger(*debug)
 
-	hmmap, err := loadHMMap()
+	hmmap, err := loadHMMap(*configDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal().Err(err).Msg("failed to load conf")
 	}