diff --git a/.env b/.env
index 3438d40..4bcb8a9 100644
--- a/.env
+++ b/.env
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
-ARTICLE_ROOT=./articles/
-
-SERVER_ADDRESS=localhost
 SERVER_PORT=8080
-PROTOCOL=http
 
-PREFIX=
+# the global address of your webserver (protocol://domain[:port]). make sure this DOES NOT has a trailing slash
+ADDRESS=http://localhost:8080
+# the path you serve on. must be at least a slash
+Path=/
 
 DATABASE_FILE=database.sqlite3
 FRONTEND_DIR=./frontend/
diff --git a/api/article.go b/api/article.go
index 38827d1..415cc36 100644
--- a/api/article.go
+++ b/api/article.go
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ func articlePost(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	} else {
 		articleSummary.Tags = []string{}
 	}
-	articleSummary.Link = "/" + path.Join(config.Prefix, "article", url.PathEscape(articleSummary.Link))
+	articleSummary.Link = path.Join(config.Path, "article", url.PathEscape(articleSummary.Link))
 
 	w.WriteHeader(http.StatusCreated)
 	json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(articleSummary)
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ func articlePatch(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	} else {
 		articleSummary.Tags = []string{}
 	}
-	articleSummary.Link = "/" + path.Join(config.Prefix, "article", url.PathEscape(articleSummary.Link))
+	articleSummary.Link = path.Join(config.Path, "article", url.PathEscape(articleSummary.Link))
 
 	w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
 	json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(articleSummary)
diff --git a/api/assets.go b/api/assets.go
index e0f0cae..394551f 100644
--- a/api/assets.go
+++ b/api/assets.go
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ func assetsGet(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	request.Find(&assets)
 
 	for _, asset := range assets {
-		asset.Link = "/" + path.Join(config.Prefix, "assets", asset.Link)
+		asset.Link = path.Join(config.Path, "assets", asset.Link)
 	}
 
 	w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ func assetsPost(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(schema.Asset{
 			Id:   tmpDatabaseSchema.Id,
 			Name: tmpDatabaseSchema.Name,
-			Link: "/" + path.Join(config.Prefix, "assets", tmpDatabaseSchema.Link),
+			Link: path.Join(config.Path, "assets", tmpDatabaseSchema.Link),
 		})
 	}
 }
diff --git a/api/recent.go b/api/recent.go
index ae0124c..5a7a063 100644
--- a/api/recent.go
+++ b/api/recent.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func Recent(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		database.GetDB().Table("author").Where("id IN (?)", database.GetDB().Table("article_author").Select("author_id").Where("article_id = ?", summary.Id)).Find(&summary.Authors)
 		summary.Tags = []string{}
 		database.GetDB().Table("article_tag").Select("tag").Where("article_id = ?", summary.Id).Find(&summary.Tags)
-		summary.Link = "/" + path.Join(config.Prefix, "article", summary.Link)
+		summary.Link = path.Join(config.Path, "article", summary.Link)
 		articleSummaries[i] = summary
 	}
 
diff --git a/api/search.go b/api/search.go
index fb5ef9d..ba65135 100644
--- a/api/search.go
+++ b/api/search.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func Search(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		database.GetDB().Table("author").Where("id IN (?)", database.GetDB().Table("article_author").Select("author_id").Where("article_id = ?", summary.Id)).Find(&summary.Authors)
 		summary.Tags = []string{}
 		database.GetDB().Table("article_tag").Select("tag").Where("article_id = ?", summary.Id).Find(&summary.Tags)
-		summary.Link = "/" + path.Join(config.Prefix, "article", summary.Link)
+		summary.Link = path.Join(config.Path, "article", summary.Link)
 		articleSummaries[i] = summary
 	}
 
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 926e04c..6b006ca 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -1,42 +1,27 @@
 package config
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"github.com/joho/godotenv"
 	"os"
-	"path"
 )
 
 var (
-	ArticleRoot string
+	ServerPort string
 
-	ServerAddress string
-	ServerPort    string
-	Protocol      string
-
-	Prefix string
+	Address string
+	Path    string
 
 	DatabaseFile string
 	FrontendDir  string
-
-	// not specified in config
-
-	BasePath string
 )
 
 func init() {
 	godotenv.Load()
 
-	ArticleRoot = os.Getenv("ARTICLE_ROOT")
-
-	ServerAddress = os.Getenv("SERVER_ADDRESS")
 	ServerPort = os.Getenv("SERVER_PORT")
-	Protocol = os.Getenv("PROTOCOL")
 
-	Prefix = path.Join(os.Getenv("PREFIX"))
+	Address = os.Getenv("ADDRESS")
 
 	DatabaseFile = os.Getenv("DATABASE_FILE")
 	FrontendDir = os.Getenv("FRONTEND_DIR")
-
-	BasePath = Protocol + "://" + path.Join(fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", ServerAddress, ServerPort), Prefix) + "/"
 }
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index fbb20f7..be54004 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ func main() {
 	r.StrictSlash(true)
 
 	var subrouter *mux.Router
-	if config.Prefix != "" {
-		subrouter = r.PathPrefix(config.Prefix).Subrouter()
+	if config.Path != "/" {
+		subrouter = r.PathPrefix(config.Path).Subrouter()
 	} else {
 		subrouter = r
 	}
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ func setupFrontend(r *mux.Router) {
 	r.Path("/").HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		landingpage.Execute(w, struct {
 			BasePath string
-		}{BasePath: config.BasePath})
+		}{BasePath: config.Address + config.Path})
 	})
 
 	r.NotFoundHandler = http.Handler(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
diff --git a/server/article.go b/server/article.go
index a550221..12754a1 100644
--- a/server/article.go
+++ b/server/article.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func Article(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 		ta := tmplArticle{
 			Title:    article.Title,
-			BasePath: config.Protocol,
+			BasePath: config.Address + config.Path,
 			Summary:  article.Summary,
 			Image:    article.Image,
 			Authors:  authors,
diff --git a/server/path.go b/server/path.go
index cb2eb27..9b70807 100644
--- a/server/path.go
+++ b/server/path.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func ServePath(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-	path := filepath.Join(config.FrontendDir, strings.TrimPrefix(r.URL.Path, config.Prefix))
+	path := filepath.Join(config.FrontendDir, strings.TrimPrefix(r.URL.Path, config.Path))
 	if _, err := os.Stat(path); os.IsNotExist(err) {
 		Error404(w, r)
 	} else {