diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fa36abb..70e7e97 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -3,21 +3,19 @@ An OpenMRS module that intercepts and redirects fetch requests for `ChargeItemDe
 resources to an external API, with support for basic authentication.
 
 ## Configuration
-The module reads the configuration from a json file named `config.json` in a directory named `fhirproxy` which is 
-located in the application data directory, below is an example configuration file.
+The module reads the configuration from a properties file named `config.properties` in a directory named `fhirproxy` 
+which is located in the application data directory, below is an example configuration file.
 ```
-{
-    "externalApiEnabled" : true,
-    "baseUrl" : "http://your-fhirserver.com/fhir/R4",
-    "username" : "test-user",
-    "password" : "test-password"
-}
+external.api.enabled=true
+base.url=http://your-fhirserver/fhir/R4
+username=test-user
+password=test-password
 ```
 #### Configuration Properties
-`externalApiEnabled`: When set to true, the module will delegate `GET` FHIR requests for `ChargeItemDefinition` and 
+`external.api.enabled`: When set to true, the module will delegate `GET` FHIR requests for `ChargeItemDefinition` and 
  `InventoryItem` to the configured external API.
 
-`baseUrl`: The root URL for the external FHIR API
+`base.url`: The root URL for the external FHIR API
 
 `username`: The username to authenticate to the external FHIR API
 
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/Config.java b/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/Config.java
index d1e72b1..e622348 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/Config.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/Config.java
@@ -16,4 +16,11 @@ public class Config {
 	@Getter
 	private String password;
 	
+	public Config(boolean externalApiEnabled, String baseUrl, String username, String password) {
+		this.externalApiEnabled = externalApiEnabled;
+		this.baseUrl = baseUrl;
+		this.username = username;
+		this.password = password;
+	}
+	
 }
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/Constants.java b/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/Constants.java
index 0a4d345..84530b9 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/Constants.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/Constants.java
@@ -13,6 +13,6 @@ public class Constants {
 	
 	public static final String MODULE_ID = "fhirproxy";
 	
-	public static final String CONFIG_FILE = "config.json";
+	public static final String CONFIG_FILE = "config.properties";
 	
 }
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/FhirProxyActivator.java b/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/FhirProxyActivator.java
index 7d10955..f96599d 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/FhirProxyActivator.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/FhirProxyActivator.java
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public void started() {
 		
 		if (cfg.isExternalApiEnabled()) {
 			if (StringUtils.isBlank(cfg.getBaseUrl())) {
-				throw new ModuleException("Fhir Proxy module requires baseUrl when external FHIR API is enabled");
+				throw new ModuleException("Fhir Proxy module requires base.url when external FHIR API is enabled");
 			} else if (StringUtils.isBlank(cfg.getUsername())) {
 				throw new ModuleException("Fhir Proxy module requires username when external FHIR API is enabled");
 			} else if (StringUtils.isBlank(cfg.getPassword())) {
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/FhirProxyUtils.java b/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/FhirProxyUtils.java
index a7630f7..e90bab1 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/FhirProxyUtils.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/FhirProxyUtils.java
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 package org.openmrs.module.fhirproxy;
 
 import java.io.File;
+import java.io.FileInputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.Properties;
 
 import org.openmrs.util.OpenmrsUtil;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
-import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
-
 /**
  * Provides utility methods for the module.
  */
@@ -29,8 +29,13 @@ public static final Config getConfig() throws IOException {
 			LOG.info("Loading config for FHIR proxy module");
 			
 			File configDir = OpenmrsUtil.getDirectoryInApplicationDataDirectory(Constants.MODULE_ID);
-			File configFile = new File(configDir, Constants.CONFIG_FILE);
-			config = new ObjectMapper().readValue(configFile, Config.class);
+			Properties props = new Properties();
+			props.load(new FileInputStream(new File(configDir, Constants.CONFIG_FILE)));
+			final boolean enabled = Boolean.valueOf(props.getProperty("external.api.enabled", "false"));
+			final String baseUrl = props.getProperty("base.url");
+			final String username = props.getProperty("username");
+			final String password = props.getProperty("password");
+			config = new Config(enabled, baseUrl, username, password);
 		}
 		
 		return config;
diff --git a/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/FhirProxyActivatorTest.java b/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/FhirProxyActivatorTest.java
index d30ffd4..5cda8cb 100644
--- a/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/FhirProxyActivatorTest.java
+++ b/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/module/fhirproxy/FhirProxyActivatorTest.java
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public void started_shouldFailIfBaseUrlIsMissing() {
 		
 		Exception ex = Assert.assertThrows(ModuleException.class, () -> activator.started());
 		
-		assertEquals("Fhir Proxy module requires baseUrl when external FHIR API is enabled", ex.getMessage());
+		assertEquals("Fhir Proxy module requires base.url when external FHIR API is enabled", ex.getMessage());
 	}
 	
 	@Test
diff --git a/api/src/test/resources/config.json b/api/src/test/resources/config.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 1d24992..0000000
--- a/api/src/test/resources/config.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-{
-    "externalApiEnabled" : true,
-    "baseUrl" : "http://test.test",
-    "username" : "test-user",
-    "password" : "test-password"
-}
diff --git a/api/src/test/resources/config.properties b/api/src/test/resources/config.properties
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d3e99e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/src/test/resources/config.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+external.api.enabled=true
+base.url=http://test.test
+username=test-user
+password=test-password