diff --git a/src/lib/deskflow/ArgParser.cpp b/src/lib/deskflow/ArgParser.cpp
index 06902fb00..341a8e9d3 100644
--- a/src/lib/deskflow/ArgParser.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/deskflow/ArgParser.cpp
@@ -25,32 +25,6 @@ ArgParser::ArgParser(App *app) : m_app(app)
 {
 }
 
-bool ArgParser::parseServerArgs(deskflow::ServerArgs &args, int argc, const char *const *argv) const
-{
-  setArgsBase(args);
-  int i = 1;
-  while (i < argc) {
-    if (parseGenericArgs(argc, argv, i) || parseDeprecatedArgs(argc, argv, i) ||
-        isArg(i, argc, argv, nullptr, "server")) {
-      ++i;
-      continue;
-    } else if (isArg(i, argc, argv, "-c", "--config", 1)) {
-      // save configuration file path
-      args.m_configFile = argv[++i];
-    } else {
-      LOG_CRIT("%s: unrecognized option `%s'" BYE, "deskflow-core", argv[i], "deskflow-core");
-      return false;
-    }
-    ++i;
-  }
-
-  if (checkUnexpectedArgs()) {
-    return false;
-  }
-
-  return true;
-}
-
 bool ArgParser::parseClientArgs(deskflow::ClientArgs &args, int argc, const char *const *argv) const
 {
   setArgsBase(args);
diff --git a/src/lib/deskflow/ArgParser.h b/src/lib/deskflow/ArgParser.h
index a86a7fc5b..84cfc0253 100644
--- a/src/lib/deskflow/ArgParser.h
+++ b/src/lib/deskflow/ArgParser.h
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ class ArgParser
 public:
   explicit ArgParser(App *app);
 
-  bool parseServerArgs(deskflow::ServerArgs &args, int argc, const char *const *argv) const;
   bool parseClientArgs(deskflow::ClientArgs &args, int argc, const char *const *argv) const;
   bool parseGenericArgs(int argc, const char *const *argv, int &i) const;
   bool parseDeprecatedArgs(int argc, const char *const *argv, int &i) const;
diff --git a/src/lib/deskflow/CoreArgParser.cpp b/src/lib/deskflow/CoreArgParser.cpp
index cb0c96f66..def04555a 100644
--- a/src/lib/deskflow/CoreArgParser.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/deskflow/CoreArgParser.cpp
@@ -116,6 +116,10 @@ void CoreArgParser::parse()
          (m_parser.value(CoreArgs::peerCheckOption) == "1"));
     Settings::setValue(Settings::Security::CheckPeers, value);
   }
+
+  if (m_parser.isSet(CoreArgs::serverConfigOption)) {
+    Settings::setValue(Settings::Server::ExternalConfigFile, m_parser.value(CoreArgs::serverConfigOption));
+  }
 }
 
 [[noreturn]] void CoreArgParser::showHelpText() const
diff --git a/src/lib/deskflow/CoreArgs.h b/src/lib/deskflow/CoreArgs.h
index 1fcd4f069..b1aaade60 100644
--- a/src/lib/deskflow/CoreArgs.h
+++ b/src/lib/deskflow/CoreArgs.h
@@ -63,8 +63,11 @@ struct CoreArgs
       "peerCertCheck", "Server Mode: Enable client SSL certificate checking (default: true)", "value"
   );
 
+  inline static const auto serverConfigOption =
+      QCommandLineOption("serverConfig", "Server Mode: File to load as server config", "path");
+
   inline static const auto options = {helpOption,     versionOption,  configOption,       interfaceOption,
                                       portOption,     nameOption,     logLevelOption,     logFileOption,
                                       secureOption, tlsCertOption,  preventSleepOption, restartOption,
-                                      displayOption,  useHooksOption, peerCheckOption};
+                                      displayOption,  useHooksOption, peerCheckOption,    serverConfigOption};
 };
diff --git a/src/lib/deskflow/ServerApp.cpp b/src/lib/deskflow/ServerApp.cpp
index aa72927d7..f39baa982 100644
--- a/src/lib/deskflow/ServerApp.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/deskflow/ServerApp.cpp
@@ -78,39 +78,20 @@ ServerApp::ServerApp(IEventQueue *events, const QString &processName)
 
 void ServerApp::parseArgs(int argc, const char *const *argv)
 {
-
-  ArgParser argParser(this);
-  bool result = argParser.parseServerArgs(args(), argc, argv);
-
-  if (!result || args().m_shouldExitOk || args().m_shouldExitFail) {
-    if (args().m_shouldExitOk) {
-      bye(s_exitSuccess);
-    } else {
+  if (const auto address = Settings::value(Settings::Core::Interface).toString(); !address.isEmpty()) {
+    try {
+      *m_deskflowAddress = NetworkAddress(address.toStdString(), kDefaultPort);
+      m_deskflowAddress->resolve();
+    } catch (SocketAddressException &e) {
+      LOG_CRIT("%s: %s" BYE, qPrintable(processName()), e.what(), qPrintable(processName()));
       bye(s_exitArgs);
     }
-  } else {
-    if (const auto address = Settings::value(Settings::Core::Interface).toString(); !address.isEmpty()) {
-      try {
-        *m_deskflowAddress = NetworkAddress(address.toStdString(), kDefaultPort);
-        m_deskflowAddress->resolve();
-      } catch (SocketAddressException &e) {
-        LOG_CRIT("%s: %s" BYE, qPrintable(processName()), e.what(), qPrintable(processName()));
-        bye(s_exitArgs);
-      }
-    }
   }
 }
 
 void ServerApp::help()
 {
-  std::stringstream help;
-  help << "\n\nServer Mode:\n\n"
-       << "Usage: " << kAppId << "-core server \n"
-       << "  -c, --config <pathname>  path of the configuration file\n"
-       << s_helpVersionArgs << "\n"
-       << s_helpNoWayland;
-
-  LOG_PRINT("%s", help.str().c_str());
+  // do-nothing
 }
 
 void ServerApp::reloadSignalHandler(Arch::ThreadSignal, void *)
@@ -122,7 +103,7 @@ void ServerApp::reloadSignalHandler(Arch::ThreadSignal, void *)
 void ServerApp::reloadConfig()
 {
   LOG_DEBUG("reload configuration");
-  if (loadConfig(args().m_configFile)) {
+  if (loadConfig(Settings::value(Settings::Server::ExternalConfigFile).toString().toStdString())) {
     if (m_server != nullptr) {
       m_server->setConfig(*args().m_config);
     }
@@ -132,7 +113,7 @@ void ServerApp::reloadConfig()
 
 void ServerApp::loadConfig()
 {
-  const auto path = args().m_configFile;
+  const auto path = Settings::value(Settings::Server::ExternalConfigFile).toString().toStdString();
   if (path.empty()) {
     LOG_CRIT("no configuration path provided");
     bye(s_exitConfig);
diff --git a/src/lib/deskflow/ServerArgs.h b/src/lib/deskflow/ServerArgs.h
index 87ff41395..b01afa613 100644
--- a/src/lib/deskflow/ServerArgs.h
+++ b/src/lib/deskflow/ServerArgs.h
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ public:
   ServerArgs &operator=(ServerArgs &&) = default;
 
 public:
-  std::string m_configFile = "";
   std::shared_ptr<Config> m_config;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/lib/gui/core/CoreProcess.cpp b/src/lib/gui/core/CoreProcess.cpp
index 55e99051d..df8a78062 100644
--- a/src/lib/gui/core/CoreProcess.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/gui/core/CoreProcess.cpp
@@ -465,7 +465,6 @@ bool CoreProcess::addServerArgs(QStringList &args)
     return false;
   }
 
-  args << "-c" << configFilename;
   qInfo("core config file: %s", qPrintable(configFilename));
   // bizarrely, the tls cert path arg was being given to the core client.
   // since it's not clear why (it is only needed for the server), this has now
diff --git a/src/unittests/deskflow/ArgParserTests.cpp b/src/unittests/deskflow/ArgParserTests.cpp
index 522735cef..6afb325ab 100644
--- a/src/unittests/deskflow/ArgParserTests.cpp
+++ b/src/unittests/deskflow/ArgParserTests.cpp
@@ -162,26 +162,6 @@ void ArgParserTests::assembleCommand()
   QCOMPARE(command, "\"stub1 space\" stub2 \"stub3 space\"");
 }
 
-void ArgParserTests::server_setConfigFile()
-{
-  deskflow::ServerArgs serverArgs;
-  const int argc = 3;
-  const char *kConfigCmd[argc] = {"stub", "--config", "mock_configFile"};
-
-  m_parser.parseServerArgs(serverArgs, argc, kConfigCmd);
-
-  QCOMPARE(serverArgs.m_configFile, "mock_configFile");
-}
-
-void ArgParserTests::serverArgs()
-{
-  deskflow::ServerArgs args;
-  char const *argv[] = {"deskflow", "--help", "--res-w", "888"};
-
-  QVERIFY(m_parser.parseServerArgs(args, sizeof(argv) / sizeof(argv[0]), argv));
-  QVERIFY(args.m_shouldExitOk);
-}
-
 void ArgParserTests::clientArgs()
 {
   deskflow::ClientArgs args;
diff --git a/src/unittests/deskflow/ArgParserTests.h b/src/unittests/deskflow/ArgParserTests.h
index 0ba9aa22e..689bd304a 100644
--- a/src/unittests/deskflow/ArgParserTests.h
+++ b/src/unittests/deskflow/ArgParserTests.h
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@ private Q_SLOTS:
   void splitCommand();
   void getArgv();
   void assembleCommand();
-  void serverArgs();
-  void server_setConfigFile();
   void clientArgs();
   void client_yScroll();
   void client_setLangSync();
diff --git a/src/unittests/deskflow/CoreArgParserTests.cpp b/src/unittests/deskflow/CoreArgParserTests.cpp
index aa85b91b4..29bf9a2f7 100644
--- a/src/unittests/deskflow/CoreArgParserTests.cpp
+++ b/src/unittests/deskflow/CoreArgParserTests.cpp
@@ -310,6 +310,16 @@ void CoreArgParserTests::server_peerCheck_true()
   QVERIFY(Settings::value(Settings::Security::CheckPeers).toBool());
 }
 
+void CoreArgParserTests::server_setConfig()
+{
+  QStringList args = {"stub", "server", "--serverConfig", "afile.conf"};
+
+  CoreArgParser parser(args);
+  parser.parse();
+
+  QCOMPARE("afile.conf", Settings::value(Settings::Server::ExternalConfigFile).toString());
+}
+
 void CoreArgParserTests::preventSleep_true()
 {
   QStringList args = {"stub", "client", "--prevent-sleep", "true"};
diff --git a/src/unittests/deskflow/CoreArgParserTests.h b/src/unittests/deskflow/CoreArgParserTests.h
index e714c6eb0..e005890ef 100644
--- a/src/unittests/deskflow/CoreArgParserTests.h
+++ b/src/unittests/deskflow/CoreArgParserTests.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ private Q_SLOTS:
   void hookOptions_true();
   void server_peerCheck_false();
   void server_peerCheck_true();
+  void server_setConfig();
 
 private:
   inline static const QString m_settingsPath = QStringLiteral("tmp/test");