diff --git a/cdba-server.c b/cdba-server.c
index 91bb375..a5fd932 100644
--- a/cdba-server.c
+++ b/cdba-server.c
@@ -287,7 +287,14 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	signal(SIGPIPE, sigpipe_handler);
 
-	device_parser(".cdba");
+	ret = device_parser(".cdba");
+	if (ret) {
+		ret = device_parser("/etc/cdba");
+		if (ret) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "device parser: unable to open config file\n");
+			exit(1);
+		}
+	}
 
 	watch_add_readfd(STDIN_FILENO, handle_stdin, NULL);
 
diff --git a/device_parser.c b/device_parser.c
index 2cc56a0..e6ce67a 100644
--- a/device_parser.c
+++ b/device_parser.c
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ static void parse_board(struct device_parser *dp)
 	device_add(dev);
 }
 
-void device_parser(const char *path)
+int device_parser(const char *path)
 {
 	struct device_parser dp;
 	char key[TOKEN_LENGTH];
@@ -154,11 +154,13 @@ void device_parser(const char *path)
 	fh = fopen(path, "r");
 	if (!fh) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "device parser: unable to open %s\n", path);
-		exit(1);
+		return -1;
 	}
 
-	if(!yaml_parser_initialize(&dp.parser))
+	if(!yaml_parser_initialize(&dp.parser)) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "device parser: failed to initialize parser\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
 
 	yaml_parser_set_input_file(&dp.parser, fh);
 
@@ -188,4 +190,6 @@ void device_parser(const char *path)
 	yaml_parser_delete(&dp.parser);
 
 	fclose(fh);
+
+	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/device_parser.h b/device_parser.h
index 1bf0615..2fcd770 100644
--- a/device_parser.h
+++ b/device_parser.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #ifndef __DEVICE_PARSER_H__
 #define __DEVICE_PARSER_H__
 
-void device_parser(const char *path);
+int device_parser(const char *path);
 
 #endif