diff --git a/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/config.py b/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/config.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..965506d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import json
+
+import yaml
+
+def get_config(conf_file):
+	if conf_file.startswith("{"):
+		return json.loads(conf_file)
+	else:
+		with open(conf_file) as f:
+			return yaml.safe_load(f)
+
+
diff --git a/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/schedulebot.py b/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/schedulebot.py
index 11a22d6..bb32709 100644
--- a/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/schedulebot.py
+++ b/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/schedulebot.py
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
 import gevent.pool
 import argh
-import yaml
 
 from zulip import Client
+from config import get_config
 
 logging.basicConfig(level='INFO')
 
@@ -203,8 +203,7 @@ def main(conf_file, hour=-1, no_groups=False, stream="General", no_mentions=Fals
 			NAME: GROUP_ID
 	authentication is an object {email, api_key}
 	"""
-	with open(conf_file) as f:
-		config = yaml.safe_load(f)
+	config = get_config(conf_file)
 	client = Client(config["url"], config["api_user"]["email"], config["api_user"]["api_key"])
 	send_auth = config.get("send_user", config["api_user"])
 	send_client = Client(config["url"], send_auth["email"], send_auth["api_key"])
diff --git a/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/tootbot.py b/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/tootbot.py
index 2e8bf21..57113da 100644
--- a/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/tootbot.py
+++ b/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/tootbot.py
@@ -5,19 +5,14 @@ import logging
 import time
 
 import mastodon
-import yaml
 from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
 
 import zulip
+from config import get_config
 
 cli = argh.EntryPoint()
 
 
-def get_config(conf_file):
-	with open(conf_file) as f:
-		return yaml.safe_load(f)
-
-
 def format_account(account):
 	return f"**[{account['display_name']}]({account['url']})**"
 
diff --git a/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/twitchbot.py b/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/twitchbot.py
index b96eccf..1c3540a 100644
--- a/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/twitchbot.py
+++ b/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/twitchbot.py
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ import logging
 
 import argh
 import girc
-import yaml
 
 import zulip
+from config import get_config
 
 
 def run(zulip_client, nick, oauth_token, stream, topic):
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@ def main(conf_file, stream="bot-spam", topic="Twitch DMs", retry_interval=10):
 	"""
 	logging.basicConfig(level='INFO')
 
-	with open(conf_file) as f:
-		config = yaml.safe_load(f)
+	config = get_config(conf_file)
 
 	zulip_client = zulip.Client(config["zulip_url"], config["zulip_email"], config["zulip_api_key"])