diff --git a/tools/usercheck/README.md b/tools/usercheck/README.md
index a86e5c145..13cf79141 100644
--- a/tools/usercheck/README.md
+++ b/tools/usercheck/README.md
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ go build -o usercheck
 ./usercheck <command> [options]
 ```
 
+By default, the tool reads database credentials from `config.json` in the project root.
+
 ### Commands
 
 | Command | Description |
@@ -27,28 +29,42 @@ go build -o usercheck
 ### Examples
 
 ```bash
-# List connected users
-./usercheck list -password "dbpass"
+# List connected users (uses config.json)
+./usercheck list
 
 # Verbose output with last login times
-./usercheck list -v -password "dbpass"
+./usercheck list -v
 
 # Search for a player
-./usercheck search -name "Hunter" -password "dbpass"
+./usercheck search -name "Hunter"
 
 # Show server status
-./usercheck servers -password "dbpass"
+./usercheck servers
 
 # Player login history
-./usercheck history -name "Hunter" -password "dbpass"
+./usercheck history -name "Hunter"
+
+# Use a specific config file
+./usercheck list -config /path/to/config.json
+
+# Override database password
+./usercheck list -password "different_password"
 ```
 
-### Database Options
+### Configuration Priority
 
-| Flag | Env Variable | Default |
-|------|--------------|---------|
-| `-host` | `ERUPE_DB_HOST` | localhost |
-| `-port` | - | 5432 |
-| `-user` | `ERUPE_DB_USER` | postgres |
-| `-password` | `ERUPE_DB_PASSWORD` | (required) |
-| `-dbname` | `ERUPE_DB_NAME` | erupe |
+1. CLI flags (highest priority)
+2. Environment variables (`ERUPE_DB_*`)
+3. `config.json` file
+4. Default values (lowest priority)
+
+### Database Flags
+
+| Flag | Env Variable | Description |
+|------|--------------|-------------|
+| `-config` | - | Path to config.json |
+| `-host` | `ERUPE_DB_HOST` | Database host |
+| `-port` | - | Database port |
+| `-user` | `ERUPE_DB_USER` | Database user |
+| `-password` | `ERUPE_DB_PASSWORD` | Database password |
+| `-dbname` | `ERUPE_DB_NAME` | Database name |
diff --git a/tools/usercheck/db.go b/tools/usercheck/db.go
index 0c826957c..7b8e374a3 100644
--- a/tools/usercheck/db.go
+++ b/tools/usercheck/db.go
@@ -2,43 +2,169 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"database/sql"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 
 	_ "github.com/lib/pq"
 )
 
 // DBConfig holds database connection configuration.
 type DBConfig struct {
-	Host     string
-	Port     int
-	User     string
-	Password string
-	DBName   string
+	Host       string
+	Port       int
+	User       string
+	Password   string
+	DBName     string
+	ConfigPath string
+}
+
+// ErupeConfig represents the relevant parts of config.json.
+type ErupeConfig struct {
+	Database struct {
+		Host     string `json:"Host"`
+		Port     int    `json:"Port"`
+		User     string `json:"User"`
+		Password string `json:"Password"`
+		Database string `json:"Database"`
+	} `json:"Database"`
+}
+
+// loadConfigFile loads database settings from config.json.
+func loadConfigFile(path string) (*ErupeConfig, error) {
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	var cfg ErupeConfig
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(data, &cfg); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return &cfg, nil
+}
+
+// findConfigFile searches for config.json in common locations.
+func findConfigFile() string {
+	// Check paths relative to current directory and up to project root
+	paths := []string{
+		"config.json",
+		"../../config.json", // From tools/usercheck/
+		"../../../config.json",
+	}
+
+	// Also check if we can find it via executable path
+	if exe, err := os.Executable(); err == nil {
+		dir := filepath.Dir(exe)
+		paths = append(paths,
+			filepath.Join(dir, "config.json"),
+			filepath.Join(dir, "../../config.json"),
+		)
+	}
+
+	for _, p := range paths {
+		if _, err := os.Stat(p); err == nil {
+			return p
+		}
+	}
+
+	return ""
 }
 
 // addDBFlags adds common database flags to a FlagSet.
 func addDBFlags(fs *flag.FlagSet, cfg *DBConfig) {
-	fs.StringVar(&cfg.Host, "host", getEnvOrDefault("ERUPE_DB_HOST", "localhost"), "Database host")
-	fs.IntVar(&cfg.Port, "port", 5432, "Database port")
-	fs.StringVar(&cfg.User, "user", getEnvOrDefault("ERUPE_DB_USER", "postgres"), "Database user")
-	fs.StringVar(&cfg.Password, "password", os.Getenv("ERUPE_DB_PASSWORD"), "Database password")
-	fs.StringVar(&cfg.DBName, "dbname", getEnvOrDefault("ERUPE_DB_NAME", "erupe"), "Database name")
+	fs.StringVar(&cfg.ConfigPath, "config", "", "Path to config.json (auto-detected if not specified)")
+	fs.StringVar(&cfg.Host, "host", "", "Database host (overrides config.json)")
+	fs.IntVar(&cfg.Port, "port", 0, "Database port (overrides config.json)")
+	fs.StringVar(&cfg.User, "user", "", "Database user (overrides config.json)")
+	fs.StringVar(&cfg.Password, "password", "", "Database password (overrides config.json)")
+	fs.StringVar(&cfg.DBName, "dbname", "", "Database name (overrides config.json)")
 }
 
-// getEnvOrDefault returns the environment variable value or a default.
-func getEnvOrDefault(key, defaultValue string) string {
-	if value := os.Getenv(key); value != "" {
-		return value
+// resolveDBConfig resolves the final database configuration.
+// Priority: CLI flags > environment variables > config.json > defaults
+func resolveDBConfig(cfg *DBConfig) error {
+	// Try to load from config.json
+	configPath := cfg.ConfigPath
+	if configPath == "" {
+		configPath = findConfigFile()
 	}
-	return defaultValue
+
+	var fileCfg *ErupeConfig
+	if configPath != "" {
+		var err error
+		fileCfg, err = loadConfigFile(configPath)
+		if err != nil {
+			// Only error if user explicitly specified a config path
+			if cfg.ConfigPath != "" {
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to load config file: %w", err)
+			}
+			// Otherwise just ignore and use defaults/flags
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Apply config.json values as base
+	if fileCfg != nil {
+		if cfg.Host == "" {
+			cfg.Host = fileCfg.Database.Host
+		}
+		if cfg.Port == 0 {
+			cfg.Port = fileCfg.Database.Port
+		}
+		if cfg.User == "" {
+			cfg.User = fileCfg.Database.User
+		}
+		if cfg.Password == "" {
+			cfg.Password = fileCfg.Database.Password
+		}
+		if cfg.DBName == "" {
+			cfg.DBName = fileCfg.Database.Database
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Apply environment variables
+	if cfg.Host == "" {
+		cfg.Host = os.Getenv("ERUPE_DB_HOST")
+	}
+	if cfg.User == "" {
+		cfg.User = os.Getenv("ERUPE_DB_USER")
+	}
+	if cfg.Password == "" {
+		cfg.Password = os.Getenv("ERUPE_DB_PASSWORD")
+	}
+	if cfg.DBName == "" {
+		cfg.DBName = os.Getenv("ERUPE_DB_NAME")
+	}
+
+	// Apply defaults
+	if cfg.Host == "" {
+		cfg.Host = "localhost"
+	}
+	if cfg.Port == 0 {
+		cfg.Port = 5432
+	}
+	if cfg.User == "" {
+		cfg.User = "postgres"
+	}
+	if cfg.DBName == "" {
+		cfg.DBName = "erupe"
+	}
+
+	// Password is required
+	if cfg.Password == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("database password is required (set in config.json, use -password flag, or ERUPE_DB_PASSWORD env var)")
+	}
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 // connectDB establishes a connection to the PostgreSQL database.
 func connectDB(cfg *DBConfig) (*sql.DB, error) {
-	if cfg.Password == "" {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("database password is required (use -password flag or ERUPE_DB_PASSWORD env var)")
+	if err := resolveDBConfig(cfg); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	connStr := fmt.Sprintf(
diff --git a/tools/usercheck/main.go b/tools/usercheck/main.go
index 8a0285347..d61f24f7d 100644
--- a/tools/usercheck/main.go
+++ b/tools/usercheck/main.go
@@ -31,12 +31,15 @@ func main() {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  search    Search for a specific connected user by name\n")
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  servers   Show server/channel status and player counts\n")
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  history   Show recent login history for a player\n")
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "\nDatabase connection options (apply to all commands):\n")
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  -host      Database host (default: localhost)\n")
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  -port      Database port (default: 5432)\n")
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  -user      Database user (default: postgres)\n")
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  -password  Database password (required)\n")
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  -dbname    Database name (default: erupe)\n")
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "\nDatabase configuration:\n")
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  By default, reads from config.json in the project root.\n")
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  Use flags to override specific settings.\n\n")
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  -config    Path to config.json (auto-detected if not specified)\n")
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  -host      Database host (overrides config.json)\n")
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  -port      Database port (overrides config.json)\n")
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  -user      Database user (overrides config.json)\n")
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  -password  Database password (overrides config.json)\n")
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  -dbname    Database name (overrides config.json)\n")
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "\nUse '%s <command> -h' for more information about a command.\n", os.Args[0])
 	}