diff --git a/command/server.go b/command/server.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5c952533e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/server.go
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+package command
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/helper/flag-slice"
+)
+
+// ServerCommand is a Command that starts the Vault server.
+type ServerCommand struct {
+	Meta
+}
+
+func (c *ServerCommand) Run(args []string) int {
+	var configPath []string
+	flags := c.Meta.FlagSet("server", FlagSetDefault)
+	flags.Usage = func() { c.Ui.Error(c.Help()) }
+	flags.Var((*sliceflag.StringFlag)(&configPath), "config", "config")
+	if err := flags.Parse(args); err != nil {
+		return 1
+	}
+
+	// Validation
+	if len(configPath) == 0 {
+		c.Ui.Error("At least one config path must be specified with -config")
+		flags.Usage()
+		return 1
+	}
+
+	// Load the configuration
+
+	return 0
+}
+
+func (c *ServerCommand) Synopsis() string {
+	return "Start a Vault server"
+}
+
+func (c *ServerCommand) Help() string {
+	helpText := `
+Usage: vault server [options]
+
+  Start a Vault server.
+
+  This command starts a Vault server that responds to API requests.
+  Vault will start in a "sealed" state. The Vault must be unsealed
+  with "vault unseal" or the API before this server can respond to requests.
+  This must be done for every server.
+
+  If the server is being started against a storage backend that has
+  brand new (no existing Vault data in it), it must be initialized with
+  "vault init" or the API first.
+
+
+General Options:
+
+  -config=<path>      Path to the configuration file or directory. This can be
+                      specified multiple times. If it is a directory, all
+                      files with a ".hcl" or ".json" suffix will be loaded.
+
+`
+	return strings.TrimSpace(helpText)
+}
diff --git a/command/server/config.go b/command/server/config.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..614aad0f2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/server/config.go
@@ -0,0 +1,265 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/hcl"
+	hclobj "github.com/hashicorp/hcl/hcl"
+)
+
+// Config is the configuration for the vault server.
+type Config struct {
+	Listeners []*Listener
+	Backend   *Backend
+}
+
+// Listener is the listener configuration for the server.
+type Listener struct {
+	Type   string
+	Config map[string]interface{}
+}
+
+func (l *Listener) GoString() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("*%#v", *l)
+}
+
+// Backend is the backend configuration for the server.
+type Backend struct {
+	Type   string
+	Config map[string]interface{}
+}
+
+func (b *Backend) GoString() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("*%#v", *b)
+}
+
+// Merge merges two configurations.
+func (c *Config) Merge(c2 *Config) *Config {
+	result := new(Config)
+	for _, l := range c.Listeners {
+		result.Listeners = append(result.Listeners, l)
+	}
+	for _, l := range c2.Listeners {
+		result.Listeners = append(result.Listeners, l)
+	}
+
+	result.Backend = c.Backend
+	if c2.Backend != nil {
+		result.Backend = c2.Backend
+	}
+
+	return result
+}
+
+// LoadConfigFile loads the configuration from the given file.
+func LoadConfigFile(path string) (*Config, error) {
+	// Read the file
+	d, err := ioutil.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// Parse!
+	obj, err := hcl.Parse(string(d))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// Start building the result
+	var result Config
+	if objs := obj.Get("listener", false); objs != nil {
+		result.Listeners, err = loadListeners(objs)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+	if objs := obj.Get("backend", false); objs != nil {
+		result.Backend, err = loadBackend(objs)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	return &result, nil
+}
+
+// LoadConfigDir loads all the configurations in the given directory
+// in alphabetical order.
+func LoadConfigDir(dir string) (*Config, error) {
+	f, err := os.Open(dir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	fi, err := f.Stat()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if !fi.IsDir() {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf(
+			"configuration path must be a directory: %s",
+			dir)
+	}
+
+	var files []string
+	err = nil
+	for err != io.EOF {
+		var fis []os.FileInfo
+		fis, err = f.Readdir(128)
+		if err != nil && err != io.EOF {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		for _, fi := range fis {
+			// Ignore directories
+			if fi.IsDir() {
+				continue
+			}
+
+			// Only care about files that are valid to load.
+			name := fi.Name()
+			skip := true
+			if strings.HasSuffix(name, ".hcl") {
+				skip = false
+			} else if strings.HasSuffix(name, ".json") {
+				skip = false
+			}
+			if skip || isTemporaryFile(name) {
+				continue
+			}
+
+			path := filepath.Join(dir, name)
+			files = append(files, path)
+		}
+	}
+
+	var result *Config
+	for _, f := range files {
+		config, err := LoadConfigFile(f)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error loading %s: %s", f, err)
+		}
+
+		if result == nil {
+			result = config
+		} else {
+			result = result.Merge(config)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return result, nil
+}
+
+// isTemporaryFile returns true or false depending on whether the
+// provided file name is a temporary file for the following editors:
+// emacs or vim.
+func isTemporaryFile(name string) bool {
+	return strings.HasSuffix(name, "~") || // vim
+		strings.HasPrefix(name, ".#") || // emacs
+		(strings.HasPrefix(name, "#") && strings.HasSuffix(name, "#")) // emacs
+}
+
+func loadListeners(os *hclobj.Object) ([]*Listener, error) {
+	var allNames []*hclobj.Object
+
+	// Really confusing iteration. The key is the false/true parameter
+	// of whether we're expanding or not. We first iterate over all
+	// the "listeners"
+	for _, o1 := range os.Elem(false) {
+		// Iterate expand to get the list of types
+		for _, o2 := range o1.Elem(true) {
+			switch o2.Type {
+			case hclobj.ValueTypeList:
+				// This switch is for JSON, to allow them to do this:
+				//
+				// "tcp": [{ ... }, { ... }]
+				//
+				// To configure multiple listeners of the same type.
+				for _, o3 := range o2.Elem(true) {
+					o3.Key = o2.Key
+					allNames = append(allNames, o3)
+				}
+			case hclobj.ValueTypeObject:
+				// This is for the standard `listener "tcp" { ... }` syntax
+				allNames = append(allNames, o2)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	if len(allNames) == 0 {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	// Now go over all the types and their children in order to get
+	// all of the actual resources.
+	result := make([]*Listener, 0, len(allNames))
+	for _, obj := range allNames {
+		k := obj.Key
+
+		var config map[string]interface{}
+		if err := hcl.DecodeObject(&config, obj); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf(
+				"Error reading config for %s: %s",
+				k,
+				err)
+		}
+
+		result = append(result, &Listener{
+			Type:   k,
+			Config: config,
+		})
+	}
+
+	return result, nil
+}
+
+func loadBackend(os *hclobj.Object) (*Backend, error) {
+	var allNames []*hclobj.Object
+
+	// See loadListeners
+	for _, o1 := range os.Elem(false) {
+		// Iterate expand to get the list of types
+		for _, o2 := range o1.Elem(true) {
+			// Iterate non-expand to get the full list of types
+			for _, o3 := range o2.Elem(false) {
+				allNames = append(allNames, o3)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	if len(allNames) == 0 {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+	if len(allNames) > 1 {
+		keys := make([]string, 0, len(allNames))
+		for _, o := range allNames {
+			keys = append(keys, o.Key)
+		}
+
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf(
+			"Multiple backends declared. Only one is allowed: %v", keys)
+	}
+
+	// Now go over all the types and their children in order to get
+	// all of the actual resources.
+	var result Backend
+	obj := allNames[0]
+	result.Type = obj.Key
+
+	var config map[string]interface{}
+	if err := hcl.DecodeObject(&config, obj); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf(
+			"Error reading config for backend %s: %s",
+			result.Type,
+			err)
+	}
+
+	result.Config = config
+	return &result, nil
+}
diff --git a/command/server/config_test.go b/command/server/config_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4a60ac8b31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/server/config_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestLoadConfigFile(t *testing.T) {
+	config, err := LoadConfigFile("./test-fixtures/config.hcl")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	expected := &Config{
+		Listeners: []*Listener{
+			&Listener{
+				Type: "tcp",
+				Config: map[string]interface{}{
+					"address": "127.0.0.1:443",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+
+		Backend: &Backend{
+			Type: "consul",
+			Config: map[string]interface{}{
+				"foo": "bar",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(config, expected) {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", config)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLoadConfigFile_json(t *testing.T) {
+	config, err := LoadConfigFile("./test-fixtures/config.hcl.json")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	expected := &Config{
+		Listeners: []*Listener{
+			&Listener{
+				Type: "tcp",
+				Config: map[string]interface{}{
+					"address": "127.0.0.1:443",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+
+		Backend: &Backend{
+			Type: "consul",
+			Config: map[string]interface{}{
+				"foo": "bar",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(config, expected) {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", config)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLoadConfigFile_json2(t *testing.T) {
+	config, err := LoadConfigFile("./test-fixtures/config2.hcl.json")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	expected := &Config{
+		Listeners: []*Listener{
+			&Listener{
+				Type: "tcp",
+				Config: map[string]interface{}{
+					"address": "127.0.0.1:443",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+
+		Backend: &Backend{
+			Type: "consul",
+			Config: map[string]interface{}{
+				"foo": "bar",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(config, expected) {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", config)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLoadConfigDir(t *testing.T) {
+	config, err := LoadConfigDir("./test-fixtures/config-dir")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	expected := &Config{
+		Listeners: []*Listener{
+			&Listener{
+				Type: "tcp",
+				Config: map[string]interface{}{
+					"address": "127.0.0.1:443",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+
+		Backend: &Backend{
+			Type: "consul",
+			Config: map[string]interface{}{
+				"foo": "bar",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(config, expected) {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", config)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/command/server/test-fixtures/config-dir/bar.json b/command/server/test-fixtures/config-dir/bar.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3d76653564
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/server/test-fixtures/config-dir/bar.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+    "listener": {
+        "tcp": {
+            "address": "127.0.0.1:443"
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/command/server/test-fixtures/config-dir/foo.hcl b/command/server/test-fixtures/config-dir/foo.hcl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5ab1d72b92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/server/test-fixtures/config-dir/foo.hcl
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+backend "consul" {
+    foo = "bar"
+}
diff --git a/command/server/test-fixtures/config.hcl b/command/server/test-fixtures/config.hcl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..31dcb3e143
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/server/test-fixtures/config.hcl
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+listener "tcp" {
+    address = "127.0.0.1:443"
+}
+
+backend "consul" {
+    foo = "bar"
+}
diff --git a/command/server/test-fixtures/config.hcl.json b/command/server/test-fixtures/config.hcl.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..221e444261
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/server/test-fixtures/config.hcl.json
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+{
+    "listener": {
+        "tcp": {
+            "address": "127.0.0.1:443"
+        }
+    },
+
+    "backend": {
+        "consul": {
+            "foo": "bar"
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/command/server/test-fixtures/config2.hcl.json b/command/server/test-fixtures/config2.hcl.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1478d4f557
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/server/test-fixtures/config2.hcl.json
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+{
+    "listener": {
+        "tcp": [{
+            "address": "127.0.0.1:443"
+        }]
+    },
+
+    "backend": {
+        "consul": {
+            "foo": "bar"
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/commands.go b/commands.go
index ff24e0ab65..341d1c3520 100644
--- a/commands.go
+++ b/commands.go
@@ -48,6 +48,12 @@ func init() {
 			}, nil
 		},
 
+		"server": func() (cli.Command, error) {
+			return &command.ServerCommand{
+				Meta: meta,
+			}, nil
+		},
+
 		"version": func() (cli.Command, error) {
 			ver := Version
 			rel := VersionPrerelease
diff --git a/helper/flag-slice/flag.go b/helper/flag-slice/flag.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..da75149dc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helper/flag-slice/flag.go
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+package sliceflag
+
+import "strings"
+
+// StringFlag implements the flag.Value interface and allows multiple
+// calls to the same variable to append a list.
+type StringFlag []string
+
+func (s *StringFlag) String() string {
+	return strings.Join(*s, ",")
+}
+
+func (s *StringFlag) Set(value string) error {
+	*s = append(*s, value)
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/helper/flag-slice/flag_test.go b/helper/flag-slice/flag_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f72e1d9605
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helper/flag-slice/flag_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+package sliceflag
+
+import (
+	"flag"
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestStringFlag_implements(t *testing.T) {
+	var raw interface{}
+	raw = new(StringFlag)
+	if _, ok := raw.(flag.Value); !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("StringFlag should be a Value")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStringFlagSet(t *testing.T) {
+	sv := new(StringFlag)
+	err := sv.Set("foo")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	err = sv.Set("bar")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	expected := []string{"foo", "bar"}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual([]string(*sv), expected) {
+		t.Fatalf("Bad: %#v", sv)
+	}
+}