diff --git a/src/config/mod.rs b/src/config/mod.rs
index 3a203e1..d2a73a7 100644
--- a/src/config/mod.rs
+++ b/src/config/mod.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use serde::Deserialize;
 
 pub mod limits;
+mod xml;
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "lowercase")]
@@ -8,3 +9,15 @@ pub enum BusType {
     Session,
     System,
 }
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "snake_case")]
+pub enum MessageType {
+    #[default]
+    #[serde(rename = "*")]
+    Any,
+    MethodCall,
+    MethodReturn,
+    Signal,
+    Error,
+}
diff --git a/src/config/xml.rs b/src/config/xml.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..89e7fd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/config/xml.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,343 @@
+use std::{
+    env::current_dir,
+    ffi::OsString,
+    fs::{read_dir, read_to_string},
+    path::{Path, PathBuf},
+    str::FromStr,
+};
+
+use anyhow::{Error, Result};
+use serde::Deserialize;
+use tracing::{error, warn};
+
+use super::{BusType, MessageType};
+
+/// The bus configuration.
+///
+/// This is currently only loaded from the [XML configuration files] defined by the specification.
+/// We plan to add support for other formats (e.g JSON) in the future.
+///
+/// [XML configuration files]: https://dbus.freedesktop.org/doc/dbus-daemon.1.html#configuration_file
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
+pub struct Document {
+    #[serde(rename = "$value", default)]
+    pub busconfig: Vec<Element>,
+    file_path: Option<PathBuf>,
+}
+
+impl FromStr for Document {
+    type Err = Error;
+
+    fn from_str(s: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Err> {
+        quick_xml::de::from_str(s).map_err(Error::msg)
+    }
+}
+
+impl Document {
+    pub fn read_file(file_path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Result<Document> {
+        let text = read_to_string(file_path.as_ref())?;
+
+        let mut doc = Document::from_str(&text)?;
+        doc.file_path = Some(file_path.as_ref().to_path_buf());
+        doc.resolve_includedirs()?.resolve_includes()
+    }
+
+    fn resolve_includedirs(self) -> Result<Document> {
+        let base_path = self.base_path()?;
+        let Document {
+            busconfig,
+            file_path,
+        } = self;
+
+        let mut doc = Document {
+            busconfig: vec![],
+            file_path: None,
+        };
+
+        for el in busconfig {
+            match el {
+                Element::Includedir(dir_path) => {
+                    let dir_path = resolve_include_path(&base_path, &dir_path);
+                    let dir_path = match dir_path.canonicalize() {
+                        Ok(ok) => ok,
+                        // we treat `<includedir>` as though it has `ignore_missing="yes"`
+                        Err(err) => {
+                            warn!(
+                                "should canonicalize directory path '{}': {:?}",
+                                &dir_path.display(),
+                                err
+                            );
+                            continue;
+                        }
+                    };
+                    match read_dir(&dir_path) {
+                        Ok(ok) => {
+                            for entry in ok {
+                                let path = entry?.path();
+                                if path.extension() == Some(&OsString::from("conf"))
+                                    && path.is_file()
+                                {
+                                    doc.busconfig.push(Element::Include(IncludeElement {
+                                        file_path: path,
+                                        ..Default::default()
+                                    }));
+                                }
+                            }
+                        }
+                        // we treat `<includedir>` as though it has `ignore_missing="yes"`
+                        Err(err) => {
+                            warn!("should read directory '{}': {:?}", &dir_path.display(), err);
+                            continue;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                _ => doc.busconfig.push(el),
+            }
+        }
+
+        doc.file_path = file_path;
+        Ok(doc)
+    }
+
+    fn resolve_includes(self) -> Result<Document> {
+        // TODO: implement protection against circular `<include>` references
+        let base_path = self.base_path()?;
+        let Document {
+            busconfig,
+            file_path,
+        } = self;
+
+        let mut doc = Document {
+            busconfig: vec![],
+            file_path: None,
+        };
+
+        for el in busconfig {
+            match el {
+                Element::Include(include) => {
+                    if include.if_selinux_enable == IncludeOption::Yes
+                        || include.selinux_root_relative == IncludeOption::Yes
+                    {
+                        // TODO: implement SELinux support
+                        continue;
+                    }
+
+                    let ignore_missing = include.ignore_missing == IncludeOption::Yes;
+                    let file_path = resolve_include_path(&base_path, &include.file_path);
+                    let file_path = match file_path.canonicalize().map_err(Error::msg) {
+                        Ok(ok) => ok,
+                        Err(err) => {
+                            let msg = format!(
+                                "should canonicalize file path '{}': {:?}",
+                                &file_path.display(),
+                                err
+                            );
+                            if ignore_missing {
+                                warn!(msg);
+                                continue;
+                            }
+                            error!(msg);
+                            return Err(err);
+                        }
+                    };
+                    let mut included = match Document::read_file(&file_path) {
+                        Ok(ok) => ok,
+                        Err(err) => {
+                            let msg = format!(
+                                "'{}' should contain valid XML",
+                                include.file_path.display()
+                            );
+                            if ignore_missing {
+                                warn!(msg);
+                                continue;
+                            }
+                            error!(msg);
+                            return Err(err);
+                        }
+                    };
+                    doc.busconfig.append(&mut included.busconfig);
+                }
+                _ => doc.busconfig.push(el),
+            }
+        }
+
+        doc.file_path = file_path;
+        Ok(doc)
+    }
+
+    fn base_path(&self) -> Result<PathBuf> {
+        match &self.file_path {
+            Some(some) => Ok(some
+                .parent()
+                .ok_or_else(|| Error::msg("`<include>` path should contain a file name"))?
+                .to_path_buf()),
+            None => {
+                warn!("ad-hoc document with unknown file path, using current working directory");
+                current_dir().map_err(Error::msg)
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "snake_case")]
+pub enum Element {
+    AllowAnonymous,
+    Auth(String),
+    Fork,
+    /// Include a file at this point. If the filename is relative, it is located relative to the
+    /// configuration file doing the including.
+    Include(IncludeElement),
+    /// Files in the directory are included in undefined order.
+    /// Only files ending in ".conf" are included.
+    Includedir(PathBuf),
+    KeepUmask,
+    Listen(String),
+    Limit,
+    Pidfile(PathBuf),
+    Policy(PolicyElement),
+    Servicedir(PathBuf),
+    Servicehelper(PathBuf),
+    /// Requests a standard set of session service directories.
+    /// Its effect is similar to specifying a series of <servicedir/> elements for each of the data
+    /// directories, in the order given here.
+    StandardSessionServicedirs,
+    /// Specifies the standard system-wide activation directories that should be searched for
+    /// service files.
+    StandardSystemServicedirs,
+    Syslog,
+    Type(TypeElement),
+    User(String),
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
+pub struct IncludeElement {
+    #[serde(default, rename = "@ignore_missing")]
+    ignore_missing: IncludeOption,
+
+    // TODO: implement SELinux
+    #[serde(default, rename = "@if_selinux_enabled")]
+    if_selinux_enable: IncludeOption,
+    #[serde(default, rename = "@selinux_root_relative")]
+    selinux_root_relative: IncludeOption,
+
+    #[serde(rename = "$value")]
+    file_path: PathBuf,
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "lowercase")]
+pub enum IncludeOption {
+    #[default]
+    No,
+    Yes,
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "snake_case")]
+pub enum PolicyContext {
+    Default,
+    Mandatory,
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
+pub struct PolicyElement {
+    #[serde(rename = "@at_console")]
+    pub at_console: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(rename = "@context")]
+    pub context: Option<PolicyContext>,
+    #[serde(rename = "@group")]
+    pub group: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(rename = "$value", default)]
+    pub rules: Vec<RuleElement>,
+    #[serde(rename = "@user")]
+    pub user: Option<String>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
+pub struct RuleAttributes {
+    #[serde(rename = "@max_fds")]
+    pub max_fds: Option<u32>,
+    #[serde(rename = "@min_fds")]
+    pub min_fds: Option<u32>,
+
+    #[serde(rename = "@receive_error")]
+    pub receive_error: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(rename = "@receive_interface")]
+    pub receive_interface: Option<String>,
+    /// deprecated and ignored
+    #[serde(rename = "@receive_member")]
+    pub receive_member: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(rename = "@receive_path")]
+    pub receive_path: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(rename = "@receive_sender")]
+    pub receive_sender: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(rename = "@receive_type")]
+    pub receive_type: Option<MessageType>,
+
+    #[serde(rename = "@send_broadcast")]
+    pub send_broadcast: Option<bool>,
+    #[serde(rename = "@send_destination")]
+    pub send_destination: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(rename = "@send_destination_prefix")]
+    pub send_destination_prefix: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(rename = "@send_error")]
+    pub send_error: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(rename = "@send_interface")]
+    pub send_interface: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(rename = "@send_member")]
+    pub send_member: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(rename = "@send_path")]
+    pub send_path: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(rename = "@send_type")]
+    pub send_type: Option<MessageType>,
+
+    /// deprecated and ignored
+    #[serde(rename = "@receive_requested_reply")]
+    pub receive_requested_reply: Option<bool>,
+    /// deprecated and ignored
+    #[serde(rename = "@send_requested_reply")]
+    pub send_requested_reply: Option<bool>,
+
+    /// deprecated and ignored
+    #[serde(rename = "@eavesdrop")]
+    pub eavesdrop: Option<bool>,
+
+    #[serde(rename = "@own")]
+    pub own: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(rename = "@own_prefix")]
+    pub own_prefix: Option<String>,
+
+    #[serde(rename = "@group")]
+    pub group: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(rename = "@user")]
+    pub user: Option<String>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "snake_case")]
+pub enum RuleElement {
+    Allow(RuleAttributes),
+    Deny(RuleAttributes),
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
+pub struct TypeElement {
+    #[serde(rename = "$text")]
+    pub r#type: BusType,
+}
+
+fn resolve_include_path(base_path: impl AsRef<Path>, include_path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> PathBuf {
+    let p = include_path.as_ref();
+    if p.is_absolute() {
+        return p.to_path_buf();
+    }
+
+    error!(
+        "resolve_include_path: {} {}",
+        &base_path.as_ref().display(),
+        &include_path.as_ref().display()
+    );
+
+    base_path.as_ref().join(p)
+}