diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 945dd2a..3618117 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -134,4 +134,7 @@ dist
 *.d.ts
 .idea
 
+
+# default config file
+config.json
 !src/types/*.d.ts
diff --git a/config.json b/config.json
deleted file mode 100644
index c249049..0000000
--- a/config.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-{
-    "port": "25565",
-    "logLevel": "DEBUG",
-    "shutdownKickReason": "Server closed"
-}
diff --git a/index.ts b/index.ts
index 202543b..1363788 100644
--- a/index.ts
+++ b/index.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-import Config from "./src/Config.js";
+import { Config, ConfigLoader } from "./src/Config.js";
 import Server from "./src/Server.js";
 import LoginSuccessPacket from "./src/packet/server/LoginSuccessPacket.js";
 import Connection from "./src/Connection.js";
 
-const config: Config = await Config.fromFile("config.json");
-
+const config: Config = await ConfigLoader.fromFile("config.json");
 const server = new Server(config);
+
 server.start();
 server.on("listening", (port) => server.logger.info(`Listening on port ${port}`));
 
diff --git a/src/Config.ts b/src/Config.ts
index 27160b6..2c7c35e 100644
--- a/src/Config.ts
+++ b/src/Config.ts
@@ -1,32 +1,82 @@
-import { open } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { open, access, constants, FileHandle } from "node:fs/promises";
 import Logger from "./Logger.js";
 
-export default class Config {
-    public port: number = 25565;
-    public logLevel: Logger.Level = Logger.Level.INFO;
+
+export interface Config {
+    /**
+     * Port to listen on 
+    */
+    port: number;
+
+    /**
+     * The level to display logs at
+     */
+    logLevel: Logger.Level;
 
     /**
      * Kick reason for when the server is shutting down
      */
-    public shutdownKickReason: string = "Server closed";
+    shutdownKickReason: ChatComponent;
+}
 
+export class ConfigLoader {
     /**
      * Get a Config instance from a json file
      * @param file The file to read from
      * @returns a promise that resolves to a Config instance
+     * @throws {Error & {CODE: "EACCESS"}} failed to read config
+     * @throws {SyntaxError} failed to parse config
      */
     public static async fromFile(file: string): Promise<Config> {
-        let config: Config;
+        if (!(await ConfigLoader.exists(file))) {
+            await ConfigLoader.createDefault(file);
+            const config = ConfigLoader.getDefault();
+            new Logger("Config", config.logLevel).warn("Config does not exist, creating default '%s'", file);
+            return config;
+        }
+        const fd: FileHandle = await open(file, "r");
+        const data: string = await fd.readFile("utf-8");
+        fd.close();
+
+        return JSON.parse(data) as Config;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get a default config instance
+     * @returns a default config instance
+     */
+    public static getDefault(): Config {
+        return {
+            port: 25565,
+            logLevel: Logger.Level.INFO,
+            shutdownKickReason: {
+                text: "Server closed"
+            }
+        };
+
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Checks if a config exists
+     * @param file The file to check
+     * @returns a promise that resolves to a boolean
+     */
+    public static async exists(file: string): Promise<boolean> {
         try {
-            const fd = await open(file, "r");
-            const data = await fd.readFile("utf-8");
-            config = JSON.parse(data) as Config;
-            fd.close();
+            await access(file, constants.F_OK);
+            return true;
         } catch {
-            config = new Config();
-            new Logger("Config", config.logLevel).error("Failed to read config file, using default config");
+            return false;
         }
-        return config;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Create the default config file
+     */
+    public static async createDefault(file: string): Promise<void> {
+        const fd = await open(file, "w");
+        await fd.writeFile(JSON.stringify(ConfigLoader.getDefault(), null, 4));
+        fd.close();
+    }
 }
+
diff --git a/src/ConnectionPool.ts b/src/ConnectionPool.ts
index ae361e3..753c04b 100644
--- a/src/ConnectionPool.ts
+++ b/src/ConnectionPool.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export default class ConnectionPool {
      * @param [reason] The reason for the disconnect
      * @returns Whether all connections disconnected successfully
      */
-    public async disconnectAll (reason?: string): Promise<boolean> {
+    public async disconnectAll (reason?: string | ChatComponent): Promise<boolean> {
         const promises: Promise<boolean>[] = [];
         for (const connection of this.connections)
             promises.push(this.disconnect(connection.id, reason));
@@ -40,18 +40,19 @@ export default class ConnectionPool {
      * @param [reason] The reason for the disconnect
      * @returns Whether the connection was found and disconnected
      */
-    public async disconnect(id: string, reason?: string): Promise<boolean> {
+    public async disconnect(id: string, reason?: string | ChatComponent): Promise<boolean> {
         const connection = this.get(id);
         if (!connection) return false;
         const index = this.connections.indexOf(connection);
         if (index === -1) return false;
+        const message = typeof reason === "string" ? {text: reason} : reason!;
         if (reason) switch (connection.state) {
             case Connection.State.LOGIN: {
-                await new DisconnectLoginPacket({text: reason}).send(connection);
+                await new DisconnectLoginPacket(message).send(connection);
                 break;
             }
             case Connection.State.PLAY: {
-                await new DisconnectPlayPacket({text: reason}).send(connection);
+                await new DisconnectPlayPacket(message).send(connection);
                 break;
             }
             default: {
diff --git a/src/Server.ts b/src/Server.ts
index 27badf1..4ab6348 100644
--- a/src/Server.ts
+++ b/src/Server.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import * as net from "node:net";
 import EventEmitter from "node:events";
 import path from "node:path";
 import Packet from "./Packet.js";
-import Config from "./Config.js";
 import Logger from "./Logger.js";
 import {TypedClientPacket} from "./types/TypedPacket";
 import TypedEventEmitter from "./types/TypedEventEmitter";
@@ -10,6 +9,7 @@ import ConnectionPool from "./ConnectionPool.js";
 import Connection from "./Connection.js";
 import HandshakePacket from "./packet/client/HandshakePacket";
 import LoginPacket from "./packet/client/LoginPacket";
+import { Config } from "./Config.js";
 
 type ServerEvents = {
     /**