diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d772b96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config.go
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+package main
+
+import "encoding/xml"
+
+type Config struct {
+	XMLName  xml.Name  `xml:"config"`
+	SyncRefs []SyncRef `xml:"refs>ref"`
+	Groups   []Group   `xml:"groups>group"`
+}
+
+type Group struct {
+	XMLName  xml.Name `xml:"group"`
+	ID       string   `xml:"id,attr"`
+	Active   bool     `xml:"active,attr"`
+	Contains []string `xml:"contains>refID"`
+}
+
+type SyncRef struct {
+	XMLName  xml.Name `xml:"ref"`
+	ID       string   `xml:"id,attr"`
+	URI      string
+	ReadOnly bool
+	Deletes  bool
+}
diff --git a/config_test.go b/config_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f0043eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"encoding/xml"
+	"net/url"
+	"testing"
+
+	uuid "github.com/satori/go.uuid"
+)
+
+func TestConfig(t *testing.T) {
+
+	u, err := url.Parse("file:///tmp/tmp.xJiSJUcyus")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	so1 := SyncRef{
+		ID:  uuid.NewV4().String(),
+		URI: u.String(),
+	}
+	so2 := SyncRef{
+		ID:  uuid.NewV4().String(),
+		URI: "file:///tmp/tmp.bhSM7oRner",
+	}
+	config := Config{
+		SyncRefs: []SyncRef{
+			so1,
+			so2,
+		},
+		Groups: []Group{
+			Group{
+				ID:       uuid.NewV4().String(),
+				Contains: []string{so1.ID, so2.ID},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	buf, err := xml.MarshalIndent(config, "", "  ")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	newConfig := Config{}
+	if err := xml.Unmarshal(buf, &newConfig); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	for _, group := range newConfig.Groups {
+		for _, contain := range group.Contains {
+			found := false
+			for _, ref := range newConfig.SyncRefs {
+				if ref.ID == contain {
+					found = true
+				}
+			}
+			if !found {
+				t.Errorf("expected all group ref IDs to exist, but %q did not", contain)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}