diff --git a/detekt-api/build.gradle b/detekt-api/build.gradle
index 23d4336fb..51d8f88a9 100644
--- a/detekt-api/build.gradle
+++ b/detekt-api/build.gradle
@@ -1,22 +1,39 @@
 
 buildscript {
 	ext.kotlin_version = '1.0.4'
+	ext.spek_version = '1.1.18'
 
 	repositories {
 		mavenCentral()
 	}
 	dependencies {
 		classpath "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin:$kotlin_version"
+		classpath 'org.junit.platform:junit-platform-gradle-plugin:1.0.0-M2'
 	}
 }
 
 apply plugin: 'kotlin'
+apply plugin: 'org.junit.platform.gradle.plugin'
 
 repositories {
 	mavenCentral()
+	maven {
+		url "http://dl.bintray.com/jetbrains/spek"
+	}
+}
+
+junitPlatform {
+	engines {
+		include 'spek'
+	}
 }
 
 dependencies {
 	compile "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-stdlib:$kotlin_version"
 	compile "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-compiler:$kotlin_version"
+	compile group: 'org.yaml', name: 'snakeyaml', version: '1.17'
+	testCompile "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-test:$kotlin_version"
+	testCompile "org.jetbrains.spek:spek-api:$spek_version"
+	testRuntime 'org.junit.platform:junit-platform-launcher:1.0.0-M2'
+	testRuntime "org.jetbrains.spek:spek-junit-platform-engine:$spek_version"
 }
diff --git a/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/Config.kt b/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/Config.kt
index 599141d15..0a5883f88 100644
--- a/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/Config.kt
+++ b/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/Config.kt
@@ -1,6 +1,41 @@
 package io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api
 
+import org.yaml.snakeyaml.Yaml
+import java.nio.file.Files
+import java.nio.file.Path
+
 /**
  * @author Artur Bosch
  */
-class Config(val properties: Map<String, Any>)
\ No newline at end of file
+@Suppress("UNCHECKED_CAST")
+class Config private constructor(val properties: Map<String, Any>) {
+
+	fun subConfig(key: String): Config {
+		val subProperties = properties.getOrElse(key) { mapOf<String, Any>() }
+		return Config(subProperties as Map<String, Any>)
+	}
+
+	fun <T : Any> valueOrDefault(key: String, default: () -> T): T {
+		return properties.getOrElse(key) { default() } as T
+	}
+
+	internal class InvalidConfigurationError(msg: String = "Provided configuration file is invalid:" +
+			" Structure must be of type Map<String,Any>!") : RuntimeException(msg)
+
+	companion object {
+		fun load(path: Path): Config {
+			require(Files.exists(path) && path.toString().endsWith("yml"))
+			return Files.newBufferedReader(path).use {
+				val map = Yaml().loadAll(it).iterator().next()
+				if (map is Map<*, *>) {
+					Config(map as Map<String, Any>)
+				} else {
+					throw InvalidConfigurationError()
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		val EMPTY: Config = Config(mapOf())
+	}
+}
+
diff --git a/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/KastVisitor.kt b/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/KastVisitor.kt
index a4a6a4751..abc945d9b 100644
--- a/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/KastVisitor.kt
+++ b/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/KastVisitor.kt
@@ -6,5 +6,4 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.psi.KtTreeVisitorVoid
  * @author artur
  */
 open class KastVisitor : KtTreeVisitorVoid() {
-
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/Rule.kt b/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/Rule.kt
index 2cf00242d..8f4dde433 100644
--- a/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/Rule.kt
+++ b/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/Rule.kt
@@ -20,16 +20,20 @@ abstract class Rule(val id: String, val severity: Severity = Rule.Severity.Minor
 	}
 
 	open fun visit(root: ASTNode) {
+		clearFindings()
 		preVisit(root)
 		root.visit(this)
 		postVisit(root)
 	}
 
+	internal fun clearFindings() {
+		_findings = mutableListOf()
+	}
+
 	protected open fun postVisit(root: ASTNode) {
 	}
 
 	protected open fun preVisit(root: ASTNode) {
-		_findings = mutableListOf()
 	}
 
 	protected fun addFindings(vararg finding: Finding) {
diff --git a/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/RuleSetProvider.kt b/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/RuleSetProvider.kt
index 7ff67bc40..26ede8ba8 100644
--- a/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/RuleSetProvider.kt
+++ b/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/RuleSetProvider.kt
@@ -4,6 +4,5 @@ package io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api
  * @author Artur Bosch
  */
 interface RuleSetProvider {
-
-	fun instance(): RuleSet
+	fun instance(config: Config): RuleSet
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/TokenRule.kt b/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/TokenRule.kt
index e3b130492..85f0822ee 100644
--- a/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/TokenRule.kt
+++ b/detekt-api/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/TokenRule.kt
@@ -5,13 +5,14 @@ import com.intellij.lang.ASTNode
 /**
  * @author Artur Bosch
  */
-abstract class TokenRule(id: String) : Rule(id) {
+abstract class TokenRule(id: String, severity: Severity = Rule.Severity.Minor) : Rule(id, severity) {
 
 	override fun visit(root: ASTNode) {
+		clearFindings()
 		preVisit(root)
 		root.visitTokens { procedure(it) }
 		postVisit(root)
 	}
 
 	abstract fun procedure(node: ASTNode): Unit
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/detekt-api/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/ConfigSpec.kt b/detekt-api/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/ConfigSpec.kt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cabd9b5d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/detekt-api/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/api/ConfigSpec.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+package io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api
+
+import org.jetbrains.spek.api.Spek
+import org.jetbrains.spek.api.dsl.describe
+import org.jetbrains.spek.api.dsl.it
+import java.nio.file.Paths
+import kotlin.test.assertFailsWith
+import kotlin.test.assertTrue
+import kotlin.test.fail
+
+/**
+ * @author Artur Bosch
+ */
+class ConfigSpec : Spek({
+
+	describe("load yaml config") {
+		val configPath = Paths.get(ConfigSpec::class.java.getResource("/detekt.yml").path)
+		val config = Config.load(configPath)
+
+		it("should successfully load map of string to any with size two") {
+			assertTrue { config.properties.size == 2 }
+		}
+
+		it("should create a sub config") {
+			try {
+				val subConfig = config.subConfig("style")
+				assertTrue { subConfig.valueOrDefault("WildcardImport", { mapOf<String, Any>() }).isNotEmpty() }
+				assertTrue { subConfig.valueOrDefault("WildcardImport", { mapOf<String, Any>() })["active"].toString() == "true" }
+				assertTrue { subConfig.valueOrDefault("WildcardImport", { mapOf<String, Any>() })["active"] as Boolean }
+				assertTrue { subConfig.valueOrDefault("NotFound", { mapOf<String, Any>() }).isEmpty() }
+				assertTrue { subConfig.valueOrDefault("NotFound", { "" }) == "" }
+			} catch (ignored: Config.InvalidConfigurationError) {
+				fail("Creating a sub config should work for test resources config!")
+			}
+		}
+
+		it("should create a sub sub config") {
+			try {
+				val subConfig = config.subConfig("style")
+				val subSubConfig = subConfig.subConfig("WildcardImport")
+				assertTrue { subSubConfig.properties["active"] as Boolean }
+				assertTrue { subSubConfig.valueOrDefault("active") { false } }
+				assertTrue { subSubConfig.valueOrDefault("NotFound") { true } }
+			} catch (ignored: Config.InvalidConfigurationError) {
+				fail("Creating a sub config should work for test resources config!")
+			}
+		}
+
+		it("tests wrong sub config conversion") {
+			assertFailsWith<ClassCastException> {
+				@Suppress("UNUSED_VARIABLE")
+				val ignored = config.valueOrDefault("style") { "" }
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+})
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/detekt-api/src/test/resources/detekt.yml b/detekt-api/src/test/resources/detekt.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1125f2fe5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/detekt-api/src/test/resources/detekt.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+code-smell:
+  LongMethod:
+    active: true
+    threshold: 20
+  LongParameterList:
+    active: false
+    threshold: 5
+  LargeClass:
+    active: false
+    threshold: 70
+  InnerMap:
+    Inner1:
+      active: true
+    Inner2:
+      active: true
+
+style:
+  WildcardImport:
+    active: true
+  NoElseInWhenExpression:
+    active: true
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/detekt-cli/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/cli/debug/DebugRuleSetProvider.kt b/detekt-cli/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/cli/debug/DebugRuleSetProvider.kt
index ad60e7422..08f90d9ad 100644
--- a/detekt-cli/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/cli/debug/DebugRuleSetProvider.kt
+++ b/detekt-cli/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/cli/debug/DebugRuleSetProvider.kt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.cli.debug
 
+import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Config
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleSet
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleSetProvider
 
@@ -7,7 +8,7 @@ import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleSetProvider
  * @author Artur Bosch
  */
 object DebugRuleSetProvider : RuleSetProvider {
-	override fun instance(): RuleSet {
+	override fun instance(config: Config): RuleSet {
 		return RuleSet("debug", listOf(
 				ElementPrinter(),
 				TokenPrinter()
diff --git a/detekt-core/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/Detekt.kt b/detekt-core/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/Detekt.kt
index d10c1f06c..067756c02 100644
--- a/detekt-core/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/Detekt.kt
+++ b/detekt-core/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/Detekt.kt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.core
 
+import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Config
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Finding
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleSetProvider
 import java.net.URLClassLoader
@@ -11,6 +12,7 @@ import java.util.ServiceLoader
  * @author Artur Bosch
  */
 class Detekt(project: Path,
+			 val config: Config = Config.EMPTY,
 			 val ruleSets: List<Path> = listOf(),
 			 pathFilters: List<PathFilter> = listOf(),
 			 parallelCompilation: Boolean = false) {
@@ -26,7 +28,7 @@ class Detekt(project: Path,
 		val ktFiles = compiler.compile()
 		val providers = loadProviders()
 		val futures = providers.map {
-			task { it.instance().acceptAll(ktFiles) }
+			task { it.instance(config).acceptAll(ktFiles) }
 		}
 		return awaitAll(futures).toMap()
 	}
diff --git a/detekt-core/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/KT.kt b/detekt-core/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/KT.kt
index 8f62e82b8..43b51c0c6 100644
--- a/detekt-core/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/KT.kt
+++ b/detekt-core/src/test/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/core/KT.kt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.core
 
+import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Config
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleSet
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleSetProvider
 import java.nio.file.Path
@@ -12,13 +13,13 @@ import java.nio.file.Paths
 val path: Path = Paths.get(KtTreeCompilerSpec::class.java.getResource("/cases").path)
 
 class TestProvider : RuleSetProvider {
-	override fun instance(): RuleSet {
+	override fun instance(config: Config): RuleSet {
 		return RuleSet("Test", listOf())
 	}
 }
 
 class TestProvider2 : RuleSetProvider {
-	override fun instance(): RuleSet {
+	override fun instance(config: Config): RuleSet {
 		return RuleSet("Test", listOf())
 	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/detekt-rules/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/providers/CodeSmellProvider.kt b/detekt-rules/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/providers/CodeSmellProvider.kt
index 8dbd15fb4..6c79c17b9 100644
--- a/detekt-rules/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/providers/CodeSmellProvider.kt
+++ b/detekt-rules/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/providers/CodeSmellProvider.kt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.rules.providers
 
+import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Config
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleSet
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleSetProvider
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.rules.LargeClass
@@ -10,7 +11,7 @@ import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.rules.LongParameterList
  * @author Artur Bosch
  */
 class CodeSmellProvider : RuleSetProvider {
-	override fun instance(): RuleSet {
+	override fun instance(config: Config): RuleSet {
 		return RuleSet("code-smell", listOf(
 				LongParameterList(),
 				LongMethod(),
diff --git a/detekt-rules/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/providers/StyleGuideProvider.kt b/detekt-rules/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/providers/StyleGuideProvider.kt
index 08affacd1..7a6720801 100644
--- a/detekt-rules/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/providers/StyleGuideProvider.kt
+++ b/detekt-rules/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/rules/providers/StyleGuideProvider.kt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.rules.providers
 
+import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.Config
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleSet
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.api.RuleSetProvider
 import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.rules.NoElseInWhenExpression
@@ -9,7 +10,7 @@ import io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.rules.WildcardImport
  * @author Artur Bosch
  */
 class StyleGuideProvider : RuleSetProvider {
-	override fun instance(): RuleSet {
+	override fun instance(config: Config): RuleSet {
 		return RuleSet("style", listOf(
 				WildcardImport(),
 				NoElseInWhenExpression()