diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e920c16..3b60b19 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -31,3 +31,7 @@ node_modules
 
 # Optional REPL history
 .node_repl_history
+
+# npm manifestation of the manifest
+# https://docs.npmjs.com/files/package-lock.json
+package-lock.json
diff --git a/config.js b/config.js
index 417a8d5..1697340 100644
--- a/config.js
+++ b/config.js
@@ -54,8 +54,12 @@ Config.prototype.getDir = function (name, opts, done) {
 };
 
 function merge_config (defaults, overrides, type) {
-    if (type === 'ini' || type === 'json' || type === 'yaml') {
-        return merge_struct(JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(defaults)), overrides);
+    switch (type) {
+        case 'ini':
+        case 'hjson':
+        case 'json':
+        case 'yaml':
+            return merge_struct(JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(defaults)), overrides);
     }
 
     if (Array.isArray(overrides) && Array.isArray(defaults) &&
@@ -113,7 +117,7 @@ Config.prototype.arrange_args = function (args) {
                 options = args[i];
                 break;
             case 'string':
-                if (/^(ini|value|list|data|json|yaml|binary)$/.test(args[i])) {
+                if (/^(ini|value|list|data|h?json|yaml|binary)$/.test(args[i])) {
                     fs_type = args[i];
                     break;
                 }
@@ -125,7 +129,8 @@ Config.prototype.arrange_args = function (args) {
     }
 
     if (!fs_type) {
-        if (/\.json$/.test(fs_name))      fs_type = 'json';
+        if (/\.hjson$/.test(fs_name))     fs_type = 'hjson';
+        else if (/\.json$/.test(fs_name)) fs_type = 'json';
         else if (/\.yaml$/.test(fs_name)) fs_type = 'yaml';
         else if (/\.ini$/.test(fs_name))  fs_type = 'ini';
         else                              fs_type = 'value';
diff --git a/configfile.js b/configfile.js
index 05836a7..0f17275 100644
--- a/configfile.js
+++ b/configfile.js
@@ -337,18 +337,18 @@ cfreader.load_config = function (name, type, options) {
     let cfrType = cfreader.get_filetype_reader(type);
 
     if (!fs.existsSync(name)) {
-
-        if (!/\.json$/.test(name)) {
+        if (!/\.h?json$/.test(name)) {
             return cfrType.empty(options, type);
         }
 
-        const yaml_name = name.replace(/\.json$/, '.yaml');
+        const yaml_name = name.replace(/\.h?json$/, '.yaml');
         if (!fs.existsSync(yaml_name)) {
             return cfrType.empty(options, type);
         }
 
         name = yaml_name;
         type = 'yaml';
+
         cfrType = cfreader.get_filetype_reader(type);
     }
 
@@ -358,6 +358,7 @@ cfreader.load_config = function (name, type, options) {
             case 'ini':
                 result = cfrType.load(name, options, regex);
                 break;
+            case 'hjson':
             case 'json':
             case 'yaml':
                 result = cfrType.load(name);
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 5c4b5f9..434075b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "js-yaml": "^3.5.3"
   },
-  "optionalDependencies": {},
+  "optionalDependencies": {
+    "hjson": "^3.1.0"
+  },
   "devDependencies": {
     "eslint": "*",
     "eslint-plugin-haraka": "*",
diff --git a/readers/hjson.js b/readers/hjson.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f638781
--- /dev/null
+++ b/readers/hjson.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const fs = require('fs');
+const hjson = require('hjson');
+
+exports.load = function (name) {
+    return hjson.parse(fs.readFileSync(name, "utf8"));
+};
+
+exports.empty = function () {
+    return {};
+};
diff --git a/test/config.js b/test/config.js
index e69ce3b..dc470ad 100644
--- a/test/config.js
+++ b/test/config.js
@@ -157,6 +157,14 @@ exports.arrange_args = {
         test.done();
     },
     // config.get('name', type, cb, options);
+    'name, hjson type, callback, options' : function (test) {
+        test.expect(1);
+        test.deepEqual(
+            this.config.arrange_args(['test.ini','hjson',cb, opts]),
+            ['test.ini', 'hjson', cb, opts]);
+        test.done();
+    },
+    // config.get('name', type, cb, options);
     'name, json type, callback, options' : function (test) {
         test.expect(1);
         test.deepEqual(
@@ -174,6 +182,15 @@ exports.arrange_args = {
     },
 };
 
+const hjsonRes = {
+    matt: 'waz here and also made comments',
+    differentArray: [ 'has element #1', 'has element #2' ],
+    object: {
+        'has a property one': 'with a value A',
+        'has a property two': 'with a value B'
+    }
+};
+
 const jsonRes = {
     matt: 'waz here',
     array: [ 'has an element' ],
@@ -296,6 +313,15 @@ exports.get = {
             ['line1', 'line2','line3', '', 'line5'] );
     },
 
+    // config.get('test.hjson');
+    'test.hjson, type=' : function (test) {
+        _test_get(test, 'test.hjson', null, null, null, hjsonRes);
+    },
+    // config.get('test.hjson', 'hjson');
+    'test.hjson, type=hjson' : function (test) {
+        _test_get(test, 'test.hjson', 'hjson', null, null, hjsonRes);
+    },
+
     // config.get('test.json');
     'test.json, type=' : function (test) {
         _test_get(test, 'test.json', null, null, null, jsonRes);
@@ -313,6 +339,10 @@ exports.get = {
     'test.yaml, type=yaml' : function (test) {
         _test_get(test, 'test.yaml', 'yaml', null, null, yamlRes);
     },
+    // config.get('missing2.hjson');
+    'missing2.yaml, asked for hjson' : function (test) {
+        _test_get(test, 'missing2.hjson', 'hjson', null, null, {"matt": "waz here - hjson type"});
+    },
     // config.get('missing.json');
     'missing.yaml, asked for json' : function (test) {
         _test_get(test, 'missing.json', 'json', null, null, {"matt": "waz here"});
@@ -438,6 +468,30 @@ exports.getDir = {
     }
 }
 
+exports.hjsonOverrides = {
+    'setUp' : setUp,
+    'no override for smtpgreeting': function (test) {
+        test.expect(1);
+        // console.log(this.config);
+        test.deepEqual(
+            this.config.get('smtpgreeting', 'list'),
+            []
+        );
+        test.done();
+    },
+    'with smtpgreeting override': function (test) {
+        test.expect(1);
+        process.env.WITHOUT_CONFIG_CACHE='';
+        const main = this.config.get('main.hjson');
+        console.log(main);
+        test.deepEqual(
+            this.config.get('smtpgreeting', 'list'),
+            [ 'this is line one for hjson', 'this is line two for hjson' ]
+        );
+        test.done();
+    }
+}
+
 exports.jsonOverrides = {
     'setUp' : setUp,
     'no override for smtpgreeting': function (test) {
@@ -460,4 +514,4 @@ exports.jsonOverrides = {
         );
         test.done();
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/test/config/main.hjson b/test/config/main.hjson
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..02a9221
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/config/main.hjson
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+	# specify smtp greeting (because comments are helpful!)
+    "!smtpgreeting":
+    [
+		# yes, commas are optional!
+    	"this is line one for hjson"
+    	"this is line two for hjson"
+    ]
+	// prefer c-style comments?
+	/* feeling old fashioned? */
+}
diff --git a/test/config/missing2.yaml b/test/config/missing2.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a088f48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/config/missing2.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+matt: "waz here - hjson type"
+...
diff --git a/test/config/override2.yaml b/test/config/override2.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b8be68b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/config/override2.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+hasDifferent:
+  value: false
diff --git a/test/config/test.hjson b/test/config/test.hjson
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b123867
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/config/test.hjson
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+{
+	// sign matt (because comments are helpful!)
+	"matt": "waz here and also made comments",
+
+	// fill in this array
+	"differentArray": [
+		"has element #1",
+		'has element #2'
+	]
+	# best of all
+	# yes, commas are optional!
+
+	/* feeling old fashioned? */
+	"object": {
+		// prefer c-style comments?
+		"has a property one": 'with a value A',
+        'has a property two': with a value B
+	}
+}
diff --git a/test/configfile.js b/test/configfile.js
index 4ddda4b..cb9afbd 100644
--- a/test/configfile.js
+++ b/test/configfile.js
@@ -174,6 +174,13 @@ exports.get_filetype_reader  = {
         test.equal(typeof reader.empty, 'function');
         test.done();
     },
+    'hjson': function (test) {
+        test.expect(2);
+        const reader = this.cfreader.get_filetype_reader('hjson');
+        test.equal(typeof reader.load, 'function');
+        test.equal(typeof reader.empty, 'function');
+        test.done();
+    },
     'json': function (test) {
         test.expect(2);
         const reader = this.cfreader.get_filetype_reader('json');
@@ -221,6 +228,14 @@ exports.get_filetype_reader  = {
 exports.non_existing = {
     setUp: _setUp,
 
+    'empty object for HJSON files': function (test) {
+        test.expect(1);
+        const result = this.cfreader.load_config(
+            'test/config/non-existent.hjson'
+        );
+        test.deepEqual(result, {});
+        test.done();
+    },
     'empty object for JSON files': function (test) {
         test.expect(1);
         const result = this.cfreader.load_config(
@@ -388,6 +403,13 @@ exports.bad_config = {
 
 exports.overrides = {
     setUp: _setUp,
+    'missing hjson loads yaml instead' : function (test) {
+        test.expect(1);
+        test.deepEqual(
+            this.cfreader.load_config('test/config/override2.hjson'),
+            { hasDifferent: { value: false } });
+        test.done();
+    },
     'missing json loads yaml instead' : function (test) {
         test.expect(1);
         test.deepEqual(
@@ -423,4 +445,4 @@ exports.get_path_to_config_dir = {
         test.ok(/haraka-config$/.test(this.cfreader.config_path), this.cfreader.config_path);
         test.done();
     },
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/test/readers/hjson.js b/test/readers/hjson.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..66ba1cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/readers/hjson.js
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const _set_up = function (done) {
+    this.hjson = require('../../readers/hjson');
+    done();
+};
+
+exports.load = {
+    setUp : _set_up,
+    'module is required' : function (test) {
+        test.expect(1);
+        test.ok(this.hjson);
+        test.done();
+    },
+    'has a load function': function (test) {
+        test.expect(1);
+        test.ok(typeof this.hjson.load === 'function');
+        test.done();
+    },
+    'loads the test HJSON file': function (test) {
+        test.expect(4);
+        const result = this.hjson.load('test/config/test.hjson');
+        // console.log(result);
+        test.equal(result.matt, 'waz here and also made comments');
+        test.ok(result.differentArray.length);
+        test.ok(result.object['has a property one']);
+        test.ok(result.object['has a property two']);
+        test.done();
+    },
+};