diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index bc57435..d4b8d90 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -157,6 +157,8 @@ Look at the `examples` directory in the repository or the below details section
 | `RATE_LIMITER_MAX_RETRIES` | Max retries allowed within `RATE_LIMITER_FIND_TIME` | integer | `3` | `5`
 | `RATE_LIMITER_FIND_TIME` | Time in seconds to keep track of login attempts | integer | `120` | `60`
 | `RATE_LIMITER_BAN_TIME` | Time in seconds to ban clients after reaching `RATE_LIMITER_MAX_RETRIES` | integer | `300` | `600`
+| `PASSWD_FILE` | The passwd file location to read for auth requests | string | `/passwd` | `/mnt/nforwardauth_passwd`
+| `DISABLED_USERS` | Deny access for specific users, env variable delimeted by `,` | string | - | `user1,user2`
 
 ## Roadmap
 
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 1253b0d..112a732 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ use hmac::{Hmac, Mac};
 use once_cell::sync::OnceCell;
 use regex::Regex;
 use sha2::Sha256;
+use std::collections::HashSet;
 use std::env;
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -17,6 +18,8 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub rate_limiter_max_retries: u32,
     pub rate_limiter_find_time: u32,
     pub rate_limiter_ban_time: u32,
+    pub passwd_file: String,
+    pub disabled_users: HashSet<String>,
 }
 
 /* Config Singleton Instance and Implementation */
@@ -112,6 +115,20 @@ impl Config {
             Err(..) => 300,
         };
 
+        // passwd_file: The passwd file location to read for auth requests
+        let passwd_file: String = match env::var("PASSWD_FILE") {
+            Ok(value) => value,
+            Err(..) => "/passwd".to_string(),
+        };
+
+        // disabled_users: Deny access for specific users, env variable delimeted by `,`
+        let disabled_users: HashSet<String> = env::var("DISABLED_USERS")
+            .unwrap_or_default()
+            .split(',')
+            .filter(|s| !s.is_empty())
+            .map(|s| s.to_string())
+            .collect();
+
         // Create config instance with initialized values
         let config = Config {
             port,
@@ -125,6 +142,8 @@ impl Config {
             rate_limiter_max_retries,
             rate_limiter_find_time,
             rate_limiter_ban_time,
+            passwd_file,
+            disabled_users,
         };
 
         // Initialize config in instance
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 856e67a..b4d4172 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ static FORWARDED_USER: &str = "X-Forwarded-User";
 // Static file paths
 static INDEX_DOCUMENT: &str = "/public/index.html";
 static LOGOUT_DOCUMENT: &str = "/public/logout.html";
-static PASSWD_FILE: &str = "/passwd";
 
 // HTTP response body content
 static NOT_FOUND: &[u8] = b"Not Found";
@@ -76,10 +75,8 @@ async fn api_forward_auth(
         .unwrap_or(false);
 
     // Get token from request headers and check if cookie exists, otherwise serve login page
-    let user = validate_cookie(headers);
-    if user.is_some() {
+    if let Some(user) = validate_cookie(headers) {
         // User is authenticated via cookie
-        let user = user.unwrap();
         if is_forwarded {
             // AUTHORIZED response on forward
             let mut response = Response::builder().status(StatusCode::OK);
@@ -409,11 +406,17 @@ async fn api_serve_file(filename: &str, status_code: StatusCode) -> Result<Respo
 
 // Verify user credentials against the password file
 async fn authenticate_user(user: &str, password: &str) -> Result<bool> {
-    if let Ok(passwd) = fs::read_to_string(PASSWD_FILE).await {
+    if Config::global().disabled_users.contains(user) {
+        return Ok(false);
+    }
+    if let Ok(passwd) = fs::read_to_string(&Config::global().passwd_file).await {
         for line in passwd.lines() {
-            if let Some((stored_user, stored_hash)) = line.split_once(':') {
-                if stored_user == user && pwhash::unix::verify(password, stored_hash) {
-                    return Ok(true);
+            if let Some((stored_user, stored_hash_rest)) = line.split_once(':') {
+                if stored_user == user {
+                    let stored_hash = stored_hash_rest.split(':').next().unwrap();
+                    if pwhash::unix::verify(password, stored_hash) {
+                        return Ok(true);
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }