diff --git a/Xext/namespace/config.c b/Xext/namespace/config.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..424b9c1f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Xext/namespace/config.c
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+#include <dix-config.h>
+
+#include <string.h>
+#include <X11/Xdefs.h>
+
+#include "namespace.h"
+
+struct Xnamespace ns_root = {
+    .builtin = TRUE,
+    .name = NS_NAME_ROOT,
+    .refcnt = 1,
+    .superPower = TRUE,
+};
+
+struct Xnamespace ns_anon = {
+    .builtin = TRUE,
+    .name = NS_NAME_ANONYMOUS,
+    .refcnt = 1,
+};
+
+struct xorg_list ns_list = { 0 };
+
+Bool XnsLoadConfig(void)
+{
+    xorg_list_init(&ns_list);
+    xorg_list_add(&ns_root.entry, &ns_list);
+    xorg_list_add(&ns_anon.entry, &ns_list);
+
+    return TRUE;
+}
+
+struct Xnamespace *XnsFindByName(const char* name) {
+    struct Xnamespace *walk;
+    xorg_list_for_each_entry(walk, &ns_list, entry) {
+        if (strcmp(walk->name, name)==0)
+            return walk;
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
diff --git a/Xext/namespace/meson.build b/Xext/namespace/meson.build
index f8ce18fe8..78dd9f1cb 100644
--- a/Xext/namespace/meson.build
+++ b/Xext/namespace/meson.build
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 libxserver_namespace = static_library(
 	'libxserver_namespace',
 	[
+		'config.c',
 		'namespace.c',
 	],
 	include_directories: inc,
diff --git a/Xext/namespace/namespace.c b/Xext/namespace/namespace.c
index 21fe72e88..82c4db3db 100644
--- a/Xext/namespace/namespace.c
+++ b/Xext/namespace/namespace.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include <dix-config.h>
 
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include <X11/Xmd.h>
 
 #include "include/extinit_priv.h"
@@ -13,4 +14,10 @@ void
 NamespaceExtensionInit(void)
 {
     XNS_LOG("initializing namespace extension ...\n");
+
+    /* load configuration */
+    if (!XnsLoadConfig()) {
+        XNS_LOG("No config file. disabling Xns extension\n");
+        return;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/Xext/namespace/namespace.h b/Xext/namespace/namespace.h
index 96a307bb4..8100ad139 100644
--- a/Xext/namespace/namespace.h
+++ b/Xext/namespace/namespace.h
@@ -4,6 +4,27 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <X11/Xmd.h>
 
+#include "include/list.h"
+#include "include/window.h"
+
+struct Xnamespace {
+    struct xorg_list entry;
+    const char *name;
+    Bool builtin;
+    Bool superPower;
+    size_t refcnt;
+};
+
+extern struct xorg_list ns_list;
+extern struct Xnamespace ns_root;
+extern struct Xnamespace ns_anon;
+
+#define NS_NAME_ROOT      "root"
+#define NS_NAME_ANONYMOUS "anon"
+
+Bool XnsLoadConfig(void);
+struct Xnamespace *XnsFindByName(const char* name);
+
 #define XNS_LOG(...) do { printf("XNS "); printf(__VA_ARGS__); } while (0)
 
 static inline Bool streq(const char *a, const char *b)