diff --git a/api.lua b/api.lua
index 3b8d7fd..cb25ff9 100644
--- a/api.lua
+++ b/api.lua
@@ -80,4 +80,11 @@ mez.options = {
 	}
 }
 
+---------------- Keybinds ----------------
+mez.add_keybind("modifier", "keycode", function()
+  -- callback
+end, {
+    -- additional options
+})
+
 -- Virtual terminal switching
diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index afb4a2a..ff1f01c 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 const std = @import("std");
+const builtin = @import("builtin");
 
 const Scanner = @import("wayland").Scanner;
 
@@ -6,6 +7,13 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
   const target = b.standardTargetOptions(.{});
   const optimize = b.standardOptimizeOption(.{});
 
+  // TODO: this will probably change based on the install paths, make this a var
+  // that can be passed at comptime?
+  const runtime_path_prefix = switch (builtin.mode) {
+    .Debug => "runtime/",
+    else => "/usr/share",
+  };
+
   // If instead your goal is to create an executable, consider if users might
   // be interested in also being able to embed the core functionality of your
   // program in their own executable in order to avoid the overhead involved in
@@ -33,6 +41,7 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
   const xkbcommon = b.dependency("xkbcommon", .{}).module("xkbcommon");
   const pixman = b.dependency("pixman", .{}).module("pixman");
   const wlroots = b.dependency("wlroots", .{}).module("wlroots");
+  const zlua = b.dependency("zlua", .{}).module("zlua");
 
   wlroots.addImport("wayland", wayland);
   wlroots.addImport("xkbcommon", xkbcommon);
@@ -55,11 +64,16 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
   mez.root_module.addImport("wayland", wayland);
   mez.root_module.addImport("xkbcommon", xkbcommon);
   mez.root_module.addImport("wlroots", wlroots);
+  mez.root_module.addImport("zlua", zlua);
 
   mez.linkSystemLibrary("wayland-server");
   mez.linkSystemLibrary("xkbcommon");
   mez.linkSystemLibrary("pixman-1");
 
+  const options = b.addOptions();
+  options.addOption([]const u8, "runtime_path_prefix", runtime_path_prefix);
+  mez.root_module.addOptions("config", options);
+
   b.installArtifact(mez);
 
   const run_step = b.step("run", "Run the app");
diff --git a/build.zig.zon b/build.zig.zon
index 9715c07..6424066 100644
--- a/build.zig.zon
+++ b/build.zig.zon
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@
             .url = "https://codeberg.org/ifreund/zig-wlroots/archive/v0.19.3.tar.gz",
             .hash = "wlroots-0.19.3-jmOlcuL_AwBHhLCwpFsXbTizE3q9BugFmGX-XIxqcPMc",
         },
+        .zlua = .{
+            .url = "git+https://github.com/natecraddock/ziglua#39f8df588d0864070deffa308ef575bf492777a0",
+            .hash = "zlua-0.1.0-hGRpC6E9BQDBGKPqzmCRsI6Xd8jH9KohccmX69-L6HyS",
+        },
     },
     .paths = .{
         "build.zig",
diff --git a/runtime/share/mezzaluna/init.lua b/runtime/share/mezzaluna/init.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f11c827
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/share/mezzaluna/init.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+local env_conf = os.getenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME")
+if not env_conf then
+  env_conf = os.getenv("HOME")
+  if not env_conf then
+    error("Couldn't determine potential config directory is $HOME set?")
+  end
+  env_conf = mez.fs.joinpath(env_conf, ".config")
+end
+
+mez.path.config = mez.fs.joinpath(env_conf, "mez", "init.lua")
+package.path = package.path..";"..mez.fs.joinpath(env_conf, "mez", "lua", "?.lua")
+
+-- this is an example
+-- mez.api.add_keymap("ctrl", "a", function()
+--   print("hello from my keymap")
+-- end)
diff --git a/src/keyboard.zig b/src/keyboard.zig
index c3a6e2c..c2af9ea 100644
--- a/src/keyboard.zig
+++ b/src/keyboard.zig
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const Keyboard = @This();
 const std = @import("std");
 const gpa = std.heap.c_allocator;
 const server = &@import("main.zig").server;
+const Keymap = @import("keymap.zig");
 
 const wl = @import("wayland").server.wl;
 const wlr = @import("wlroots");
@@ -76,17 +77,17 @@ fn handleModifiers(_: *wl.Listener(*wlr.Keyboard), wlr_keyboard: *wlr.Keyboard)
 
 fn handleKey(_: *wl.Listener(*wlr.Keyboard.event.Key), event: *wlr.Keyboard.event.Key) void {
   // Translate libinput keycode -> xkbcommon
-  // const keycode = event.keycode + 8;
+  const keycode = event.keycode + 8;
 
-  // TODO: lua handle keybinds here
-  const handled = false;
-  if (server.keyboard.wlr_keyboard.getModifiers().alt and event.state == .pressed) {
-    // for (wlr_keyboard.xkb_state.?.keyGetSyms(keycode)) |sym| {
-    //   if (keyboard.server.handleKeybind(sym)) {
-    //     handled = true;
-    //     break;
-    //   }
-    // }
+  var handled = false;
+  const modifiers = server.keyboard.wlr_keyboard.getModifiers();
+  for (server.keyboard.wlr_keyboard.xkb_state.?.keyGetSyms(keycode)) |sym| {
+    if (server.keymaps.get(Keymap.hash(modifiers, sym))) |map| {
+      if (event.state == .pressed and !map.options.on_release) {
+        map.callback();
+        handled = true;
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   if (!handled) {
diff --git a/src/keymap.zig b/src/keymap.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c6363d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/keymap.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+//! This is a simple way to define a keymap. To keep hashing consistent the
+//! hash is generated here.
+const Keymap = @This();
+
+const std = @import("std");
+
+const xkb = @import("xkbcommon");
+const wlr = @import("wlroots");
+const zlua = @import("zlua");
+
+const Lua = &@import("main.zig").lua;
+
+modifier: wlr.Keyboard.ModifierMask,
+keycode: xkb.Keysym,
+/// This is the location of the lua function in the lua registry
+lua_ref_idx: i32,
+options: struct {
+  /// if false the callback is called on press
+  on_release: bool,
+},
+
+pub fn callback(self: *const Keymap) void {
+  const t = Lua.state.rawGetIndex(zlua.registry_index, self.lua_ref_idx);
+  if (t != zlua.LuaType.function) {
+    std.log.err("Failed to call keybind, it doesn't have a callback.", .{});
+    return;
+  }
+  Lua.state.pushValue(1);
+  Lua.state.call(.{ .args = 0, .results = 0 });
+  Lua.state.pop(-1);
+}
+
+pub fn hash(modifier: wlr.Keyboard.ModifierMask, keycode: xkb.Keysym) u64 {
+  const mod_val: u32 = @bitCast(modifier);
+  const key_val: u32 = @intFromEnum(keycode);
+  return (@as(u64, mod_val) << 32) | @as(u64, key_val);
+}
diff --git a/src/lua/api.zig b/src/lua/api.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0f097c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lua/api.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+const Api = @This();
+
+const std = @import("std");
+const server = &@import("../main.zig").server;
+const Keymap = @import("../keymap.zig");
+
+const zlua = @import("zlua");
+const xkb = @import("xkbcommon");
+const wlr = @import("wlroots");
+
+const gpa = std.heap.c_allocator;
+
+pub fn add_keymap(L: *zlua.Lua) i32 {
+  const nargs: i32 = L.getTop();
+  if (nargs < 3) {
+    L.raiseErrorStr("Expected at least three arguments", .{});
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  // ensure the first three agrs of the correct types
+  L.checkType(1, .string);
+  L.checkType(2, .string);
+  L.checkType(3, .function);
+
+  var keymap: Keymap = undefined;
+
+  const mod = L.toString(1) catch {
+    L.raiseErrorStr("Lua error check your config", .{});
+    return 0;
+  };
+  var it = std.mem.splitScalar(u8, mod, '|');
+  var modifiers = wlr.Keyboard.ModifierMask{};
+  while (it.next()) |m| {
+    // TODO: can we generate this at comptime?
+    if (std.mem.eql(u8, m, "shift")) {
+      modifiers.shift = true;
+    } else if (std.mem.eql(u8, m, "caps")) {
+      modifiers.caps = true;
+    } else if (std.mem.eql(u8, m, "ctrl")) {
+      modifiers.ctrl = true;
+    } else if (std.mem.eql(u8, m, "alt")) {
+      modifiers.alt = true;
+    } else if (std.mem.eql(u8, m, "mod2")) {
+      modifiers.mod2 = true;
+    } else if (std.mem.eql(u8, m, "mod3")) {
+      modifiers.mod3 = true;
+    } else if (std.mem.eql(u8, m, "logo")) {
+      modifiers.logo = true;
+    } else if (std.mem.eql(u8, m, "mod5")) {
+      modifiers.mod5 = true;
+    }
+  }
+  keymap.modifier = modifiers;
+
+  const key = L.toString(2) catch {
+    L.raiseErrorStr("Lua error check your config", .{});
+    return 0;
+  };
+  keymap.keycode = xkb.Keysym.fromName(key, .no_flags);
+
+  L.checkType(3, .function);
+  keymap.lua_ref_idx = L.ref(zlua.registry_index) catch {
+    L.raiseErrorStr("Lua error check your config", .{});
+    return 0;
+  };
+
+  // FIXME: for som reason I can't seem to get this to validate that the 4th
+  // argument exists unless there's a 5th argument. It doesn't seem to matter
+  // what type the 5th is just that it's there.
+  if (nargs == 4) {
+    // L.checkType(4, .table);
+    // _ = L.pushString("on_release");
+    // _ = L.getTable(4);
+    // const b = L.toBoolean(-1);
+    // L.pop(-1);
+    // L.pop(-1);
+  }
+
+  const hash = Keymap.hash(keymap.modifier, keymap.keycode);
+  server.keymaps.put(hash, keymap) catch |err| {
+    std.log.err("Failed to add keymap to keymaps: {}", .{err});
+    return 0;
+  };
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
+pub fn get_keybind(L: *zlua.Lua) i32 {
+  _ = L;
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/src/lua/bridge.zig b/src/lua/bridge.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..37868d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lua/bridge.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+const Bridge = @This();
+
+const std = @import("std");
+const Lua = @import("lua.zig");
+
+const gpa = std.heap.c_allocator;
+
+pub fn getNestedField(L: *Lua, path: []u8) bool {
+  var tokens = std.mem.tokenizeScalar(u8, path, '.');
+  var first = true;
+
+  while (tokens.next()) |token| {
+    const tok = gpa.dupeZ(u8, token) catch return false;
+    if (first) {
+      _ = L.state.getGlobal(tok) catch return false;
+      first = false;
+    } else {
+      _ = L.state.getField(-1, tok);
+      L.state.remove(-2);
+    }
+
+    if (L.state.isNil(-1)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return true;
+}
diff --git a/src/lua/fs.zig b/src/lua/fs.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3e5ea2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lua/fs.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+const Fs = @This();
+
+const std = @import("std");
+const zlua = @import("zlua");
+
+const Lua = @import("lua.zig");
+
+const gpa = std.heap.c_allocator;
+
+pub fn joinpath(L: *zlua.Lua) i32 {
+  const nargs: i32 = L.getTop();
+  if (nargs < 2) {
+    L.raiseErrorStr("Expected at least two paths to join", .{});
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  var paths = std.ArrayList([:0]const u8).initCapacity(gpa, @intCast(nargs)) catch {
+    return 0;
+  };
+  defer paths.deinit(gpa);
+
+  var i: u8 = 1;
+  while (i <= nargs) : (i += 1) {
+    if (!L.isString(i)) {
+      L.raiseErrorStr("Expected string at argument %d", .{i});
+      return 0;
+    }
+
+    const partial_path = L.toString(i) catch unreachable;
+    paths.append(gpa, partial_path) catch {
+      // TODO: tell lua?
+      return 0;
+    };
+  }
+
+  const final_path: []const u8 = std.fs.path.join(gpa, paths.items) catch {
+    // TODO: tell lua?
+    return 0;
+  };
+  _ = L.pushString(final_path);
+
+  return 1;
+}
diff --git a/src/lua/lua.zig b/src/lua/lua.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e63df2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lua/lua.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+const Lua = @This();
+
+const std = @import("std");
+const config = @import("config");
+const zlua = @import("zlua");
+
+const Bridge = @import("bridge.zig");
+const Fs = @import("fs.zig");
+const Api = @import("api.zig");
+
+const gpa = std.heap.c_allocator;
+
+state: *zlua.Lua,
+
+fn loadRuntimeDir(self: *Lua) !void {
+  const tmppath = try std.fs.path.join(gpa, &[_][]const u8{
+    config.runtime_path_prefix,
+    "share",
+    "mezzaluna",
+    "init.lua",
+  });
+  const path = try gpa.dupeZ(u8, tmppath);
+
+  self.state.doFile(path) catch {
+    const err = try self.state.toString(-1);
+    std.log.debug("Failed to run lua file: {s}", .{err});
+  };
+}
+
+fn loadConfigDir(self: *Lua) !void {
+  const lua_path = "mez.path.config";
+  if (!Bridge.getNestedField(self, @constCast(lua_path[0..]))) {
+    std.log.err("Config path not found. is your runtime dir setup?", .{});
+    return;
+  }
+  const path = self.state.toString(-1) catch |err| {
+    std.log.err("Failed to pop the config path from the lua stack. {}", .{err});
+    return;
+  };
+  self.state.pop(-1);
+  try self.state.doFile(path);
+}
+
+pub fn init(self: *Lua) !void {
+  self.state = try zlua.Lua.init(gpa);
+  errdefer self.state.deinit();
+  self.state.openLibs();
+
+  {
+    self.state.newTable();
+    defer _ = self.state.setGlobal("mez");
+    {
+      self.state.newTable();
+      defer _ = self.state.setField(-2, "path");
+    }
+    {
+      const fs_funcs = zlua.fnRegsFromType(Fs);
+      self.state.newLib(fs_funcs);
+      self.state.setField(-2, "fs");
+    }
+    {
+      const api_funcs = zlua.fnRegsFromType(Api);
+      self.state.newLib(api_funcs);
+      self.state.setField(-2, "api");
+    }
+  }
+
+  loadRuntimeDir(self) catch |err| {
+    if (err == error.LuaRuntime) {
+      std.log.warn("{s}", .{try self.state.toString(-1)});
+    }
+  };
+  loadConfigDir(self) catch |err| {
+    if (err == error.LuaRuntime) {
+      std.log.warn("{s}", .{try self.state.toString(-1)});
+    }
+  };
+
+  std.log.debug("Loaded lua", .{});
+}
+
+pub fn deinit(self: *Lua) void {
+  self.state.deinit();
+}
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index 604a51d..ab4bb16 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -2,10 +2,12 @@ const std = @import("std");
 const wlr = @import("wlroots");
 
 const Server = @import("server.zig");
+const Lua = @import("lua/lua.zig");
 
 const gpa = std.heap.c_allocator;
 
 pub var server: Server = undefined;
+pub var lua: Lua = undefined;
 
 pub fn main() !void {
   wlr.log.init(.err, null);
@@ -14,6 +16,7 @@ pub fn main() !void {
 
   server.init();
   defer server.deinit();
+  try lua.init();
 
   var buf: [11]u8 = undefined;
   const socket = try server.wl_server.addSocketAuto(&buf);
diff --git a/src/server.zig b/src/server.zig
index 88384de..4b7a32c 100644
--- a/src/server.zig
+++ b/src/server.zig
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ const Keyboard = @import("keyboard.zig");
 const Output = @import("output.zig");
 const View = @import("view.zig");
 const Utils = @import("utils.zig");
+const Keymap = @import("keymap.zig");
 
 const gpa = std.heap.c_allocator;
 const server = &@import("main.zig").server;
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ root: Root,
 seat: Seat,
 cursor: Cursor,
 keyboard: Keyboard,
+keymaps: std.AutoHashMap(u64, Keymap),
 
 // Backend listeners
 new_input: wl.Listener(*wlr.InputDevice) = .init(handleNewInput),
@@ -89,6 +91,7 @@ pub fn init(self: *Server) void {
     .seat = undefined,
     .cursor = undefined,
     .keyboard = undefined,
+    .keymaps = .init(gpa),
   };
 
   self.renderer.initServer(wl_server) catch {