diff --git a/clock_settings.h b/clock_settings.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9080a32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/clock_settings.h
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#ifndef CLOCK_SETTINGS_H
+#define CLOCK_SETTINGS_H
+
+class ClockSettings
+{
+    //TODO
+};
+
+#endif //CLOCK_SETTINGS_H
diff --git a/lamp.ino b/lamp.ino
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e83c9cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lamp.ino
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#include "settings.h"
+
+Settings const* settings = NULL;
+
+void setup() {
+    Serial.begin(9600);
+
+    Serial.print("\nLoading settings...");
+
+    settings = Settings::load("settings.ini");
+    if(settings == NULL)
+        Serial.println(" NOT OK");
+    else
+        Serial.println(" OK");
+}
+
+void loop() {
+}
diff --git a/settings.cpp b/settings.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..20b4c20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/settings.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+#include "settings.h"
+
+#include <SD.h>
+
+bool is_whitespace(char const c)
+{
+    return c == ' ' || c == '\t';
+}
+
+bool is_printable(char const c)
+{
+    //cf. ASCII table
+    return c >= 0x20 && c <= 0x7E;
+}
+
+Settings::Settings()
+{
+}
+
+Settings::~Settings()
+{
+}
+
+void Settings::add_line(String const& section, String const& key, String const& val)
+{
+    Serial.print("Section: \"");
+    Serial.print(section);
+    Serial.print("\", Key: \"");
+    Serial.print(key);
+    Serial.print("\", Val: \"");
+    Serial.print(val);
+    Serial.println("\"");
+}
+
+Settings const* Settings::load(char const* settings_filename)
+{
+    Serial.println(""); //TODO: remove debug message
+    if(!SD.begin(D8))
+    {
+        Serial.println("cannot open SD card");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    File file = SD.open("settings.ini", FILE_READ);
+    if(!file)
+    {
+        Serial.println("cannot open settings file");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    Settings* settings = new Settings();
+
+    Serial.println("----Settings----"); //TODO: remove debug message
+
+    bool first_char_of_line = true;
+    bool is_comment_line = false;
+    bool is_section_line = false;
+    unsigned int nb_whitespace = 0; //used for trimming the end of lines
+
+    String current_section = "";
+    String current_key = "";
+    String current_val = "";
+
+    bool write_to_key = true;
+
+    while(file.available())
+    {
+        char const c = file.read();
+        if(!is_printable(c)) continue;
+
+        if(first_char_of_line)
+        {
+            //trim whitespace at beginning of line
+            if(is_whitespace(c)) continue;
+
+            first_char_of_line = false;
+
+            //check if comment, section or normal line
+            if(c == ';')
+            {
+                is_comment_line = true;
+                continue;
+            }
+            else if (c == '[')
+            {
+                is_section_line = true;
+                current_section = "";
+                continue;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if(c == '\n')
+        {
+            first_char_of_line = true;
+            is_comment_line = false;
+            is_section_line = false;
+
+            settings->add_line(current_section, current_key, current_val);
+
+            current_key = "";
+            current_val = "";
+            write_to_key = true;
+        }
+        else if(is_comment_line)
+        {
+            //discarding comment lines
+            continue;
+        }
+        else if(is_section_line)
+        {
+            if(c == ']')
+            {
+                //discard end of line
+                is_section_line = false;
+                is_comment_line = true;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                current_section += c;
+            }
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            if(is_whitespace(c))
+                ++nb_whitespace;
+            else if(write_to_key && c == '=')
+            {
+                write_to_key = false;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                if(write_to_key)
+                    current_key += c;
+                else
+                    current_val += c;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    if(!first_char_of_line && !is_comment_line && !is_section_line)
+        settings->add_line(current_section, current_key, current_val);
+
+    file.close();
+
+    Serial.println("----End settings----"); //TODO: remove debug log
+
+    return settings;
+}
diff --git a/settings.h b/settings.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc54e26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/settings.h
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#ifndef SETTINGS_H
+#define SETTINGS_H
+
+#include "Arduino.h"
+#include "wifi_settings.h"
+#include "clock_settings.h"
+
+class Settings
+{
+    private:
+        Settings();
+        ~Settings();
+
+        void add_line(String const& section, String const& key, String const& val);
+
+    public:
+        static Settings const* load(char const* settings_filename);
+
+    protected:
+};
+
+#endif //SETTINGS_H
diff --git a/settings.ini b/settings.ini
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1759cc1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/settings.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+; Configuration of the WiFi connection.
+; If multiple connections are needed, multiple sections can be added as follows :
+;
+; [wifi:1]
+; ssid=SSID_1
+; password=PASS_1
+; [wifi:2]
+; ssid=SSID_2
+; password=PASS_2
+;
+; Note: The [wifi] section without number is synonymous to [wifi:0]
+[wifi]
+ssid=WIFI_SSID
+password=WIFI_PASSWORD
+
+; Configuration of the NTP connection.
+; Since the RTC module is here to do most of the time keeping,
+; the NTP requests can be quite far in between
+[clock]
+server=pool.ntp.org
+; time between NTP requests, in minutes
+cooldown=15
diff --git a/wifi_settings.h b/wifi_settings.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b568ee4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wifi_settings.h
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#ifndef WIFI_SETTINGS_H
+#define WIFI_SETTINGS_H
+
+class WifiSettings
+{
+    public:
+    //TODO
+};
+
+#endif //WIFI_SETTINGS_H