diff --git a/common/common.go b/common/common.go
index 2d5eed1..df362e4 100644
--- a/common/common.go
+++ b/common/common.go
@@ -1,6 +1,64 @@
 package common
 
+type Config interface {
+	Name() string
+	Starter() StartFct
+	Children() []Config
+	Add(Config)
+}
+
 type Context interface {
+	Config() Config
+	Parent() Context
+	Services() map[string]Context
+	ChildContext(Config) Context
 }
 
 type StartFct = func(Context)
+
+// Context implementation
+
+type context struct {
+	cfg    Config
+	parent Context
+}
+
+func (ctx *context) Config() Config {
+	return ctx.cfg
+}
+
+func (ctx *context) Parent() Context {
+	return ctx.parent
+}
+
+func (ctx *context) Services() map[string]Context {
+	return ctx.parent.Services()
+}
+
+func (ctx *context) ChildContext(cfg Config) Context {
+	cctx := context{cfg, ctx}
+	ctx.Services()[cfg.Name()] = &cctx
+	return &cctx
+}
+
+type appContext struct {
+	*context
+	services map[string]Context
+}
+
+func (ctx *appContext) ChildContext(cfg Config) Context {
+	cctx := context{cfg, ctx}
+	ctx.services[cfg.Name()] = &cctx
+	return &cctx
+}
+
+func (ctx *appContext) Services() map[string]Context {
+	return ctx.services
+}
+
+func AppContext(cfg Config) Context {
+	return &appContext{
+		context:  &context{cfg, nil},
+		services: map[string]Context{},
+	}
+}
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index b9530aa..fb01064 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -17,17 +17,10 @@ func Start(ctx common.Context) {
 
 // definitions
 
-type Config interface {
-	Name() string
-	Starter() common.StartFct
-	Children() []Config
-	Add(Config)
-}
-
 type Base struct {
 	name     string
 	starter  common.StartFct
-	children []Config
+	children []common.Config
 }
 
 func (cfg *Base) Name() string {
@@ -38,11 +31,11 @@ func (cfg *Base) Starter() common.StartFct {
 	return cfg.starter
 }
 
-func (cfg *Base) Children() []Config {
+func (cfg *Base) Children() []common.Config {
 	return cfg.children
 }
 
-func (cfg *Base) Add(child Config) {
+func (cfg *Base) Add(child common.Config) {
 	cfg.children = append(cfg.children, child)
 }
 
@@ -53,7 +46,7 @@ func MakeBase(name string, starter common.StartFct) *Base {
 	}
 }
 
-func Setup(cfg Config) Config {
+func Setup(cfg common.Config) common.Config {
 	return cfg
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/demo/etc/etc.go b/examples/demo/etc/etc.go
index 7d162e4..12d303b 100644
--- a/examples/demo/etc/etc.go
+++ b/examples/demo/etc/etc.go
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@ package etc
 
 import (
 	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes"
+	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes/common"
 	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes/config"
 )
 
-func Config() config.Config {
+func Config() common.Config {
 	ovr := Overrides().Use
 	b := config.MakeBase
 	cfg := scopes.Cfg{
diff --git a/scopes.go b/scopes.go
index f75cd67..7a27e0f 100644
--- a/scopes.go
+++ b/scopes.go
@@ -12,10 +12,15 @@ type Cfg struct {
 }
 
 func Start(ctx common.Context) {
+	for _, cfg := range ctx.Config().Children() {
+		cctx := ctx.ChildContext(cfg)
+		cfg.Starter()(cctx)
+	}
 }
 
 // definitions
 
-func RunApp(cfg config.Config) {
-	_ = cfg
+func RunApp(cfg common.Config) {
+	ctx := common.AppContext(cfg)
+	cfg.Starter()(ctx)
 }
diff --git a/tests/etc/etc.go b/tests/etc/etc.go
index ab14a72..1b2685f 100644
--- a/tests/etc/etc.go
+++ b/tests/etc/etc.go
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@ package etc
 
 import (
 	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes"
+	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes/common"
 	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes/config"
 )
 
-func Config() config.Config {
+func Config() common.Config {
 	ovr := Overrides().Use
 	b := config.MakeBase
 	cfg := scopes.Cfg{
@@ -20,15 +21,13 @@ func Config() config.Config {
 // collect here the names of fields that may be overridden via
 // explicit Override() or SCOPES_* environment settings.
 const (
-	NAME = "name"
 	HOME = "home"
 )
 
-// in a production scenario this should be put in separate
+// in a production scenario this should be put in a separate
 // file `settings.go` that should not be stored in code repository.
 func Overrides() config.Settings {
 	return config.Settings{
-		NAME: "overridden",
 		HOME: "/home/scopes",
 	}
 }
diff --git a/tests/scopes_test.go b/tests/scopes_test.go
index 8049ae0..610800d 100644
--- a/tests/scopes_test.go
+++ b/tests/scopes_test.go
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ func TestConfig(tb *tbase.T) {
 }
 
 func ConfigTest(t *testing.T) {
-	t.AssertEqual(etc.Overrides()[etc.NAME], "overridden")
 	cfg := config.Setup(etc.Config())
 	t.AssertEqual(cfg.Name(), "dummy")
 	appCfg := cfg.(*scopes.Cfg)