diff --git a/rsrc/config/whirled/dbmap.properties b/rsrc/config/whirled/dbmap.properties
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..24ad1c81d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rsrc/config/whirled/dbmap.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#
+# $Id: dbmap.properties,v 1.1 2001/09/28 22:23:48 mdb Exp $
+#
+# Database map for the Whirled server. This provides information on the
+# JDBC connections that are used by Whirled server services.
+
+#
+# A sample database mapping for a database identified as "scenedb".
+#
+scenedb.driver = org.gjt.mm.mysql.Driver
+scenedb.url = jdbc:mysql://DBHOSTNAME:3306/DBNAME
+scenedb.username = MYUSERNAME
+scenedb.password = MYPASSWORD
diff --git a/rsrc/config/whirled/server.properties b/rsrc/config/whirled/server.properties
index a5d2f7068..8a8c5a677 100644
--- a/rsrc/config/whirled/server.properties
+++ b/rsrc/config/whirled/server.properties
@@ -1,9 +1,18 @@
 #
-# $Id: server.properties,v 1.1 2001/08/14 06:51:07 mdb Exp $
+# $Id: server.properties,v 1.2 2001/09/28 22:23:48 mdb Exp $
 #
 # Configuration for the Whirled server
 
+#
 # These invocation service providers will be registered with the
-# invocation manager during the server init process
+# invocation manager during the server init process.
+#
 providers = \
 	whirled!scene = com.threerings.whirled.server.SceneProvider
+
+#
+# This specifies the path (in the classpath) to a properties file which
+# configures the StaticConnectionProvider that is used to provide database
+# connections to the Whirled server.
+#
+dbmap = rsrc/config/whirled/dbmap.properties
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/server/WhirledServer.java b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/server/WhirledServer.java
index b4e7d4fc7..335ba9fe4 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/server/WhirledServer.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/server/WhirledServer.java
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
 //
-// $Id: WhirledServer.java,v 1.2 2001/08/14 06:51:07 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: WhirledServer.java,v 1.3 2001/09/28 22:23:48 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.whirled.server;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 
+import com.samskivert.jdbc.ConnectionProvider;
+import com.samskivert.jdbc.StaticConnectionProvider;
+import com.samskivert.util.Config;
+
 import com.threerings.cocktail.party.server.PartyServer;
 
 import com.threerings.whirled.Log;
@@ -20,6 +24,9 @@ public class WhirledServer extends PartyServer
     /** The namespace used for server config properties. */
     public static final String CONFIG_KEY = "whirled";
 
+    /** The database connection provider in use by this server. */
+    public static ConnectionProvider conprov;
+
     /** The scene registry. */
     public static SceneRegistry screg;
 
@@ -35,19 +42,14 @@ public class WhirledServer extends PartyServer
         // bind the whirled server config into the namespace
         config.bindProperties(CONFIG_KEY, CONFIG_PATH, true);
 
-        // instantiate the scene repository
-        SceneRepository screp = null;
-        try {
-            screp = (SceneRepository)config.instantiateValue(
-                SCENEREP_KEY, DEF_SCENEREP);
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-            Log.warning("Unable to instantiate scene repository " +
-                        "[error=" + e + "].");
-            throw new IOException("Fatal init failure");
-        }
+        // create our connection provider
+        conprov = createConnectionProvider(config);
+
+        // create the scene repository
+        _screp = createSceneRepository(conprov);
 
         // create our scene registry
-        screg = new SceneRegistry(screp);
+        screg = new SceneRegistry(_screp);
 
         // register our invocation service providers
         registerProviders(config.getValue(PROVIDERS_KEY, (String[])null));
@@ -55,6 +57,40 @@ public class WhirledServer extends PartyServer
         Log.info("Whirled server initialized.");
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Creates the connection provider that will be used by this server.
+     * If a derived class wishes to use a particular kind of connection
+     * provider, it can override this method. The default mechanism is to
+     * load a properties file referenced by <code>dbmap</code> in the
+     * whirled server configuration and use those properties to create a
+     * {@link com.samskivert.jdbc.StaticConnectionProvider}.
+     *
+     * @exception IOException thrown if an error occurs creating the
+     * connection provider.
+     */
+    protected ConnectionProvider createConnectionProvider (Config config)
+        throws IOException
+    {
+        String dbmap = config.getValue(DBMAP_KEY, DEF_DBMAP);
+        return new StaticConnectionProvider(dbmap);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Creates the scene repository that will be used by this server. If a
+     * derived class wishes to use a particular kind of scene repository
+     * (which they most likely will), they should override this method and
+     * instantiate the scene repository of their choosing.
+     *
+     * @exception IOException thrown if any error occurs while
+     * instantiating or initializing the scene repository.
+     */
+    protected SceneRepository createSceneRepository (
+        ConnectionProvider conprov)
+        throws IOException
+    {
+        return new DummySceneRepository();
+    }
+
     public static void main (String[] args)
     {
         WhirledServer server = new WhirledServer();
@@ -67,6 +103,9 @@ public class WhirledServer extends PartyServer
         }
     }
 
+    /** The scene repository in use by this server. */
+    protected SceneRepository _screp;
+
     // the path to the config file
     protected final static String CONFIG_PATH =
         "rsrc/config/whirled/server";
@@ -74,8 +113,8 @@ public class WhirledServer extends PartyServer
     // the config key for our list of invocation provider mappings
     protected final static String PROVIDERS_KEY = CONFIG_KEY + ".providers";
 
-    // scene repository related configuration info
-    protected final static String SCENEREP_KEY = CONFIG_KEY + ".scene_rep";
-    protected final static String DEF_SCENEREP =
-        DummySceneRepository.class.getName();
+    // connection provider related configuration info
+    protected final static String DBMAP_KEY = CONFIG_KEY + ".dbmap";
+    protected final static String DEF_DBMAP =
+        "rsrc/config/whirled/dbmap";
 }