diff --git a/apps/api/src/main.rs b/apps/api/src/main.rs
index cb1256d..dd1af30 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/main.rs
+++ b/apps/api/src/main.rs
@@ -1,14 +1,23 @@
 mod configs;
+mod errors;
 mod middlewares;
 mod routes;
+mod services;
 mod tasks;
 
+use std::sync::Arc;
+
 use axum::Router;
-use database::{ConnectOptions, get_connection};
+use database::get_connection;
+use sea_orm::ConnectOptions;
 use tracing::{debug, info};
 use tracing_subscriber::fmt::format::{DefaultFields, Format};
 
-use crate::configs::{ProgramSettings, get_program_settings, logging::LoggingSettings};
+use crate::{
+    configs::{ProgramSettings, get_program_settings, logging::LoggingSettings},
+    routes::{AppService, AppState},
+    services::settings::SettingsService,
+};
 
 #[tokio::main]
 async fn main() {
@@ -53,18 +62,17 @@ async fn main() {
         options.max_connections(settings.database.max_connections);
     };
 
-    let db_connection = get_connection(&settings.database.url, Some(db_options))
-        .await
-        .expect("Failed to establish database connection");
+    let db_connection = Arc::new(
+        get_connection(&settings.database.url, Some(db_options))
+            .await
+            .expect("Failed to establish database connection"),
+    );
 
     info!("Database connection established.");
 
     // build the axum app and run the server...
     info!("Starting application...");
-    let app: Router = routes::get_root_router(routes::AppState {
-        database_connection: db_connection,
-        service: std::sync::Arc::new(routes::AppService {}),
-    });
+    let app: Router = routes::get_root_router(Arc::new(get_app_state(&db_connection)));
 
     let address = format!("{}:{}", settings.server.address, settings.server.port);
     info!("Starting server at http://{}", address);
@@ -101,6 +109,15 @@ fn get_global_tracing_subscriber_builder(
     }
 }
 
+fn get_app_state(db_connection: &Arc<sea_orm::DatabaseConnection>) -> AppState {
+    AppState {
+        database_connection: db_connection.clone(),
+        service: Arc::new(AppService {
+            settings: Arc::new(SettingsService::new(db_connection.clone())),
+        }),
+    }
+}
+
 // A small wrapper that holds a boxed `FormatTime` trait object and itself
 // implements `FormatTime`, allowing us to use it as a concrete type with
 // `builder.with_timer` while still picking the concrete timer implementation
diff --git a/apps/api/src/routes.rs b/apps/api/src/routes.rs
index 89328a2..ddb1b51 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/routes.rs
+++ b/apps/api/src/routes.rs
@@ -3,20 +3,22 @@ use std::sync::Arc;
 use axum::{Extension, Router};
 use migration::sea_orm::DatabaseConnection;
 
-use crate::middlewares;
+use crate::{middlewares, services::settings::SettingsStore};
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct AppState {
     // TODO: remove dead_code allowances when fields are used
     #[allow(dead_code)]
-    pub database_connection: DatabaseConnection,
+    pub database_connection: Arc<DatabaseConnection>,
     // TODO: remove dead_code allowances when fields are used
     #[allow(dead_code)]
     pub service: Arc<AppService>,
 }
 
+pub type ServiceState<T: ?Sized + Send + Sync> = Arc<T>;
+
 pub struct AppService {
-    //
+    pub settings: ServiceState<dyn SettingsStore>,
 }
 
 pub fn get_root_router(state: impl Into<Arc<AppState>>) -> Router {