diff --git a/TODOS.md b/TODOS.md
index d611464..fca3db7 100644
--- a/TODOS.md
+++ b/TODOS.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
   - [ ] `render_template` should accept `Template_Context`, not `any`
 - [ ] Load grammars dynamically
 - [ ] consider adding a limit to the context stack in mustache.
+- [ ] better diagnostics for syntax errors in treesitter.
 
 ## Performance
 
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@
   - want rust style diagnostic and better message, maybe "unknown timezone 'America/New_Yorkskie'"
 
 ## General 
+- [ ] get rid of the global variables in the `treesitter` package.
 - [ ] Integrity hash
   - Allows users to verify their output didn't change after upgrading to a new version
 - [ ] Content-hash fingerprinting for CSS and JS cache busting
diff --git a/main.odin b/main.odin
index 1a5b087..81b5ccb 100644
--- a/main.odin
+++ b/main.odin
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import "core:prof/spall"
 import "core:sync"
 import "core:time"
 
+import "treesitter"
+
 SPALL :: #config(SPALL, false)
 
 when SPALL {
@@ -48,6 +50,9 @@ main :: proc() {
 		context.allocator = site_allocator(&site)
 		build_vfs(&site)
 
+		treesitter.grammar_dir = site.grammars
+		treesitter.query_dir = site.queries
+
 		site_load_content(&site)
 		render_site(&site)
 		log.infof("Built site in %s", time.tick_since(tick))
diff --git a/site.odin b/site.odin
index 735ac70..46765de 100644
--- a/site.odin
+++ b/site.odin
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ Site :: struct {
 	og:                  Open_Graph,
 	date:                Date_Preferences,
 	tz:                  ^datetime.TZ_Region,
+	grammars:            string,
+	queries:             string,
 }
 
 Date_Preferences :: struct {
@@ -61,6 +63,8 @@ Config_File :: struct {
 	modules:             json.Value,
 	og:                  Open_Graph,
 	date:                Date_Preferences,
+	grammars:            string,
+	queries:             string,
 }
 
 // Configuration loaded from command line arguments. Gets folded in to Site
@@ -188,6 +192,19 @@ site_apply_config :: proc(site: ^Site, config: Config_File, config_dir: string)
 
 	site.og = config.og
 	site.date = config.date
+
+	site.grammars = expand_path(config.grammars, site_allocator(site))
+	site.queries = expand_path(config.queries, site_allocator(site))
+}
+
+// expand_path replaces a leading ~/ with $HOME/.
+expand_path :: proc(path: string, allocator := context.allocator) -> string {
+	if len(path) >= 2 && path[0] == '~' && path[1] == '/' {
+		if home := os.get_env_alloc("HOME", allocator); home != "" {
+			return fmt.aprintf("%s%s", home, path[1:])
+		}
+	}
+	return strings.clone(path, allocator)
 }
 
 site_apply_path_defaults :: proc(site: ^Site, config_dir: string) {
diff --git a/treesitter/treesitter.odin b/treesitter/treesitter.odin
index 649a7b9..86a8b10 100644
--- a/treesitter/treesitter.odin
+++ b/treesitter/treesitter.odin
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ import "core:log"
 import "core:os"
 import "core:strings"
 
-GRAPHS_PATH: string = "/home/spencer/.config/helix/runtime/grammars"
-QUERIES_PATH: string = "/nix/store/n9da8d007ygbgsx983jr3ar3wb1fsh6q-helix-25.07.1/lib/runtime/queries"
+grammar_dir: string
+query_dir:   string
 
 Language :: distinct rawptr
 Parser :: distinct rawptr
@@ -152,12 +152,12 @@ ensure_parser :: proc(lang: string) -> ^Grammar_Cache {
 	if builtin, ok := builtin_language(lang); ok {
 		language = builtin
 	} else {
-		if GRAPHS_PATH == "" {
-			log.warnf("treesitter: no grammars path set, skipping %s", lang)
+		if grammar_dir == "" {
+			log.warnf("treesitter: no grammar path set, skipping %s", lang)
 			return nil
 		}
 
-		so_path := fmt.tprintf("%s/%s.so", GRAPHS_PATH, lang)
+		so_path := fmt.tprintf("%s/%s.so", grammar_dir, lang)
 		so_c := strings.clone_to_cstring(so_path)
 		defer delete(so_c)
 		handle := dlopen(so_c, RTLD_LAZY)
@@ -208,13 +208,13 @@ load_grammar :: proc(lang: string) -> ^Grammar_Cache {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	if QUERIES_PATH == "" {
-		log.warnf("treesitter: no queries path set, skipping %s", lang)
+	if query_dir == "" {
+		log.warnf("treesitter: no query path set, skipping %s", lang)
 		gc.query_failed = true
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	query_path := fmt.tprintf("%s/%s/highlights.scm", QUERIES_PATH, lang)
+	query_path := fmt.tprintf("%s/%s/highlights.scm", query_dir, lang)
 	query_src, err := os.read_entire_file_from_path(query_path, context.allocator)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.warnf("treesitter: cannot load query %s", query_path)
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ load_grammar :: proc(lang: string) -> ^Grammar_Cache {
 
 		_, is_builtin := builtin_language(lang)
 		if !is_builtin {
-			so_path := fmt.tprintf("%s/%s.so", GRAPHS_PATH, lang)
+			so_path := fmt.tprintf("%s/%s.so", grammar_dir, lang)
 			gram_v := helix_version_from_path(so_path)
 			query_v := helix_version_from_path(query_path)
 			gram_note := "(version unknown)"