diff --git a/config/slackConfig.js b/config/slackConfig.js
index 109671f2..0f7ed106 100644
--- a/config/slackConfig.js
+++ b/config/slackConfig.js
@@ -1,25 +1,26 @@
-const config = require('./speechConfig.js');
+const { logging } = require('./speechConfig.js');
+const { slackWebHook, slackErrorChannel, slackInfoChannel } = logging;
 const winstonSlackWebHook = require('winston-slack-webhook').SlackWebHook;
 
 module.exports = (winston) => {
-  if (config.logging.slackWebHook) {
+  if (slackWebHook) {
     // add a transport for errors to slack
-    if (config.logging.slackErrorChannel) {
+    if (slackErrorChannel) {
       winston.add(winstonSlackWebHook, {
         name      : 'slack-errors-transport',
         level     : 'warn',
-        webhookUrl: config.logging.slackWebHook,
-        channel   : config.logging.slackErrorChannel,
+        webhookUrl: slackWebHook,
+        channel   : slackErrorChannel,
         username  : 'spee.ch',
         iconEmoji : ':face_with_head_bandage:',
       });
     };
-    if (config.logging.slackInfoChannel) {
+    if (slackInfoChannel) {
       winston.add(winstonSlackWebHook, {
         name      : 'slack-info-transport',
         level     : 'info',
-        webhookUrl: config.logging.slackWebHook,
-        channel   : config.logging.slackInfoChannel,
+        webhookUrl: slackWebHook,
+        channel   : slackInfoChannel,
         username  : 'spee.ch',
         iconEmoji : ':nerd_face:',
       });
diff --git a/models/claim.js b/models/claim.js
index 126d2c7a..2bc066d1 100644
--- a/models/claim.js
+++ b/models/claim.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 const logger = require('winston');
 const { returnShortId } = require('../helpers/sequelizeHelpers.js');
-const { publishing, site } = require('../config/speechConfig.js');
-const { defaultTitle, defaultThumbnail, defaultDescription } = publishing;
+const { claim, site } = require('../config/speechConfig.js');
+const { defaultTitle, defaultThumbnail, defaultDescription } = claim;
 const { host } = site;
 
 function determineFileExtensionFromContentType (contentType) {
diff --git a/models/index.js b/models/index.js
index b959586c..96a4bea5 100644
--- a/models/index.js
+++ b/models/index.js
@@ -4,9 +4,7 @@ const Sequelize = require('sequelize');
 const basename = path.basename(module.filename);
 const logger = require('winston');
 const config = require('../config/speechConfig.js');
-const database = config.sql.database;
-const username = config.sql.username;
-const password = config.sql.password;
+const { database, username, password } = config.sql;
 const db = {};
 
 // set sequelize options
diff --git a/task-scripts/update-password.js b/task-scripts/update-password.js
index c2cca20c..6a5176d4 100644
--- a/task-scripts/update-password.js
+++ b/task-scripts/update-password.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ const logger = require('winston');
 const db = require('../models/index'); // require our models for syncing
 // configure logging
 const config = require('../config/speechConfig.js');
-const logLevel = config.logging.logLevel;
+const { logLevel } = config.logging;
 require('../config/loggerConfig.js')(logger, logLevel);
 
 const userName = process.argv[2];