diff --git a/paperforge/embedding/_config.py b/paperforge/embedding/_config.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..612674f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/paperforge/embedding/_config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+import os
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+def _read_plugin_settings(vault: Path) -> dict:
+    data_path = vault / ".obsidian" / "plugins" / "paperforge" / "data.json"
+    if data_path.exists():
+        return json.loads(data_path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+    return {}
+
+
+def get_api_key(vault: Path) -> str:
+    settings = _read_plugin_settings(vault)
+    api_key = os.environ.get("VECTOR_DB_API_KEY", "")
+    if not api_key:
+        api_key = os.environ.get("OPENAI_API_KEY", "")
+    if not api_key:
+        api_key = settings.get("vector_db_api_key", "")
+    if not api_key:
+        env_file = vault / ".env"
+        if env_file.exists():
+            for line in env_file.read_text(encoding="utf-8").splitlines():
+                if line.startswith("VECTOR_DB_API_KEY="):
+                    api_key = line.split("=", 1)[1].strip().strip('"').strip("'")
+                    break
+                elif line.startswith("OPENAI_API_KEY="):
+                    api_key = line.split("=", 1)[1].strip().strip('"').strip("'")
+                    break
+    return api_key
+
+
+def get_api_base_url(vault: Path) -> str:
+    settings = _read_plugin_settings(vault)
+    return os.environ.get("VECTOR_DB_API_BASE", "") or settings.get("vector_db_api_base", "") or ""
+
+
+def get_api_model(vault: Path) -> str:
+    settings = _read_plugin_settings(vault)
+    return os.environ.get("VECTOR_DB_API_MODEL", "") or settings.get("vector_db_api_model", "text-embedding-3-small")