diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index c7ba133..b65c9e3 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ static CONFIG: OnceLock<Config> = OnceLock::new();
 pub struct Config {
     pub zauth_url: String,
     pub db_uri: String,
+    pub authoritative_zone: Vec<String>,
 }
 
 impl Config {
@@ -22,6 +23,11 @@ impl Config {
             Config {
                 db_uri: env::var("DATABASE_URL").expect("DATABASE_URL must be set"),
                 zauth_url: env::var("ZAUTH_URL").expect("ZAUTH_URL must be set"),
+                authoritative_zone: env::var("ZONE")
+                    .expect("ZONE must be set")
+                    .split(".")
+                    .map(str::to_string)
+                    .collect(),
             }
         })
     }
diff --git a/src/handlers/update/authenticate.rs b/src/handlers/update/authenticate.rs
index 0a9d0c1..bc4ae7d 100644
--- a/src/handlers/update/authenticate.rs
+++ b/src/handlers/update/authenticate.rs
@@ -17,10 +17,11 @@ pub async fn authenticate(
     zone: &Vec<String>,
     connection: &mut PgConnection,
 ) -> Result<bool, ZNSError> {
-    if zone.len() >= 4 {
-        let username = &zone[zone.len() - 4]; // Should match: username.users.zeus.gent
+    if zone.len() >= Config::get().authoritative_zone.len() {
+        let username = &zone[zone.len() - Config::get().authoritative_zone.len() - 1];
+
+        let ssh_verified = validate_ssh(username, sig).await.is_ok_and(|b| b);
 
-        let ssh_verified = validate_ssh(username, sig).await?;
 
         if ssh_verified {
             Ok(true)
diff --git a/src/handlers/update/mod.rs b/src/handlers/update/mod.rs
index 26c26f7..55a4cf4 100644
--- a/src/handlers/update/mod.rs
+++ b/src/handlers/update/mod.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use diesel::PgConnection;
 
 use crate::{
+    config::Config,
     db::models::{delete_from_database, insert_into_database},
     errors::ZNSError,
     structs::{Class, Message, RRClass, RRType, Type},
@@ -37,7 +38,9 @@ impl ResponseHandler for UpdateHandler {
         // Check Zone authority
         let zone = &message.question[0];
         let zlen = zone.qname.len();
-        if !(zlen >= 2 && zone.qname[zlen - 1] == "gent" && zone.qname[zlen - 2] == "zeus") {
+        let auth_zone = &Config::get().authoritative_zone;
+        if !(zlen >= auth_zone.len() && vec_equal(&zone.qname[zlen - auth_zone.len()..], auth_zone))
+        {
             return Err(ZNSError::Formerr {
                 message: "Invalid zone".to_string(),
             });