diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index e15cf56..cec0706 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package config
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"git.binarythought.com/cdramey/alrm/alarm"
+	"github.com/denisbrodbeck/machineid"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	Interval time.Duration
 	Listen   string
 	Path     string
+	APIKey   string
 }
 
 func NewConfig() *Config {
@@ -71,5 +73,13 @@ func ReadConfig(fn string, debuglvl int) (*Config, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	if config.APIKey == "" {
+		key, err := machineid.ProtectedID("alrm")
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not generate machine id for api key")
+		}
+		config.APIKey = key
+	}
+
 	return config, nil
 }
diff --git a/config/parser.go b/config/parser.go
index b2510b4..adef262 100644
--- a/config/parser.go
+++ b/config/parser.go
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ func (p *Parser) Parse(fn string) (*Config, error) {
 				}
 			case "listen":
 				config.Listen = value
+			case "apikey":
+				config.APIKey = value
 			default:
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown key for set in %s, line %d: \"%s\"",
 					fn, tok.Line(), tk,
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index fc0d00d..0b03fb8 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -2,4 +2,7 @@ module git.binarythought.com/cdramey/alrm
 
 go 1.15
 
-require golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20201224014010-6772e930b67b
+require (
+	github.com/denisbrodbeck/machineid v1.0.1
+	golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20201224014010-6772e930b67b
+)
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 89bc358..e737d59 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+github.com/denisbrodbeck/machineid v1.0.1 h1:geKr9qtkB876mXguW2X6TU4ZynleN6ezuMSRhl4D7AQ=
+github.com/denisbrodbeck/machineid v1.0.1/go.mod h1:dJUwb7PTidGDeYyUBmXZ2GphQBbjJCrnectwCyxcUSI=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20201224014010-6772e930b67b h1:iFwSg7t5GZmB/Q5TjiEAsdoLDrdJRC1RiF2WhuV29Qw=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20201224014010-6772e930b67b/go.mod h1:m0MpNAwzfU5UDzcl9v0D8zg8gWTRqZa9RBIspLL5mdg=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20201119102817-f84b799fce68 h1:nxC68pudNYkKU6jWhgrqdreuFiOQWj1Fs7T3VrH4Pjw=