diff --git a/CLI.py b/CLI.py
index 5164155..25db071 100644
--- a/CLI.py
+++ b/CLI.py
@@ -571,7 +571,7 @@ class ConfigLoader:
 
     def load(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         try:
-            return deepcopy(load_config(config_dir=self._root))
+            return deepcopy(load_config())
         except Exception:
             return {}
 
diff --git a/MPV/pipeline_helper.py b/MPV/pipeline_helper.py
index 0d686ad..8ded2c2 100644
--- a/MPV/pipeline_helper.py
+++ b/MPV/pipeline_helper.py
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ def _run_op(op: str, data: Any) -> Dict[str, Any]:
             from Store import Store  # noqa: WPS433
 
             config_root = _runtime_config_root()
-            cfg = reload_config(config_dir=config_root)
+            cfg = reload_config()
 
             storage = Store(config=cfg, suppress_debug=True)
             backends = storage.list_backends() or []
diff --git a/SYS/config.py b/SYS/config.py
index a56d944..670713a 100644
--- a/SYS/config.py
+++ b/SYS/config.py
@@ -13,10 +13,9 @@ from SYS.logger import log
 from SYS.utils import expand_path
 from SYS.database import db, get_config_all, save_config_value
 
-DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILENAME = "config.conf"
 SCRIPT_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve().parent
 
-_CONFIG_CACHE: Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]] = {}
+_CONFIG_CACHE: Dict[str, Any] = {}
 _CONFIG_SAVE_MAX_RETRIES = 5
 _CONFIG_SAVE_RETRY_DELAY = 0.15
 
@@ -41,14 +40,8 @@ def global_config() -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:
 
 def clear_config_cache() -> None:
     """Clear the configuration cache."""
-    _CONFIG_CACHE.clear()
-
-
-def _make_cache_key(config_dir: Optional[Path], filename: str, actual_path: Optional[Path]) -> str:
-    if actual_path:
-        return str(actual_path.resolve())
-    base_dir = config_dir or SCRIPT_DIR
-    return str((base_dir / filename).resolve())
+    global _CONFIG_CACHE
+    _CONFIG_CACHE = {}
 
 
 def get_hydrus_instance(
@@ -341,44 +334,26 @@ def resolve_debug_log(config: Dict[str, Any]) -> Optional[Path]:
     return path
 
 
-def load_config(
-    config_dir: Optional[Path] = None, filename: str = DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILENAME
-) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-    base_dir = config_dir or SCRIPT_DIR
-    config_path = base_dir / filename
-    cache_key = _make_cache_key(config_dir, filename, config_path)
-    
-    if cache_key in _CONFIG_CACHE:
-        return _CONFIG_CACHE[cache_key]
+def load_config() -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    global _CONFIG_CACHE
+    if _CONFIG_CACHE:
+        return _CONFIG_CACHE
 
-    # Load from database
+    # Load strictly from database
     db_config = get_config_all()
     if db_config:
-        _CONFIG_CACHE[cache_key] = db_config
+        _CONFIG_CACHE = db_config
         return db_config
 
     return {}
 
 
-def reload_config(
-    config_dir: Optional[Path] = None, filename: str = DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILENAME
-) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-    base_dir = config_dir or SCRIPT_DIR
-    config_path = base_dir / filename
-    cache_key = _make_cache_key(config_dir, filename, config_path)
-    _CONFIG_CACHE.pop(cache_key, None)
-    return load_config(config_dir=config_dir, filename=filename)
+def reload_config() -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    clear_config_cache()
+    return load_config()
 
 
-
-def save_config(
-    config: Dict[str, Any],
-    config_dir: Optional[Path] = None,
-    filename: str = DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILENAME,
-) -> int:
-    base_dir = config_dir or SCRIPT_DIR
-    config_path = base_dir / filename
-
+def save_config(config: Dict[str, Any]) -> int:
     def _write_entries() -> int:
         count = 0
         with db.transaction():
@@ -409,26 +384,24 @@ def save_config(
     while True:
         try:
             saved_entries = _write_entries()
-            log(f"Saved {saved_entries} configuration entries to database.")
+            log(f"Synced {saved_entries} entries to {db.db_path}")
             break
         except sqlite3.OperationalError as exc:
             attempts += 1
             locked_error = "locked" in str(exc).lower()
             if not locked_error or attempts >= _CONFIG_SAVE_MAX_RETRIES:
-                log(f"CRITICAL: Failed to save config to database: {exc}")
+                log(f"CRITICAL: Database write failed: {exc}")
                 raise
             delay = _CONFIG_SAVE_RETRY_DELAY * attempts
-            log(
-                f"Database busy locking medios.db (attempt {attempts}/{_CONFIG_SAVE_MAX_RETRIES}); retrying in {delay:.2f}s."
-            )
+            log(f"Database locked; retry {attempts}/{_CONFIG_SAVE_MAX_RETRIES} in {delay:.2f}s")
             time.sleep(delay)
         except Exception as exc:
-            log(f"CRITICAL: Failed to save config to database: {exc}")
+            log(f"CRITICAL: Configuration save failed: {exc}")
             raise
 
-    cache_key = _make_cache_key(config_dir, filename, config_path)
     clear_config_cache()
-    _CONFIG_CACHE[cache_key] = config
+    global _CONFIG_CACHE
+    _CONFIG_CACHE = config
     return saved_entries
 
 
diff --git a/SYS/database.py b/SYS/database.py
index 5676601..4221b98 100644
--- a/SYS/database.py
+++ b/SYS/database.py
@@ -263,11 +263,6 @@ def save_config_value(category: str, subtype: str, item_name: str, key: str, val
 
 def get_config_all() -> Dict[str, Any]:
     """Retrieve all configuration from the database in the legacy dict format."""
-    try:
-        db.execute("DELETE FROM config WHERE category='store' AND LOWER(subtype) in ('folder', 'zerotier')")
-        db.execute("DELETE FROM config WHERE category='networking'")
-    except Exception:
-        pass
     rows = db.fetchall("SELECT category, subtype, item_name, key, value FROM config")
     config: Dict[str, Any] = {}