diff --git a/config/sample.toml b/config/sample.toml
index 883bab8c..ada0d902 100644
--- a/config/sample.toml
+++ b/config/sample.toml
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 log_format = "json"
-id = 1
 
 [fnames]
 disable = false
 stop_at = 9999999999
 start_from = 0
 url = "https://fnames.farcaster.xyz/transfers"
+
+[consensus]
+num_shards = 1
+shard_ids = [1]
diff --git a/src/consensus/consensus.rs b/src/consensus/consensus.rs
index d103b5cc..2ee55545 100644
--- a/src/consensus/consensus.rs
+++ b/src/consensus/consensus.rs
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@ impl<Ctx: Context + SnapchainContext> From<TimeoutElapsed<Timeout>> for Consensu
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct Config {
     pub private_key: String,
-    pub shard_ids: String,
+    pub num_shards: u32,
+    pub shard_ids: Vec<u32>,
 
     #[serde(with = "humantime_serde")]
     pub propose_value_delay: Duration,
@@ -62,25 +63,11 @@ impl Config {
         Keypair::from(secret_key.unwrap())
     }
 
-    pub fn shard_ids(&self) -> Vec<u32> {
-        self.shard_ids
-            .split(',')
-            .map(|s| s.parse().unwrap())
-            .collect()
-    }
-
-    pub fn num_shards(&self) -> u32 {
-        self.shard_ids().len() as u32
-    }
-
     pub fn with_shard_ids(&self, shard_ids: Vec<u32>) -> Self {
         Self {
             private_key: self.private_key.clone(),
-            shard_ids: shard_ids
-                .iter()
-                .map(|i| i.to_string())
-                .collect::<Vec<String>>()
-                .join(","),
+            num_shards: shard_ids.len() as u32,
+            shard_ids,
             propose_value_delay: self.propose_value_delay,
             max_messages_per_block: self.max_messages_per_block,
         }
@@ -91,7 +78,8 @@ impl Default for Config {
     fn default() -> Self {
         Self {
             private_key: hex::encode(SecretKey::generate()),
-            shard_ids: "1".to_string(),
+            shard_ids: vec![1],
+            num_shards: 1,
             propose_value_delay: Duration::from_millis(250),
             max_messages_per_block: 250, //TODO
         }
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index eb7f6b8e..5b50b8e4 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -206,7 +206,15 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
                 // Every 5 ticks, re-register the validators so that new nodes can discover each other
                 if tick_count % 5 == 0 {
                     let nonce = tick_count as u64;
-                    for i in 0..=app_config.consensus.num_shards() {
+
+                    let ids = {
+                        // prepend 0 to shard_ids for the following loop
+                        let mut ids = vec![0u32];
+                        ids.extend(&app_config.consensus.shard_ids);
+                        ids
+                    };
+
+                    for i in ids {
                         let current_height =
                         if i == 0 {
                             block_store.max_block_number().unwrap_or_else(|_| 0)
diff --git a/src/node/snapchain_node.rs b/src/node/snapchain_node.rs
index b921a599..7d76c121 100644
--- a/src/node/snapchain_node.rs
+++ b/src/node/snapchain_node.rs
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ impl SnapchainNode {
         let mut shard_stores: HashMap<u32, Stores> = HashMap::new();
 
         // Create the shard validators
-        for shard_id in config.shard_ids() {
+        for shard_id in config.shard_ids {
             if shard_id == 0 {
                 panic!("Shard ID 0 is reserved for the block shard, created automaticaly");
             } else if shard_id > MAX_SHARDS {
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ impl SnapchainNode {
             validator_address.clone(),
             block_shard.clone(),
             shard_decision_rx,
-            config.num_shards(),
+            config.num_shards,
             block_tx,
             engine,
         );