diff --git a/Containerfile b/Containerfile
index e67b483..a53d3c7 100644
--- a/Containerfile
+++ b/Containerfile
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ RUN cargo build --release --bin contact-form
 
 FROM docker.io/library/debian:stable-slim AS runtime
 WORKDIR app
-ENV CF_CONFIG_FILE=/volumes/data/config.yaml
+ENV CF_DATA_DIR=/volumes/data
 COPY --from=builder /app/target/release/contact-form /usr/local/bin/contact-form
 COPY --from=builder /app/static/ ./static/
 CMD ["contact-form"]
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index e208b9f..687b538 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use anyhow::{Context, Result};
 use serde::Deserialize;
-use std::{env, fs::File, io::BufReader};
+use std::{fs::File, io::BufReader, path::Path};
 
 /// Email server credentials.
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ pub struct Email {
 /// UTC offset for time formatting.
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
 pub struct UtcOffset {
+    #[serde(default)]
     pub hours: i8,
+    #[serde(default)]
     pub minutes: i8,
 }
 
@@ -40,10 +42,18 @@ pub struct CustomField {
     pub field_type: CustomFieldType,
 }
 
+fn default_captcha_error() -> String {
+    "You did enter the wrong code at the end of the form. Please try again.".to_string()
+}
+fn default_email_error() -> String {
+    "An internal error occurred while sending your request. Please try again later.".to_string()
+}
 /// Error messages for localization.
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
 pub struct ErrorMessages {
+    #[serde(default = "default_captcha_error")]
     pub captcha_error: String,
+    #[serde(default = "default_email_error")]
     pub email_error: String,
 }
 
@@ -79,7 +89,7 @@ fn default_captcha_label() -> String {
     "Enter the code above".to_string()
 }
 fn default_captcha_required_feedback() -> String {
-    "Please enter code from the image above".to_string()
+    "Please enter the code from the image above".to_string()
 }
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
 pub struct CaptchaField {
@@ -89,14 +99,35 @@ pub struct CaptchaField {
     pub required_feedback: String,
 }
 
+fn default_title() -> String {
+    "Contact form".to_string()
+}
+fn default_optional() -> String {
+    "optional".to_string()
+}
+fn default_submit() -> String {
+    "Submit".to_string()
+}
+fn default_success() -> String {
+    "Your request has been successfully submitted. We will get back to you soon.".to_string()
+}
+fn default_message_from() -> String {
+    "Message from".to_string()
+}
 /// Localization strings.
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
 pub struct Strings {
+    #[serde(default)]
     pub description: String,
+    #[serde(default = "default_title")]
     pub title: String,
+    #[serde(default = "default_optional")]
     pub optional: String,
+    #[serde(default = "default_submit")]
     pub submit: String,
+    #[serde(default = "default_success")]
     pub success: String,
+    #[serde(default = "default_message_from")]
     pub message_from: String,
     pub name_field: NameField,
     pub email_field: EmailField,
@@ -104,13 +135,16 @@ pub struct Strings {
     pub error_messages: ErrorMessages,
 }
 
+fn default_path_prefix() -> String {
+    "/".to_string()
+}
 fn default_lang() -> String {
     "en".to_string()
 }
-
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
 pub struct StateConfig {
     /// The path prefix of all routes.
+    #[serde(default = "default_path_prefix")]
     pub path_prefix: String,
     pub custom_fields: Vec<CustomField>,
     /// The language tag of the HTML file.
@@ -119,29 +153,35 @@ pub struct StateConfig {
     pub strings: Strings,
 }
 
+fn default_socket_address() -> String {
+    "0.0.0.0:80".to_string()
+}
 /// Configuration.
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
 pub struct Config {
     /// The server socket address including port.
+    #[serde(default = "default_socket_address")]
     pub socket_address: String,
     pub email: Email,
-    pub log_file: String,
     pub utc_offset: UtcOffset,
     #[serde(flatten)]
     pub state_config: StateConfig,
 }
 
 impl Config {
-    /// Parses the configuration from the config path in the environment variable.
-    pub fn build() -> Result<Self> {
-        // The environment variable with the path to the config file.
-        let config_file_var = "CF_CONFIG_FILE";
-        let config_path = env::var(config_file_var)
-            .with_context(|| format!("Environment variable {config_file_var} missing!"))?;
+    /// Parses the configuration in the given data directory.
+    pub fn build(data_dir: &Path) -> Result<Self> {
+        let reader = {
+            let mut buf = data_dir.to_path_buf();
+            buf.push("config.yaml");
+
+            let file = File::open(&buf).with_context(|| {
+                format!("Can not open the config file at the path {}", buf.display())
+            })?;
+
+            BufReader::new(file)
+        };
 
-        let file = File::open(&config_path)
-            .with_context(|| format!("Can not open the config file at the path {config_path}"))?;
-        let reader = BufReader::new(file);
         let mut config: Self =
             serde_yaml::from_reader(reader).context("Can not parse the YAML config file!")?;
 
diff --git a/src/logging.rs b/src/logging.rs
index b98d464..d05c77b 100644
--- a/src/logging.rs
+++ b/src/logging.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use anyhow::{Context, Result};
-use std::fs::OpenOptions;
+use std::{fs::OpenOptions, path::Path};
 use time::{format_description::well_known::Rfc3339, UtcOffset};
 use tracing_subscriber::{
     filter::LevelFilter,
@@ -9,11 +9,13 @@ use tracing_subscriber::{
     Layer,
 };
 
+use crate::config;
+
 /// Initializes the logger.
-pub fn init_logger(log_file: &str, utc_offset_hours: i8, utc_offset_minutes: i8) -> Result<()> {
+pub fn init_logger(data_dir: &Path, utc_offset: &config::UtcOffset) -> Result<()> {
     // Set UTC offset for time formatting.
     let timer = OffsetTime::new(
-        UtcOffset::from_hms(utc_offset_hours, utc_offset_minutes, 0)
+        UtcOffset::from_hms(utc_offset.hours, utc_offset.minutes, 0)
             .context("Failed to set the time offset from the given utc_hours_offset!")?,
         Rfc3339,
     );
@@ -31,11 +33,16 @@ pub fn init_logger(log_file: &str, utc_offset_hours: i8, utc_offset_minutes: i8)
         .with_filter(stdout_level_filter);
 
     // Log file.
-    let log_file = OpenOptions::new()
-        .create(true)
-        .append(true)
-        .open(log_file)
-        .context("Failed to open the log file in append mode!")?;
+    let log_file = {
+        let mut buf = data_dir.to_path_buf();
+        buf.push("log.txt");
+
+        OpenOptions::new()
+            .create(true)
+            .append(true)
+            .open(buf)
+            .context("Failed to open the log file in append mode!")?
+    };
     let file_layer = fmt::layer()
         .with_writer(log_file)
         .with_ansi(false)
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 7398113..ad1f164 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -13,20 +13,23 @@ use axum::{
     routing::{get, get_service, Router},
     Server,
 };
-use std::{net::SocketAddr, process};
+use std::{env, net::SocketAddr, path::PathBuf, process};
 use tower_http::services::ServeDir;
 use tracing::{error, info};
 
 use crate::{config::Config, states::AppState};
 
-async fn init(logger_initialized: &mut bool) -> Result<()> {
-    let config = Config::build()?;
+const DATA_DIR_ENV_VAR: &str = "CF_DATA_DIR";
 
-    logging::init_logger(
-        &config.log_file,
-        config.utc_offset.hours,
-        config.utc_offset.minutes,
-    )?;
+async fn init(logger_initialized: &mut bool) -> Result<()> {
+    let data_dir = PathBuf::from(
+        env::var(DATA_DIR_ENV_VAR)
+            .with_context(|| format!("Environment variable {DATA_DIR_ENV_VAR} missing!"))?,
+    );
+
+    let config = Config::build(&data_dir)?;
+
+    logging::init_logger(&data_dir, &config.utc_offset)?;
     *logger_initialized = true;
 
     // The path prefix of all routes.