diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 36f9b87..d13ab82 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -26,7 +26,21 @@ module.exports = class Trailpack {
       throw new Error('Trailpack is missing package definition ("pack.pkg")')
     }
     if (!pack.config) {
-      pack.config = { }
+        pack.config = {}
+    }
+    if (!pack.config.trailpack) {
+        pack.config.trailpack = {
+            lifecycle: {
+                initialize: {
+                    listen: [],
+                    emit: []
+                },
+                configure: {
+                    listen: [],
+                    emit: []
+                }
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     Object.defineProperties(this, {
@@ -44,6 +58,7 @@ module.exports = class Trailpack {
       }
     })
 
+    lib.Util.mergeApplicationTrailpackConfig(this.app, pack)
     lib.Util.mergeApplication(this.app, pack)
     lib.Util.mergeApplicationConfig(this.app, pack)
     lib.Util.mergeEnvironmentConfig(pack.config, this.app.config)
diff --git a/lib/util.js b/lib/util.js
index f2ce677..7aa443a 100644
--- a/lib/util.js
+++ b/lib/util.js
@@ -86,6 +86,16 @@ module.exports = {
     })
   },
 
+  /**
+   * Override the trailpack's config with application definition per trailpack
+   */
+  mergeApplicationTrailpackConfig (app, pack) {
+    if (app.config.main.packsConfig[pack.pkg.name]){
+      return _.merge(pack.config.trailpack, app.config.main.packsConfig[pack.pkg.name])
+    }
+    return
+  },
+
   mergeDefaultTrailpackConfig (packConfig, defaultConfig) {
     return _.defaultsDeep(packConfig || { }, defaultConfig.trailpack)
   }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ec0c8b1..00b99fb 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
     "eslint": "^2.11.1",
     "eslint-config-trails": "^1.0.7",
     "mocha": "^2.5.0",
-    "trails": "^1.0.3",
+    "trails": "catrielmuller/trails#config-trailpacks-in-app",
     "smokesignals": "^1.2.2"
   },
   "engines": {
diff --git a/test/app.js b/test/app.js
index 3463d00..30e4bca 100644
--- a/test/app.js
+++ b/test/app.js
@@ -34,6 +34,15 @@ const App = {
       }
     },
     main: {
+      packsConfig: {
+        'trailpack-testpack': {
+          lifecycle: {
+            initialize: {
+              emit: ['trailpack:testpack:custom']
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      },
       packs: [
         smokesignals.Trailpack,
         require('./pack')
diff --git a/test/pack.js b/test/pack.js
index a986424..3a58d71 100644
--- a/test/pack.js
+++ b/test/pack.js
@@ -9,7 +9,19 @@ module.exports = class TestPack extends Trailpack {
         name: 'trailpack-testpack'
       },
       config: {
-        mypack: {}
+        mypack: {},
+        trailpack: {
+          lifecycle: {
+            configure: {
+              listen: [],
+              emit: []
+            },
+            initialize: {
+              listen: [],
+              emit: []
+            }
+          }
+        }
       }
     })
   }
diff --git a/test/pack/config/trailpack.js b/test/pack/config/trailpack.js
index 4643e39..a3ac062 100644
--- a/test/pack/config/trailpack.js
+++ b/test/pack/config/trailpack.js
@@ -4,34 +4,27 @@
  * @see {@link http://trailsjs.io/doc/trailpack/config
  */
 module.exports = {
-
+  type: 'misc',
   /**
-   * API and config resources provided by this Trailpack.
+   * Configure the lifecycle of this pack; that is, how it boots up, and which
+   * order it loads relative to other trailpacks.
    */
-  provides: {
-    api: {
-      controllers: [ ]
-      // ...
-    },
-    config: [ ]
-  },
-
-  events: {
+  lifecycle: {
     configure: {
       /**
        * List of events that must be fired before the configure lifecycle
        * method is invoked on this Trailpack
        */
-      listen: [ ],
+      listen: [],
 
       /**
        * List of events emitted by the configure lifecycle method
        */
-      emit: [ ]
+      emit: []
     },
     initialize: {
-      listen: [ ],
-      emit: [ ]
+      listen: [],
+      emit: []
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/pack/index.js b/test/pack/index.js
index 3c54eef..1e20484 100644
--- a/test/pack/index.js
+++ b/test/pack/index.js
@@ -1,16 +1,14 @@
 'use strict'
 
-const app = {
-  config: require('./config')
-}
 const Trailpack = require('../../')
 
 module.exports = class TestPack extends Trailpack {
 
-  constructor () {
+  constructor (app) {
     super(app, {
       config: require('./config'),
       pkg: require('./package')
     })
   }
+
 }
diff --git a/test/trailpack.test.js b/test/trailpack.test.js
index a3970c1..331ddf2 100644
--- a/test/trailpack.test.js
+++ b/test/trailpack.test.js
@@ -15,6 +15,12 @@ describe('Trailpack', () => {
       global.app.after('trailpack:testpack:constructed').then(() => done() )
       new TestPack(global.app)
     })
+    it('should override the trailpack config', () => {
+      global.app.after('trailpack:testpack:constructed').then(() => {
+        assert.equal(pack.config.lifecycle.initialize.emit[0], 'trailpack:testpack:custom')
+      })
+      const pack = new TestPack(global.app)
+    })
   })
 
   describe('#name', () => {
@@ -45,5 +51,6 @@ describe('Trailpack', () => {
       pack.log.debug('hello')
     })
   })
+
 })