diff --git a/config.ini b/config.ini
index fb7977d..b5e24f4 100644
--- a/config.ini
+++ b/config.ini
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+# name of the client build the server is targetting.
+# used for determining which patches to apply.
+# default is beta-20111013 for Academy, beta-20100104 otherwise.
+#buildname=beta-20100104
+
 # verbosity level
 # 0 = mostly silence
 # 1 = debug prints and unknown packets
@@ -46,11 +51,6 @@ motd=Welcome to OpenFusion!
 # location of the patch folder
 #patchdir=tdata/patch/
 
-# Space-separated list of patch folders in patchdir to load from.
-# If you uncomment this, note that Academy builds *must* contain 1013,
-# and pre-Academy builds must *not* contain it.
-#enabledpatches=1013
-
 # xdt json filename
 #xdtdata=xdt.json
 # NPC json filename
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ motd=Welcome to OpenFusion!
 #pathdata=paths.json
 # drop json filename
 #dropdata=drops.json
+# patchmap json filename
+#patchmapdata=patchmap.json
 # gruntwork output filename (this is what you submit)
 #gruntwork=gruntwork.json
 # location of the database
diff --git a/src/TableData.cpp b/src/TableData.cpp
index a685cee..56ff404 100644
--- a/src/TableData.cpp
+++ b/src/TableData.cpp
@@ -1086,6 +1086,26 @@ static void patchJSON(json* base, json* patch) {
 
 void TableData::init() {
     int32_t nextId = INT32_MAX; // next dynamic ID to hand out
+    json patchmap;
+
+    // load patch map
+    {
+        std::fstream fstream;
+        fstream.open(settings::TDATADIR + "/" + settings::PATCHMAPJSON);
+
+        if (fstream.fail()) {
+            std::cerr << "[FATAL] Critical tdata file missing: " << settings::PATCHMAPJSON << std::endl;
+            exit(1);
+        }
+
+        if (fstream.peek() == std::ifstream::traits_type::eof()) {
+            std::cerr << "[FATAL] Critical tdata file is empty: " << settings::PATCHMAPJSON << std::endl;
+            exit(1);
+        }
+
+        fstream >> patchmap;
+        fstream.close();
+    }
 
     // base JSON tables
     json xdt, paths, drops, eggs, npcs, mobs, gruntwork;
@@ -1134,15 +1154,13 @@ void TableData::init() {
             fstream >> *table.first;
         }
 
-        // patching: load each patch directory specified in the config file
-
-        // split config field into individual patch entries
-        std::stringstream ss(settings::ENABLEDPATCHES);
-        std::istream_iterator<std::string> begin(ss);
-        std::istream_iterator<std::string> end;
+        // patching: load each patch directory specified in patchmap.json
 
+        // fetch list of patches that need to be applied for the current build
         json patch;
-        for (auto it = begin; it != end; it++) {
+        json patchlist = patchmap["patchmap"][settings::BUILDNAME];
+
+        for (auto it = patchlist.begin(); it != patchlist.end(); it++) {
             // this is the theoretical path of a corresponding patch for this file
             std::string patchModuleName = *it;
             std::string patchFile = settings::PATCHDIR + patchModuleName + "/" + table.second;
diff --git a/src/settings.cpp b/src/settings.cpp
index 14d8de4..fb4c722 100644
--- a/src/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/settings.cpp
@@ -47,12 +47,13 @@ std::string settings::GRUNTWORKJSON = "gruntwork.json";
 std::string settings::MOTDSTRING = "Welcome to OpenFusion!";
 std::string settings::DROPSJSON = "drops.json";
 std::string settings::PATHJSON = "paths.json";
+std::string settings::PATCHMAPJSON = "patchmap.json";
 #ifdef ACADEMY
 std::string settings::XDTJSON = "xdt1013.json";
-std::string settings::ENABLEDPATCHES = "1013";
+std::string settings::BUILDNAME = "beta-20111013";
 #else
 std::string settings::XDTJSON = "xdt.json";
-std::string settings::ENABLEDPATCHES = "";
+std::string settings::BUILDNAME = "beta-20100104";
 #endif // ACADEMY
 
 int settings::ACCLEVEL = 1;
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ void settings::init() {
         return;
     }
 
+    BUILDNAME = reader.Get("", "buildname", BUILDNAME);
     VERBOSITY = reader.GetInteger("", "verbosity", VERBOSITY);
     SANDBOX = reader.GetBoolean("", "sandbox", SANDBOX);
     LOGINPORT = reader.GetInteger("login", "port", LOGINPORT);
@@ -105,7 +107,7 @@ void settings::init() {
     DBPATH = reader.Get("shard", "dbpath", DBPATH);
     TDATADIR = reader.Get("shard", "tdatadir", TDATADIR);
     PATCHDIR = reader.Get("shard", "patchdir", PATCHDIR);
-    ENABLEDPATCHES = reader.Get("shard", "enabledpatches", ENABLEDPATCHES);
+    PATCHMAPJSON = reader.Get("shard", "patchmapdata", PATCHMAPJSON);
     ACCLEVEL = reader.GetInteger("shard", "accountlevel", ACCLEVEL);
     EVENTMODE = reader.GetInteger("shard", "eventmode", EVENTMODE);
     DISABLEFIRSTUSEFLAG = reader.GetBoolean("shard", "disablefirstuseflag", DISABLEFIRSTUSEFLAG);
diff --git a/src/settings.hpp b/src/settings.hpp
index 1ea3a43..c226aba 100644
--- a/src/settings.hpp
+++ b/src/settings.hpp
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ namespace settings {
     extern std::string GRUNTWORKJSON;
     extern std::string DBPATH;
     extern std::string PATCHDIR;
-    extern std::string ENABLEDPATCHES;
+    extern std::string PATCHMAPJSON;
+    extern std::string BUILDNAME;
     extern std::string TDATADIR;
     extern int EVENTMODE;
     extern bool MONITORENABLED;