diff --git a/cmd/gonic/gonic.go b/cmd/gonic/gonic.go
index 0d0e5099..9f171de1 100644
--- a/cmd/gonic/gonic.go
+++ b/cmd/gonic/gonic.go
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import (
 	"go.senan.xyz/gonic/listenbrainz"
 	"go.senan.xyz/gonic/playlist"
 	"go.senan.xyz/gonic/podcast"
+	"go.senan.xyz/gonic/sandbox"
 	"go.senan.xyz/gonic/scanner"
 	"go.senan.xyz/gonic/scrobble"
 	"go.senan.xyz/gonic/server/ctrladmin"
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func main() {
+	sandbox.Init ()
 	confListenAddr := flag.String("listen-addr", "0.0.0.0:4747", "listen address (optional)")
 
 	confTLSCert := flag.String("tls-cert", "", "path to TLS certificate (optional)")
@@ -98,7 +100,11 @@ func main() {
 
 	flag.Parse()
 	flagconf.ParseEnv()
-	flagconf.ParseConfig(*confConfigPath)
+
+	if *confConfigPath != "" {
+		sandbox.ReadOnlyPath(*confConfigPath);
+		flagconf.ParseConfig(*confConfigPath)
+	}
 
 	if *confShowVersion {
 		fmt.Printf("v%s\n", gonic.Version)
@@ -115,17 +121,21 @@ func main() {
 
 	var err error
 	for i, confMusicPath := range confMusicPaths {
+		sandbox.ReadOnlyPath (confMusicPath.path)
 		if confMusicPaths[i].path, err = validatePath(confMusicPath.path); err != nil {
 			log.Fatalf("checking music dir %q: %v", confMusicPath.path, err)
 		}
 	}
 
+	sandbox.ReadWriteCreatePath (*confPodcastPath)
 	if *confPodcastPath, err = validatePath(*confPodcastPath); err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("checking podcast directory: %v", err)
 	}
+	sandbox.ReadWriteCreatePath (*confCachePath)
 	if *confCachePath, err = validatePath(*confCachePath); err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("checking cache directory: %v", err)
 	}
+	sandbox.ReadWriteCreatePath (*confPlaylistsPath)
 	if *confPlaylistsPath, err = validatePath(*confPlaylistsPath); err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("checking playlist directory: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -156,6 +166,14 @@ func main() {
 		log.Panicf("error migrating database: %v\n", err)
 	}
 
+
+	if *confTLSCert != "" && *confTLSKey != "" {
+		sandbox.ReadOnlyPath(*confTLSCert);
+		sandbox.ReadOnlyPath(*confTLSKey);
+	}
+
+	sandbox.AllPathsAdded ()
+
 	var musicPaths []ctrlsubsonic.MusicPath
 	for _, pa := range confMusicPaths {
 		musicPaths = append(musicPaths, ctrlsubsonic.MusicPath{Alias: pa.alias, Path: pa.path})
diff --git a/db/db.go b/db/db.go
index ab5a9485..677a730b 100644
--- a/db/db.go
+++ b/db/db.go
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/jinzhu/gorm"
 	"github.com/mattn/go-sqlite3"
 
+	"go.senan.xyz/gonic/sandbox"
+
 	// TODO: remove this dep
 	"go.senan.xyz/gonic/server/ctrlsubsonic/specid"
 )
@@ -48,6 +50,10 @@ func New(path string, options url.Values) (*DB, error) {
 		Scheme: "file",
 		Opaque: path,
 	}
+	sandbox.ReadWriteCreatePath (path)
+	sandbox.ReadWriteCreatePath (path + "-wal")
+	sandbox.ReadWriteCreatePath (path + "-shm")
+	sandbox.ReadWriteCreatePath (path + "-journal")
 	url.RawQuery = options.Encode()
 	db, err := gorm.Open("sqlite3", url.String())
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/db/migrations.go b/db/migrations.go
index 447bfdf6..a4ba8a6e 100644
--- a/db/migrations.go
+++ b/db/migrations.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/jinzhu/gorm"
 	"go.senan.xyz/gonic/fileutil"
 	"go.senan.xyz/gonic/playlist"
+	"go.senan.xyz/gonic/sandbox"
 	"go.senan.xyz/gonic/server/ctrlsubsonic/specid"
 	"gopkg.in/gormigrate.v1"
 )
@@ -734,7 +735,9 @@ func backupDBPre016(tx *gorm.DB, ctx MigrationContext) error {
 	if !ctx.Production {
 		return nil
 	}
-	return Dump(context.Background(), tx, fmt.Sprintf("%s.%d.bak", ctx.DBPath, time.Now().Unix()))
+	backupPath := fmt.Sprintf("%s.%d.bak", ctx.DBPath, time.Now().Unix())
+	sandbox.ReadWriteCreatePath(backupPath)
+	return Dump(context.Background(), tx, backupPath)
 }
 
 func migrateAlbumTagArtistString(tx *gorm.DB, _ MigrationContext) error {
diff --git a/sandbox/none.go b/sandbox/none.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a1f4a3ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sandbox/none.go
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+// +build !openbsd
+
+package sandbox
+
+func Init () {
+}
+
+func ReadOnlyPath (path string) {
+}
+
+func ReadWritePath (path string) {
+}
+
+func ReadWriteCreatePath (path string) {
+}
+
+func AllPathsAdded () {
+}
diff --git a/sandbox/sandbox_openbsd.go b/sandbox/sandbox_openbsd.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3953f553
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sandbox/sandbox_openbsd.go
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+package sandbox
+
+import (
+	"os/exec"
+	"log"
+
+	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
+)
+
+func Init () {
+	if err := unix.PledgePromises("stdio rpath cpath wpath flock inet unveil dns proc exec fattr"); err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf ("failed to pledge: %v", err)
+	}
+	// find the transcoding and jukebox paths before doing any other unveils
+	// otherwise looking for it will fail
+	ffmpegPath, ffmpegErr := exec.LookPath("ffmpeg")
+	mpvPath, mpvErr       := exec.LookPath("mpv")
+	if ffmpegErr == nil || mpvErr == nil {
+		if ffmpegErr == nil {
+			ExecPath(ffmpegPath)
+		}
+		if mpvErr == nil {
+			ExecPath(mpvPath)
+		}
+        } else {
+		// we can restrict our permissions
+		if err := unix.PledgePromises("stdio rpath cpath wpath flock inet unveil dns"); err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf ("failed to pledge: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+	// needed to enable certificate validation
+	ReadOnlyPath ("/etc/ssl/cert.pem")
+}
+
+func ExecPath (path string) {
+	if err := unix.Unveil (path, "rx"); err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf ("failed to unveil exec for %s: %v", path, err)
+	}
+}
+
+func ReadOnlyPath (path string) {
+	if err := unix.Unveil (path, "r"); err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf ("failed to unveil read for %s: %v", path, err)
+	}
+}
+
+func ReadWritePath (path string) {
+	if err := unix.Unveil (path, "rw"); err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf ("failed to unveil read/write for %s: %v", path, err)
+	}
+}
+
+func ReadWriteCreatePath (path string) {
+	if err := unix.Unveil (path, "rwc"); err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf ("failed to unveil read/write/create for %s: %v", path, err)
+	}
+}
+
+func AllPathsAdded () {
+	if err := unix.UnveilBlock(); err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf ("failed to finalize unveil: %v", err)
+	}
+}