diff --git a/apps/api/package.json b/apps/api/package.json
index a9b7d46..a9c3f60 100644
--- a/apps/api/package.json
+++ b/apps/api/package.json
@@ -2,5 +2,16 @@
   "name": "@aiquant/api",
   "version": "0.0.0",
   "private": true,
-  "type": "module"
+  "type": "module",
+  "scripts": {
+    "test": "vitest run --"
+  },
+  "dependencies": {
+    "@aiquant/shared": "workspace:*",
+    "zod": "^3.24.1"
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "typescript": "^5.9.2",
+    "vitest": "^2.1.9"
+  }
 }
diff --git a/apps/api/src/config/config.test.ts b/apps/api/src/config/config.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..90a00f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/src/config/config.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { createConfigFromEnv, createModelProfileRegistry } from "./model-profile-registry";
+
+describe("model profile registry", () => {
+  const env = {
+    MODEL_PROFILES_JSON: JSON.stringify([
+      {
+        name: "signal.fast.v1",
+        provider: "openai-compatible",
+        apiBase: "https://example.com/v1",
+        apiKeyRef: "OPENAI_API_KEY",
+        model: "gpt-4.1-mini",
+        temperature: 0.2,
+        timeoutMs: 10000,
+        capabilities: {
+          structuredOutputs: true,
+          jsonMode: true,
+        },
+        tags: ["fast"],
+      },
+      {
+        name: "optimizer.reasoning.v1",
+        provider: "openai-compatible",
+        apiBase: "https://example.com/v1",
+        apiKeyRef: "OPENAI_API_KEY",
+        model: "o4-mini",
+        temperature: 0.6,
+        timeoutMs: 20000,
+        capabilities: {
+          structuredOutputs: true,
+          jsonMode: true,
+        },
+        tags: ["reasoning"],
+      },
+    ]),
+    AGENT_MODEL_BINDINGS_JSON: JSON.stringify({
+      signal: "signal.fast.v1",
+      risk: "signal.fast.v1",
+      evaluator: "optimizer.reasoning.v1",
+      optimizer: "optimizer.reasoning.v1",
+    }),
+  };
+
+  it("loads model profiles from environment-backed config", () => {
+    const config = createConfigFromEnv(env);
+
+    expect(config.modelProfiles).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(config.agentBindings.optimizer).toBe("optimizer.reasoning.v1");
+  });
+
+  it("resolves agent bindings to concrete profiles", () => {
+    const config = createConfigFromEnv(env);
+    const registry = createModelProfileRegistry(config);
+
+    expect(registry.get("signal.fast.v1").model).toBe("gpt-4.1-mini");
+    expect(registry.resolveAgentBinding("optimizer").model).toBe("o4-mini");
+  });
+
+  it("rejects bindings to unknown profiles", () => {
+    expect(() =>
+      createModelProfileRegistry({
+        modelProfiles: createConfigFromEnv(env).modelProfiles,
+        agentBindings: {
+          signal: "signal.fast.v1",
+          risk: "signal.fast.v1",
+          evaluator: "signal.fast.v1",
+          optimizer: "missing-profile",
+        },
+      }),
+    ).toThrow(/Unknown model profile/);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/api/src/config/env.ts b/apps/api/src/config/env.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d05a0cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/src/config/env.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import { z } from "zod";
+
+const jsonStringSchema = z.string().min(1);
+
+export const agentBindingSchema = z.object({
+  signal: z.string().min(1),
+  risk: z.string().min(1),
+  evaluator: z.string().min(1),
+  optimizer: z.string().min(1),
+});
+
+export const configEnvSchema = z.object({
+  MODEL_PROFILES_JSON: jsonStringSchema,
+  AGENT_MODEL_BINDINGS_JSON: jsonStringSchema,
+});
+
+export type AgentBindings = z.infer<typeof agentBindingSchema>;
+export type ConfigEnv = z.infer<typeof configEnvSchema>;
diff --git a/apps/api/src/config/model-profile-registry.ts b/apps/api/src/config/model-profile-registry.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..44bdcef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/src/config/model-profile-registry.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import { modelProfileSchema, type ModelProfile } from "@aiquant/shared";
+import { agentBindingSchema, configEnvSchema, type AgentBindings } from "./env";
+
+export interface AppConfig {
+  modelProfiles: ModelProfile[];
+  agentBindings: AgentBindings;
+}
+
+export interface ModelProfileRegistry {
+  get(name: string): ModelProfile;
+  resolveAgentBinding(agent: keyof AgentBindings): ModelProfile;
+}
+
+export function createConfigFromEnv(env: Record<string, string | undefined>): AppConfig {
+  const parsedEnv = configEnvSchema.parse(env);
+
+  return {
+    modelProfiles: modelProfileSchema.array().parse(JSON.parse(parsedEnv.MODEL_PROFILES_JSON)),
+    agentBindings: agentBindingSchema.parse(JSON.parse(parsedEnv.AGENT_MODEL_BINDINGS_JSON)),
+  };
+}
+
+export function createModelProfileRegistry(config: AppConfig): ModelProfileRegistry {
+  const profilesByName = new Map(config.modelProfiles.map((profile) => [profile.name, profile]));
+
+  const requireProfile = (profileName: string): ModelProfile => {
+    const profile = profilesByName.get(profileName);
+
+    if (!profile) {
+      throw new Error(`Unknown model profile: ${profileName}`);
+    }
+
+    return profile;
+  };
+
+  Object.values(config.agentBindings).forEach(requireProfile);
+
+  return {
+    get(name) {
+      return requireProfile(name);
+    },
+    resolveAgentBinding(agent) {
+      return requireProfile(config.agentBindings[agent]);
+    },
+  };
+}
diff --git a/packages/shared/package.json b/packages/shared/package.json
index 2bdc995..6fb1e6f 100644
--- a/packages/shared/package.json
+++ b/packages/shared/package.json
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
   "version": "0.0.0",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
+  "exports": {
+    ".": "./src/index.ts"
+  },
   "scripts": {
     "test": "vitest run --"
   },