diff --git a/index.d.ts b/index.d.ts
index 0b71ace..bbf7dd8 100644
--- a/index.d.ts
+++ b/index.d.ts
@@ -2,3 +2,31 @@ declare module '@exajs/core' {
     const exa: any;
     export default exa;
 }
+
+declare module '@exajs/core/database' {
+    const connection: any;
+    const models: any;
+    export { connection, models };
+}
+
+declare module '@exajs/core/database/models' {
+    const models: any;
+    export default models;
+}
+
+declare module '@exajs/core/database/connection' {
+    const connection: any;
+    export default connection;
+}
+
+declare module '@exajs/core/system/sequelize' {
+    const sequelize: any;
+    export default sequelize;
+    export * from 'sequelize';
+}
+
+declare module '@exajs/core/util' {
+    import json from '#exa/util/json.js';
+
+    export { json };
+}
diff --git a/lib/core/config.js b/lib/core/config.js
index 8eef0ac..76669b0 100644
--- a/lib/core/config.js
+++ b/lib/core/config.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ let config = {
     /**
      * internal config
      */
-    version: '0.0.12',
+    version: '0.0.13',
 
     paths: {
         root: '',
diff --git a/lib/database/index.js b/lib/database/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..96b952b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/database/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+import connection from '#exa/database/connection.js';
+import models from '#exa/database/models.js';
+
+export { connection, models };
diff --git a/lib/http/express.js b/lib/http/express.js
index fae8ad9..baa1b17 100644
--- a/lib/http/express.js
+++ b/lib/http/express.js
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ export const init = async () => {
     app.use(cors());
     app.use(multer({ storage: multer.memoryStorage() }).any());
     app.use(Express.json({ limit: '16mb' }));
+    app.use(Express.urlencoded({ extended: true }));
     app.use('/public', Express.static(`${config.paths.root}/public`));
 
     // mounted http controller routes
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 3ddcf57..7c3a09c 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import * as dotenv from 'dotenv';
-dotenv.config();
+import dotenv_expand from 'dotenv-expand';
+dotenv_expand.expand(dotenv.config());
 
 import config, { init as init_config } from '#exa/core/config.js';
 import connection, { init as init_db } from '#exa/database/connection.js';
diff --git a/lib/system/index.js b/lib/system/index.js
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/lib/util/index.js b/lib/util/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..43efb12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/util/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+import json from '#exa/util/json.js';
+
+export { json };
diff --git a/lib/util/json.js b/lib/util/json.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3db05a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/util/json.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+export default new class {
+
+    safe_parse(json, def) {
+        try {
+            return JSON.parse(json);
+        } catch {
+            return def ?? json;
+        }
+    }
+
+};
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 6bef552..0c5d1ee 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,17 +1,18 @@
 {
     "name": "@exajs/core",
-    "version": "0.0.10",
+    "version": "0.0.13",
     "lockfileVersion": 3,
     "requires": true,
     "packages": {
         "": {
             "name": "@exajs/core",
-            "version": "0.0.10",
+            "version": "0.0.13",
             "license": "MIT",
             "dependencies": {
                 "chalk": "5.3.0",
                 "cors": "2.8.5",
                 "dotenv": "16.4.5",
+                "dotenv-expand": "11.0.6",
                 "express": "4.19.2",
                 "glob": "10.4.1",
                 "luxon": "3.4.4",
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@
                 "pg-hstore": "2.3.4",
                 "sequelize": "6.37.3",
                 "sqlite3": "5.1.7",
-                "ws": "^8.18.0"
+                "ws": "8.18.0"
             },
             "bin": {
                 "exajs": "bin/exa.js"
@@ -852,6 +853,20 @@
                 "url": "https://dotenvx.com"
             }
         },
+        "node_modules/dotenv-expand": {
+            "version": "11.0.6",
+            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/dotenv-expand/-/dotenv-expand-11.0.6.tgz",
+            "integrity": "sha512-8NHi73otpWsZGBSZwwknTXS5pqMOrk9+Ssrna8xCaxkzEpU9OTf9R5ArQGVw03//Zmk9MOwLPng9WwndvpAJ5g==",
+            "dependencies": {
+                "dotenv": "^16.4.4"
+            },
+            "engines": {
+                "node": ">=12"
+            },
+            "funding": {
+                "url": "https://dotenvx.com"
+            }
+        },
         "node_modules/dottie": {
             "version": "2.0.6",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/dottie/-/dottie-2.0.6.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e1854b1..ed55bf0 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
     "name": "@exajs/core",
     "type": "module",
     "author": "Brian Seymour <@realtux>",
-    "version": "0.0.12",
+    "version": "0.0.13",
     "description": "modern opinionated node.js framework",
     "license": "MIT",
     "homepage": "https://github.com/realtux/exa",
@@ -20,15 +20,17 @@
     },
     "exports": {
         ".": "./lib/index.js",
+        "./database": "./lib/database/index.js",
         "./database/models": "./lib/database/models.js",
         "./database/connection": "./lib/database/connection.js",
-        "./system": "./lib/system/index.js",
-        "./system/sequelize": "./lib/system/sequelize.js"
+        "./system/sequelize": "./lib/system/sequelize.js",
+        "./util": "./lib/util/index.js"
     },
     "dependencies": {
         "chalk": "5.3.0",
         "cors": "2.8.5",
         "dotenv": "16.4.5",
+        "dotenv-expand": "11.0.6",
         "express": "4.19.2",
         "glob": "10.4.1",
         "luxon": "3.4.4",