diff --git a/internal/api/nats.go b/internal/api/nats.go
index e02e424..1bfe905 100644
--- a/internal/api/nats.go
+++ b/internal/api/nats.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ClusterCockpit/cc-backend/internal/archiver"
+	"github.com/ClusterCockpit/cc-backend/internal/config"
 	"github.com/ClusterCockpit/cc-backend/internal/importer"
 	"github.com/ClusterCockpit/cc-backend/internal/repository"
 	"github.com/ClusterCockpit/cc-backend/pkg/nats"
@@ -20,13 +21,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ClusterCockpit/cc-lib/schema"
 )
 
-// NATS subject constants for Job and Node APIs.
-const (
-	SubjectJobStart  = "cc.job.start"
-	SubjectJobStop   = "cc.job.stop"
-	SubjectNodeState = "cc.node.state"
-)
-
 // NatsAPI provides NATS subscription-based handlers for Job and Node operations.
 // It mirrors the functionality of the REST API but uses NATS messaging.
 type NatsAPI struct {
@@ -52,19 +46,24 @@ func (api *NatsAPI) StartSubscriptions() error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	if err := client.Subscribe(SubjectJobStart, api.handleStartJob); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+	if config.Keys.APISubjects != nil {
 
-	if err := client.Subscribe(SubjectJobStop, api.handleStopJob); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+		s := config.Keys.APISubjects
 
-	if err := client.Subscribe(SubjectNodeState, api.handleNodeState); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+		if err := client.Subscribe(s.SubjectJobStart, api.handleStartJob); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
-	cclog.Info("NATS API subscriptions started")
+		if err := client.Subscribe(s.SubjectJobStop, api.handleStopJob); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		if err := client.Subscribe(s.SubjectNodeState, api.handleNodeState); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		cclog.Info("NATS API subscriptions started")
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index 69a4444..25ca27e 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ type ProgramConfig struct {
 	// Addresses from which secured admin API endpoints can be reached, can be wildcard "*"
 	APIAllowedIPs []string `json:"apiAllowedIPs"`
 
+	APISubjects *NATSConfig `json:"apiSubjects"`
+
 	// Drop root permissions once .env was read and the port was taken.
 	User  string `json:"user"`
 	Group string `json:"group"`
@@ -87,6 +89,12 @@ type ResampleConfig struct {
 	Trigger int `json:"trigger"`
 }
 
+type NATSConfig struct {
+	SubjectJobStart  string `json:"subjectJobStart"`
+	SubjectJobStop   string `json:"subjectJobStop"`
+	SubjectNodeState string `json:"subjectNodeState"`
+}
+
 type IntRange struct {
 	From int `json:"from"`
 	To   int `json:"to"`