diff --git a/docs/configuration_file.md b/docs/configuration_file.md
index 5b0eb5225..bff0f0fd6 100644
--- a/docs/configuration_file.md
+++ b/docs/configuration_file.md
@@ -10,10 +10,12 @@ By loading a JSON file, you can set VolView's configuration:
 
 ## Loading Configuration Files
 
-Use the `config` URL parameter to load configuration before data files:
+Include configuration files in the `urls` URL parameter. VolView recognizes
+configuration JSON by its contents and applies it before displaying imported
+data:
 
 ```
-https://volview.kitware.com/?config=https://example.com/config.json&urls=https://example.com/data.nrrd
+https://volview.kitware.com/?urls=[https://example.com/data.nrrd,https://example.com/config.json]
 ```
 
 ## View Layouts
diff --git a/src/actions/loadUserFiles.ts b/src/actions/loadUserFiles.ts
index eef438ff4..a798d3ebd 100644
--- a/src/actions/loadUserFiles.ts
+++ b/src/actions/loadUserFiles.ts
@@ -418,7 +418,6 @@ function urlsToDataSources(urls: string[], names: string[] = []): DataSource[] {
 type LoadUrlsParams = {
   urls?: string[];
   names?: string[];
-  config?: string[];
 };
 
 export async function loadUrls(params: UrlParams | LoadUrlsParams) {
@@ -428,24 +427,17 @@ export async function loadUrls(params: UrlParams | LoadUrlsParams) {
 export async function loadUrlsWithOutcome(
   params: UrlParams | LoadUrlsParams
 ): Promise<Pick<LoadDataSourcesOutcome, 'datasetIds' | 'hadErrors'>> {
-  const outcomes: LoadDataSourcesOutcome[] = [];
-  if (params.config) {
-    const configUrls = wrapInArray(params.config);
-    const configSources = urlsToDataSources(configUrls, []);
-    outcomes.push(
-      await loadDataSourcesWithOutcome(configSources, importDataSources)
-    );
+  if (!params.urls) {
+    return { datasetIds: [], hadErrors: false };
   }
 
-  if (params.urls) {
-    const urls = wrapInArray(params.urls);
-    const names = wrapInArray(params.names ?? []);
-    const sources = urlsToDataSources(urls, names);
-    outcomes.push(await loadDataSourcesWithOutcome(sources, importDataSources));
-  }
+  const urls = wrapInArray(params.urls);
+  const names = wrapInArray(params.names ?? []);
+  const sources = urlsToDataSources(urls, names);
+  const outcome = await loadDataSourcesWithOutcome(sources, importDataSources);
   return {
-    datasetIds: outcomes.flatMap(({ datasetIds }) => datasetIds),
-    hadErrors: outcomes.some(({ hadErrors }) => hadErrors),
+    datasetIds: outcome.datasetIds,
+    hadErrors: outcome.hadErrors,
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/io/import/__tests__/processingConfigInjection.spec.ts b/src/io/import/__tests__/processingConfigInjection.spec.ts
index 6f4420ead..c24dfe231 100644
--- a/src/io/import/__tests__/processingConfigInjection.spec.ts
+++ b/src/io/import/__tests__/processingConfigInjection.spec.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // Config-by-shape + origin gate, exercised through the real import pipeline.
 // There is no channel distinction: a provider config registers iff its origin
 // passes the runtime gate, no matter how it arrived
-// (a `config`-role uri, a plain `urls=` file, or a dropped file).
+// (a plain `urls=` file, a manifest resource, or a dropped file).
 
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import { createPinia, setActivePinia } from 'pinia';
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ describe('processing config injection (config-by-shape, origin-gated)', () => {
     vi.restoreAllMocks();
   });
 
-  it('registers a same-origin provider from a plain urls= file (no config role)', async () => {
+  it('registers a same-origin provider from a plain urls= file alongside ordinary data', async () => {
     const [
       { importDataSources },
       { uriToDataSource },
@@ -59,8 +59,12 @@ describe('processing config injection (config-by-shape, origin-gated)', () => {
       import('@/src/processing'),
     ]);
 
-    // No 'config' role on the parent: registration is by shape, not channel.
-    const dataSource: DataSource = {
+    const ordinaryDataSource: DataSource = {
+      type: 'file',
+      file: jsonFile({ vertices: [[0, 0, 0]] }, 'data.json'),
+      fileType: 'application/json',
+    };
+    const configDataSource: DataSource = {
       type: 'file',
       file: jsonFile(
         configWithProvider('/api/v1/folder/abc/volview_processing')
@@ -72,7 +76,7 @@ describe('processing config injection (config-by-shape, origin-gated)', () => {
       ),
     };
 
-    await importDataSources([dataSource]);
+    await importDataSources([ordinaryDataSource, configDataSource]);
 
     expect(useProcessingJobsStore().configs.size).toBe(1);
   });
diff --git a/src/store/__tests__/remote-save-state.spec.ts b/src/store/__tests__/remote-save-state.spec.ts
index 3c8894a2b..ce2635ec4 100644
--- a/src/store/__tests__/remote-save-state.spec.ts
+++ b/src/store/__tests__/remote-save-state.spec.ts
@@ -75,9 +75,9 @@ describe('remote save target', () => {
 });
 
 // A successful save repoints ONLY the tab's `urls=` at the returned
-// `resumeUrl` so a future F5 reloads the save — no reload, and `save=`, the
-// in-memory save target, and `config=` are all untouched. No `resumeUrl` (or
-// an unparseable body) leaves the tab as-is.
+// `resumeUrl` so a future F5 reloads the save — no reload, and `save=` plus the
+// in-memory save target are untouched. No `resumeUrl` (or an unparseable body)
+// leaves the tab as-is.
 describe('resume repoint on save', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     setActivePinia(createPinia());
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ describe('resume repoint on save', () => {
     window.history.replaceState(null, '', window.location.pathname);
   });
 
-  it('repoints urls= to the resumeUrl and leaves the save target alone (save=/config= untouched)', async () => {
+  it('repoints urls= to the resumeUrl and leaves the save target alone', async () => {
     const resumeUrl = '/api/v1/item/session-123/volview';
     vi.mocked($fetch).mockResolvedValue(
       new Response(JSON.stringify({ resumeUrl }), { status: 200 })
diff --git a/src/utils/urlParams.test.ts b/src/utils/urlParams.test.ts
index 4bb977410..227b3ea9a 100644
--- a/src/utils/urlParams.test.ts
+++ b/src/utils/urlParams.test.ts
@@ -58,15 +58,20 @@ describe('normalizeUrlParams', () => {
     ]);
   });
 
-  it('handles config and names parameters', () => {
+  it('handles names parameters', () => {
     const result = normalizeUrlParams({
-      config: 'https://example.com/config.json',
       names: ['Image 1', 'Image 2'],
     });
-    expect(result.config).toEqual(['https://example.com/config.json']);
     expect(result.names).toEqual(['Image 1', 'Image 2']);
   });
 
+  it('ignores unsupported URL parameters', () => {
+    const result = normalizeUrlParams({
+      config: 'https://example.com/config.json',
+    });
+    expect(result).toEqual({});
+  });
+
   it('treats relative paths as valid URLs', () => {
     const result = normalizeUrlParams({
       urls: 'relative-path',
diff --git a/src/utils/urlParams.ts b/src/utils/urlParams.ts
index 01b4ca8af..aeb2bb1c0 100644
--- a/src/utils/urlParams.ts
+++ b/src/utils/urlParams.ts
@@ -2,15 +2,14 @@ import { UrlParams } from '@vueuse/core';
 import vtkURLExtract from '@kitware/vtk.js/Common/Core/URLExtract';
 import { logError } from '@/src/utils/loggers';
 
-// This module owns the tab's launch params (`urls=`, `names=`, `config=`,
-// `save=`): both READING them at boot (readLaunchParams) and REWRITING them
-// after a remote save (repointLaunchUrls). Keeping both sides here means the
-// stale-`names=` interaction below stays next to the parsing it protects.
+// This module owns the tab's launch params (`urls=`, `names=`, `save=`): both
+// READING them at boot (readLaunchParams) and REWRITING them after a remote save
+// (repointLaunchUrls). Keeping both sides here means the stale-`names=`
+// interaction below stays next to the parsing it protects.
 
 type ParsedUrlParams = {
   urls?: string[];
   names?: string[];
-  config?: string[];
   save?: string | string[];
 };
 
@@ -66,21 +65,6 @@ export const normalizeUrlParams = (rawParams: UrlParams): ParsedUrlParams => {
     normalized.names = parseUrlArray(rawParams.names);
   }
 
-  if (rawParams.config) {
-    const configs = parseUrlArray(rawParams.config);
-    const validConfigs = configs.filter((url) => {
-      const isValid = isValidUrl(url);
-      if (!isValid) {
-        logError(new Error(`Invalid URL in config parameter: ${url}`));
-      }
-      return isValid;
-    });
-
-    if (validConfigs.length > 0) {
-      normalized.config = validConfigs;
-    }
-  }
-
   if (rawParams.save) {
     normalized.save = rawParams.save;
   }
@@ -104,8 +88,8 @@ export const readLaunchParams = (): ParsedUrlParams => {
 // On a successful remote save the backend returns `resumeUrl` — the saved
 // session's load URL. Repoint ONLY the tab's `urls=` at it (so a future F5
 // reloads the just-made save instead of the fresh launch manifest), via
-// `history.replaceState` (no reload). `save=` and `config=` are untouched:
-// every save keeps going to the launch-provided target.
+// `history.replaceState` (no reload). `save=` is untouched: every save keeps
+// going to the launch-provided target.
 export const repointLaunchUrls = (resumeUrl: string) => {
   const url = new URL(window.location.toString());
   url.searchParams.set('urls', resumeUrl);
diff --git a/tests/specs/automatic-layering.e2e.ts b/tests/specs/automatic-layering.e2e.ts
index 470635287..8010fcfbf 100644
--- a/tests/specs/automatic-layering.e2e.ts
+++ b/tests/specs/automatic-layering.e2e.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ describe('Automatic Layering by File Name', () => {
     await writeManifestToFile(config, configFileName);
 
     await volViewPage.open(
-      `?config=[tmp/${configFileName}]&urls=[${FETUS_DATASET.url},${FETUS_DATASET.url}]&names=[base-image.mha,base-image.layer.mha]`
+      `?urls=[${FETUS_DATASET.url},${FETUS_DATASET.url},tmp/${configFileName}]&names=[base-image.mha,base-image.layer.mha,${configFileName}]`
     );
     await volViewPage.waitForViews();
 
diff --git a/tests/specs/cine-rendering.e2e.ts b/tests/specs/cine-rendering.e2e.ts
index fe98e69d0..a27364521 100644
--- a/tests/specs/cine-rendering.e2e.ts
+++ b/tests/specs/cine-rendering.e2e.ts
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ async function openCineDatasetWithConfig(config: unknown, configName: string) {
   const configFileName = `${configName}-${Date.now()}.json`;
   await writeManifestToFile(config, configFileName);
   await volViewPage.open(
-    `?config=[tmp/${configFileName}]&urls=[tmp/${CINE_US_DATASET.name}]`
+    `?urls=[tmp/${CINE_US_DATASET.name},tmp/${configFileName}]`
   );
   await volViewPage.waitForViews();
   const notifications = await volViewPage.getNotificationsCount();
diff --git a/tests/specs/configTestUtils.ts b/tests/specs/configTestUtils.ts
index 296d7769c..74724384d 100644
--- a/tests/specs/configTestUtils.ts
+++ b/tests/specs/configTestUtils.ts
@@ -109,9 +109,9 @@ export const openConfigAndDataset = async (
   await writeManifestToFile(config, configFileName);
 
   await volViewPage.open(
-    `?config=[tmp/${configFileName}]&urls=${dataset.url}&names=${
+    `?urls=[${dataset.url},tmp/${configFileName}]&names=[${
       dataset.name ?? ''
-    }`
+    },${configFileName}]`
   );
   await volViewPage.waitForViews();
 };
diff --git a/tests/specs/different-direction-labelmap.e2e.ts b/tests/specs/different-direction-labelmap.e2e.ts
index b755c0cf7..04c0f685a 100644
--- a/tests/specs/different-direction-labelmap.e2e.ts
+++ b/tests/specs/different-direction-labelmap.e2e.ts
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ describe('Labelmap with different direction matrix', () => {
       fs.unlinkSync(configFilePath);
     });
 
-    const urlParams = `?urls=[tmp/${manifestFileName}]&config=[tmp/${configFileName}]`;
+    const urlParams = `?urls=[tmp/${manifestFileName},tmp/${configFileName}]`;
     await volViewPage.open(urlParams);
     await volViewPage.waitForViews();
     const notifications = await volViewPage.getNotificationsCount();