diff --git a/lib/config/builder/value.ts b/lib/config/builder/value.ts
index 7092a06..01673a6 100644
--- a/lib/config/builder/value.ts
+++ b/lib/config/builder/value.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { Config, LazyBuild, LazyBuildOptions } from "./config"
 import { List } from "./list"
 import { Variants } from "./variants"
 import {
+  FilePath,
   Pattern,
   RandomString,
   ValueSpec,
@@ -623,7 +624,7 @@ export class Value<Type, Store> {
       }
     }, spec.validator)
   }
-  static file<Required extends boolean, Store>(a: {
+  static file<Required extends RequiredDefault<string>, Store>(a: {
     name: string
     description?: string | null
     warning?: string | null
@@ -636,12 +637,13 @@ export class Value<Type, Store> {
       warning: null,
       ...a,
     }
-    if (a.required) {
-      return new Value<string, Store>(() => buildValue, string)
-    }
-    return new Value<string | null | undefined, Store>(
-      () => buildValue,
-      string.optional(),
+    return new Value<AsRequired<FilePath, Required>, Store>(
+      () => ({
+        ...buildValue,
+
+        ...requiredLikeToAbove(a.required),
+      }),
+      asRequiredParser(object({ filePath: string }), a),
     )
   }
   static dynamicFile<Required extends boolean, Store>(
diff --git a/lib/config/configTypes.ts b/lib/config/configTypes.ts
index 560afa9..2c8d374 100644
--- a/lib/config/configTypes.ts
+++ b/lib/config/configTypes.ts
@@ -58,6 +58,10 @@ export interface ValueSpecTextarea extends WithStandalone {
   /** Immutable means it can only be configed at the first config then never again */
   immutable: boolean
 }
+
+export type FilePath = {
+  filePath: string
+}
 export interface ValueSpecNumber extends ListValueSpecNumber, WithStandalone {
   required: boolean
   default: number | null
diff --git a/lib/inits/setupExports.ts b/lib/inits/setupExports.ts
index 647a1c8..70ba15a 100644
--- a/lib/inits/setupExports.ts
+++ b/lib/inits/setupExports.ts
@@ -4,10 +4,15 @@ import { Utils } from "../util/utils"
 export type SetupExports<Store> = (opts: {
   effects: Effects
   utils: Utils<Store>
-}) => {
-  ui: ExposeUiPaths<Store>
-  services: ExposeServicePaths<Store>
-}
+}) =>
+  | {
+      ui: ExposeUiPaths<Store>
+      services: ExposeServicePaths<Store>
+    }
+  | Promise<{
+      ui: ExposeUiPaths<Store>
+      services: ExposeServicePaths<Store>
+    }>
 
 export const setupExports = <Store>(fn: (opts: SetupExports<Store>) => void) =>
   fn