diff --git a/pgml-extension/src/bindings/python/mod.rs b/pgml-extension/src/bindings/python/mod.rs
index ba59bef8e..f00de2c7f 100644
--- a/pgml-extension/src/bindings/python/mod.rs
+++ b/pgml-extension/src/bindings/python/mod.rs
@@ -6,11 +6,9 @@ use pgrx::*;
 use pyo3::prelude::*;
 use pyo3::types::PyTuple;
 
-use crate::config::get_config;
+use crate::config::PGML_VENV;
 use crate::create_pymodule;
 
-static CONFIG_NAME: &str = "pgml.venv";
-
 create_pymodule!("/src/bindings/python/python.py");
 
 pub fn activate_venv(venv: &str) -> Result<bool> {
@@ -23,8 +21,8 @@ pub fn activate_venv(venv: &str) -> Result<bool> {
 }
 
 pub fn activate() -> Result<bool> {
-    match get_config(CONFIG_NAME) {
-        Some(venv) => activate_venv(&venv),
+    match PGML_VENV.get() {
+        Some(venv) => activate_venv(&venv.to_string_lossy()),
         None => Ok(false),
     }
 }
diff --git a/pgml-extension/src/bindings/transformers/whitelist.rs b/pgml-extension/src/bindings/transformers/whitelist.rs
index 0194180c0..44ab2703f 100644
--- a/pgml-extension/src/bindings/transformers/whitelist.rs
+++ b/pgml-extension/src/bindings/transformers/whitelist.rs
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 use anyhow::{bail, Error};
+use pgrx::GucSetting;
 #[cfg(any(test, feature = "pg_test"))]
 use pgrx::{pg_schema, pg_test};
 use serde_json::Value;
+use std::ffi::CStr;
 
-use crate::config::get_config;
-
-static CONFIG_HF_WHITELIST: &str = "pgml.huggingface_whitelist";
-static CONFIG_HF_TRUST_REMOTE_CODE_BOOL: &str = "pgml.huggingface_trust_remote_code";
-static CONFIG_HF_TRUST_WHITELIST: &str = "pgml.huggingface_trust_remote_code_whitelist";
+use crate::config::{PGML_HF_TRUST_REMOTE_CODE, PGML_HF_TRUST_REMOTE_CODE_WHITELIST, PGML_HF_WHITELIST};
 
 /// Verify that the model in the task JSON is allowed based on the huggingface whitelists.
 pub fn verify_task(task: &Value) -> Result<(), Error> {
@@ -15,33 +13,32 @@ pub fn verify_task(task: &Value) -> Result<(), Error> {
         Some(model) => model.to_string(),
         None => return Ok(()),
     };
-    let whitelisted_models = config_csv_list(CONFIG_HF_WHITELIST);
+    let whitelisted_models = config_csv_list(&PGML_HF_WHITELIST);
 
     let model_is_allowed = whitelisted_models.is_empty() || whitelisted_models.contains(&task_model);
     if !model_is_allowed {
-        bail!("model {task_model} is not whitelisted. Consider adding to {CONFIG_HF_WHITELIST} in postgresql.conf");
+        bail!("model {task_model} is not whitelisted. Consider adding to `pgml.huggingface_whitelist` in postgresql.conf");
     }
 
     let task_trust = get_trust_remote_code(task);
-    let trust_remote_code = get_config(CONFIG_HF_TRUST_REMOTE_CODE_BOOL)
-        .map(|v| v == "true")
-        .unwrap_or(true);
+    let trust_remote_code = PGML_HF_TRUST_REMOTE_CODE.get();
 
-    let trusted_models = config_csv_list(CONFIG_HF_TRUST_WHITELIST);
+    let trusted_models = config_csv_list(&PGML_HF_TRUST_REMOTE_CODE_WHITELIST);
 
     let model_is_trusted = trusted_models.is_empty() || trusted_models.contains(&task_model);
 
     let remote_code_allowed = trust_remote_code && model_is_trusted;
     if !remote_code_allowed && task_trust == Some(true) {
-        bail!("model {task_model} is not trusted to run remote code. Consider setting {CONFIG_HF_TRUST_REMOTE_CODE_BOOL} = 'true' or adding {task_model} to {CONFIG_HF_TRUST_WHITELIST}");
+        bail!("model {task_model} is not trusted to run remote code. Consider setting pgml.huggingface_trust_remote_code = 'true' or adding {task_model} to pgml.huggingface_trust_remote_code_whitelist");
     }
 
     Ok(())
 }
 
-fn config_csv_list(name: &str) -> Vec<String> {
-    match get_config(name) {
+fn config_csv_list(csv_list: &GucSetting<Option<&'static CStr>>) -> Vec<String> {
+    match csv_list.get() {
         Some(value) => value
+            .to_string_lossy()
             .trim_matches('"')
             .split(',')
             .filter_map(|s| if s.is_empty() { None } else { Some(s.to_string()) })
@@ -122,7 +119,7 @@ mod tests {
     #[pg_test]
     fn test_empty_whitelist() {
         let model = "Salesforce/xgen-7b-8k-inst";
-        set_config(CONFIG_HF_WHITELIST, "").unwrap();
+        set_config("pgml.huggingface_whitelist", "").unwrap();
         let task_json = format!(json_template!(), model, false);
         let task: Value = serde_json::from_str(&task_json).unwrap();
         assert!(verify_task(&task).is_ok());
@@ -131,12 +128,12 @@ mod tests {
     #[pg_test]
     fn test_nonempty_whitelist() {
         let model = "Salesforce/xgen-7b-8k-inst";
-        set_config(CONFIG_HF_WHITELIST, model).unwrap();
+        set_config("pgml.huggingface_whitelist", model).unwrap();
         let task_json = format!(json_template!(), model, false);
         let task: Value = serde_json::from_str(&task_json).unwrap();
         assert!(verify_task(&task).is_ok());
 
-        set_config(CONFIG_HF_WHITELIST, "other_model").unwrap();
+        set_config("pgml.huggingface_whitelist", "other_model").unwrap();
         let task_json = format!(json_template!(), model, false);
         let task: Value = serde_json::from_str(&task_json).unwrap();
         assert!(verify_task(&task).is_err());
@@ -145,8 +142,8 @@ mod tests {
     #[pg_test]
     fn test_trusted_model() {
         let model = "Salesforce/xgen-7b-8k-inst";
-        set_config(CONFIG_HF_WHITELIST, model).unwrap();
-        set_config(CONFIG_HF_TRUST_WHITELIST, model).unwrap();
+        set_config("pgml.huggingface_whitelist", model).unwrap();
+        set_config("pgml.huggingface_trust_remote_code_whitelist", model).unwrap();
 
         let task_json = format!(json_template!(), model, false);
         let task: Value = serde_json::from_str(&task_json).unwrap();
@@ -154,9 +151,9 @@ mod tests {
 
         let task_json = format!(json_template!(), model, true);
         let task: Value = serde_json::from_str(&task_json).unwrap();
-        assert!(verify_task(&task).is_ok());
+        assert!(verify_task(&task).is_err());
 
-        set_config(CONFIG_HF_TRUST_REMOTE_CODE_BOOL, "true").unwrap();
+        set_config("pgml.huggingface_trust_remote_code", "true").unwrap();
         let task_json = format!(json_template!(), model, false);
         let task: Value = serde_json::from_str(&task_json).unwrap();
         assert!(verify_task(&task).is_ok());
@@ -169,8 +166,8 @@ mod tests {
     #[pg_test]
     fn test_untrusted_model() {
         let model = "Salesforce/xgen-7b-8k-inst";
-        set_config(CONFIG_HF_WHITELIST, model).unwrap();
-        set_config(CONFIG_HF_TRUST_WHITELIST, "other_model").unwrap();
+        set_config("pgml.huggingface_whitelist", model).unwrap();
+        set_config("pgml.huggingface_trust_remote_code_whitelist", "other_model").unwrap();
 
         let task_json = format!(json_template!(), model, false);
         let task: Value = serde_json::from_str(&task_json).unwrap();
@@ -180,7 +177,7 @@ mod tests {
         let task: Value = serde_json::from_str(&task_json).unwrap();
         assert!(verify_task(&task).is_err());
 
-        set_config(CONFIG_HF_TRUST_REMOTE_CODE_BOOL, "true").unwrap();
+        set_config("pgml.huggingface_trust_remote_code", "true").unwrap();
         let task_json = format!(json_template!(), model, false);
         let task: Value = serde_json::from_str(&task_json).unwrap();
         assert!(verify_task(&task).is_ok());
diff --git a/pgml-extension/src/config.rs b/pgml-extension/src/config.rs
index 8f9ade29a..424349ad0 100644
--- a/pgml-extension/src/config.rs
+++ b/pgml-extension/src/config.rs
@@ -1,16 +1,72 @@
+use pgrx::{GucContext, GucFlags, GucRegistry, GucSetting};
 use std::ffi::CStr;
 
 #[cfg(any(test, feature = "pg_test"))]
 use pgrx::{pg_schema, pg_test};
-use pgrx_pg_sys::AsPgCStr;
-
-pub fn get_config(name: &str) -> Option<String> {
-    // SAFETY: name is not null because it is a Rust reference.
-    let ptr = unsafe { pgrx_pg_sys::GetConfigOption(name.as_pg_cstr(), true, false) };
-    (!ptr.is_null()).then(move || {
-        // SAFETY: assuming pgrx_pg_sys is providing a valid, null terminated pointer.
-        unsafe { CStr::from_ptr(ptr) }.to_string_lossy().to_string()
-    })
+
+pub static PGML_VENV: GucSetting<Option<&'static CStr>> = GucSetting::<Option<&'static CStr>>::new(None);
+pub static PGML_HF_WHITELIST: GucSetting<Option<&'static CStr>> = GucSetting::<Option<&'static CStr>>::new(None);
+pub static PGML_HF_TRUST_REMOTE_CODE: GucSetting<bool> = GucSetting::<bool>::new(false);
+pub static PGML_HF_TRUST_REMOTE_CODE_WHITELIST: GucSetting<Option<&'static CStr>> =
+    GucSetting::<Option<&'static CStr>>::new(None);
+pub static PGML_OMP_NUM_THREADS: GucSetting<i32> = GucSetting::<i32>::new(1);
+
+extern "C" {
+    fn omp_set_num_threads(num_threads: i32);
+}
+
+pub fn initialize_server_params() {
+    GucRegistry::define_string_guc(
+        "pgml.venv",
+        "Python's virtual environment path",
+        "",
+        &PGML_VENV,
+        GucContext::Userset,
+        GucFlags::default(),
+    );
+
+    GucRegistry::define_string_guc(
+        "pgml.huggingface_whitelist",
+        "Models allowed to be downloaded from huggingface",
+        "",
+        &PGML_HF_WHITELIST,
+        GucContext::Userset,
+        GucFlags::default(),
+    );
+
+    GucRegistry::define_bool_guc(
+        "pgml.huggingface_trust_remote_code",
+        "Whether model can execute remote codes",
+        "",
+        &PGML_HF_TRUST_REMOTE_CODE,
+        GucContext::Userset,
+        GucFlags::default(),
+    );
+
+    GucRegistry::define_string_guc(
+        "pgml.huggingface_trust_remote_code_whitelist",
+        "Models allowed to execute remote codes when pgml.hugging_face_trust_remote_code = 'on'",
+        "",
+        &PGML_HF_TRUST_REMOTE_CODE_WHITELIST,
+        GucContext::Userset,
+        GucFlags::default(),
+    );
+
+    GucRegistry::define_int_guc(
+        "pgml.omp_num_threads",
+        "Specifies the number of threads used by default of underlying OpenMP library. Only positive integers are valid",
+        "",
+        &PGML_OMP_NUM_THREADS,
+        1,
+        i32::max_value(),
+        GucContext::Backend,
+        GucFlags::default(),
+    );
+
+    let omp_num_threads = PGML_OMP_NUM_THREADS.get();
+    unsafe {
+        omp_set_num_threads(omp_num_threads);
+    }
 }
 
 #[cfg(any(test, feature = "pg_test"))]
@@ -26,17 +82,17 @@ pub fn set_config(name: &str, value: &str) -> Result<(), pgrx::spi::Error> {
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
-    #[pg_test]
-    fn read_config_max_connections() {
-        let name = "max_connections";
-        assert_eq!(get_config(name), Some("100".into()));
-    }
-
     #[pg_test]
     fn read_pgml_huggingface_whitelist() {
         let name = "pgml.huggingface_whitelist";
         let value = "meta-llama/Llama-2-7b";
         set_config(name, value).unwrap();
-        assert_eq!(get_config(name), Some(value.into()));
+        assert_eq!(PGML_HF_WHITELIST.get().unwrap().to_str().unwrap(), value);
+    }
+
+    #[pg_test]
+    fn omp_num_threads_cannot_be_set_after_startup() {
+        let result = std::panic::catch_unwind(|| set_config("pgml.omp_num_threads", "1"));
+        assert!(result.is_err());
     }
 }
diff --git a/pgml-extension/src/lib.rs b/pgml-extension/src/lib.rs
index 6c2884cee..1eab45ae7 100644
--- a/pgml-extension/src/lib.rs
+++ b/pgml-extension/src/lib.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ extension_sql_file!("../sql/schema.sql", name = "schema");
 #[cfg(not(feature = "use_as_lib"))]
 #[pg_guard]
 pub extern "C" fn _PG_init() {
+    config::initialize_server_params();
     bindings::python::activate().expect("Error setting python venv");
     orm::project::init();
 }
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ pub mod pg_test {
 
     pub fn postgresql_conf_options() -> Vec<&'static str> {
         // return any postgresql.conf settings that are required for your tests
-        let mut options = vec!["shared_preload_libraries = 'pgml'"];
+        let mut options = vec!["shared_preload_libraries = 'pgml'", "pgml.omp_num_threads = '1'"];
         if let Some(venv) = option_env!("PGML_VENV") {
             let option = format!("pgml.venv = '{venv}'");
             options.push(Box::leak(option.into_boxed_str()));