diff --git a/src/connection.ts b/src/connection.ts
index 22901f5..513dd71 100644
--- a/src/connection.ts
+++ b/src/connection.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ import * as vscode from 'vscode';
 import { configMatches, getFlagBoolean, loadConfigs } from './config';
 import type { EnvironmentVariable, FileSystemConfig } from './fileSystemConfig';
 import { Logging, LOGGING_NO_STACKTRACE } from './logging';
-import { ActivePortForwarding } from './portForwarding';
+import type { Manager } from './manager';
+import { ActivePortForwarding, addForwarding, formatPortForwarding, parsePortForwarding } from './portForwarding';
 import type { SSHPseudoTerminal } from './pseudoTerminal';
 import type { SSHFileSystem } from './sshFileSystem';
 import { mergeEnvironment, toPromise } from './utils';
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@ export class ConnectionManager {
     public readonly onConnectionUpdated = this.onConnectionUpdatedEmitter.event;
     /** Fired when a pending connection gets added/removed */
     public readonly onPendingChanged = this.onPendingChangedEmitter.event;
+    public constructor(public readonly manager: Manager) { }
     public getActiveConnection(name: string, config?: FileSystemConfig): Connection | undefined {
         const con = config && this.connections.find(con => configMatches(con.config, config));
         return con || (config ? undefined : this.connections.find(con => con.config.name === name));
@@ -206,6 +208,27 @@ export class ConnectionManager {
                 vscode.window.showErrorMessage(`Reconnect failed: ${e.message || e}`);
             });
         });
+        // Setup initial port forwardings
+        setImmediate(async () => {
+            const forwards = (actualConfig.forwardings || []).map(parsePortForwarding);
+            const badForwards = forwards.reduce((tot, f) => f ? tot : tot + 1, 0);
+            if (badForwards) vscode.window.showWarningMessage(`Could not parse ${badForwards} of ${forwards.length} port forwarding from the config, ignoring them`);
+            let failed = 0;
+            console.log(forwards);
+            for (const forward of forwards) {
+                logging.debug(`forward: ${forward}`);
+                if (!forward) continue;
+                logging.info(`Adding forwarding ${formatPortForwarding(forward)}`);
+                try {
+                    await addForwarding(this.manager, con, forward);
+                } catch (e) {
+                    logging.error(`Error during forwarding ${formatPortForwarding(forward)}:`, LOGGING_NO_STACKTRACE);
+                    logging.error(e);
+                    failed++;
+                }
+            }
+            if (failed) vscode.window.showWarningMessage(`Failed ${failed} of ${forwards.length - badForwards} port forwardings from the config`);
+        });
         this.connections.push(con);
         this.onConnectionAddedEmitter.fire(con);
         return con;
diff --git a/src/fileSystemConfig.ts b/src/fileSystemConfig.ts
index f35f7dc..a99f075 100644
--- a/src/fileSystemConfig.ts
+++ b/src/fileSystemConfig.ts
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ export type ConfigLocation = number | string;
 
 /** Might support conditional stuff later, although ssh2/OpenSSH might not support that natively */
 export interface EnvironmentVariable {
-    key: string;
-    value: string;
+  key: string;
+  value: string;
 }
 
 export function formatConfigLocation(location?: ConfigLocation): string {
@@ -114,6 +114,8 @@ export interface FileSystemConfig extends ConnectConfig {
   instantConnection?: boolean;
   /** List of special flags to enable/disable certain fixes/features. Flags are usually used for issues or beta testing. Flags can disappear/change anytime! */
   flags?: string[];
+  /** List of port forwardings to (attempt to) establish when the connection gets created */
+  forwardings?: string[];
   /** Internal property saying where this config comes from. Undefined if this config is merged or something */
   _location?: ConfigLocation;
   /** Internal property keeping track of where this config comes from (including merges) */
diff --git a/src/manager.ts b/src/manager.ts
index fa901bf..a3cc2c9 100644
--- a/src/manager.ts
+++ b/src/manager.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ interface TerminalLinkUri extends vscode.TerminalLink {
 export class Manager implements vscode.TaskProvider, vscode.TerminalLinkProvider<TerminalLinkUri> {
   protected fileSystems: SSHFileSystem[] = [];
   protected creatingFileSystems: { [name: string]: Promise<SSHFileSystem> } = {};
-  public readonly connectionManager = new ConnectionManager();
+  public readonly connectionManager = new ConnectionManager(this);
   constructor(public readonly context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
     // In a multi-workspace environment, when the non-main folder gets removed,
     // it might be one of ours, which we should then disconnect if it's
diff --git a/src/portForwarding.ts b/src/portForwarding.ts
index e7a9545..a4b4400 100644
--- a/src/portForwarding.ts
+++ b/src/portForwarding.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,40 @@ export interface PortForwardingLocalRemote {
 
 export type PortForwarding = PortForwardingDynamic | PortForwardingLocalRemote;
 
+// https://regexr.com/61quq
+const PORT_FORWARD_REGEX = /^^(?<type>[a-z]+)\s*?(?:\s+(?:(?<localAddress>[^\s:]+):))?(?<localPort>\d+)(?:\s+(?:(?<remoteAddress>[^\s:]+):)?(?<remotePort>\d+))?$/i;
+const PORT_FORWARD_TYPES = ['remote', 'local', 'dynamic'];
+export function parsePortForwarding(input: string): PortForwarding | undefined {
+    try {
+        const match = input.match(PORT_FORWARD_REGEX);
+        if (!match) throw new Error(`Could not infer PortForwarding from '${input}'`);
+        let type = match.groups?.type.toLowerCase();
+        if (!type) throw new Error(`Could not infer PortForwarding from '${input}'`);
+        if (type.endsWith('forward')) type = type.substring(0, type.length - 7);
+        if (type.length === 1) type = PORT_FORWARD_TYPES.find(t => t[0] === type);
+        if (!type || !PORT_FORWARD_TYPES.includes(type))
+            throw new Error(`Could not recognize PortForwarding type '${match.groups!.type}'`);
+        const { localAddress, localPort, remoteAddress, remotePort } = match.groups as Partial<Record<string, string>>;
+        let pf: PortForwarding;
+        if (type === 'remote' && !remoteAddress && !remotePort) {
+            pf = { type, remoteAddress: localAddress, remotePort: parseInt(localPort!) };
+        } else if (type === 'local' || type === 'remote') {
+            pf = {
+                type,
+                localAddress, localPort: parseInt(localPort!),
+                remoteAddress, remotePort: remotePort ? parseInt(remotePort) : undefined,
+            };
+        } else {
+            pf = { type: 'dynamic', address: localAddress, port: parseInt(localPort!) };
+        }
+        validatePortForwarding(pf);
+        return pf;
+    } catch (e) {
+        Logging.error(`Parsing port forwarding '${input}' failed:\n${e.message || e}`, LOGGING_NO_STACKTRACE);
+        return undefined;
+    }
+}
+
 const formatAddrPortPath = (addr?: string, port?: number): string => {
     if (port === undefined) return addr || 'N/A';
     return `${addr || '*'}:${port}`;