diff --git a/defaults.yaml b/defaults.yaml
index 17a2005..5095719 100644
--- a/defaults.yaml
+++ b/defaults.yaml
@@ -55,6 +55,16 @@ tags:
   # exif:
   #   enable: true
 
+geo:
+  # Reverse geocode coordinates to location names. Runs fully locally
+  # via the "rgeo" Golang library. Currently only supported in the
+  # timeline layout.
+  # 
+  # Can delay startup by up to a minute as the local geolocation
+  # database is loaded.
+  # 
+  # reverse_geocode: true
+
 media:
   # Extract metadata from this many files concurrently
   concurrent_meta_loads: 8
diff --git a/internal/image/source.go b/internal/image/source.go
index 09892f0..73dd114 100644
--- a/internal/image/source.go
+++ b/internal/image/source.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 
 var ErrNotFound = errors.New("not found")
 var ErrNotAnImage = errors.New("not a supported image extension, might be video")
+var ErrUnavailable = errors.New("unavailable")
 
 type ImageId uint32
 
@@ -109,9 +110,14 @@ type Caches struct {
 	Image CacheConfig
 }
 
+type Geo struct {
+	ReverseGeocode bool `json:"reverse_geocode"`
+}
+
 type Config struct {
 	DataDir   string
 	AI        clip.AI
+	Geo       Geo
 	TagConfig tag.Config `json:"-"`
 
 	ExifToolCount        int  `json:"exif_tool_count"`
@@ -169,12 +175,12 @@ func NewSource(config Config, migrations embed.FS, migrationsThumbs embed.FS) *S
 	source.imageInfoCache = newInfoCache()
 	source.pathCache = newPathCache()
 
-	r, err := rgeo.New(rgeo.Provinces10, rgeo.Cities10)
-
-	if err != nil {
-		// Handle error
-		fmt.Println("RGEO ERR", err)
-	} else {
+	if config.Geo.ReverseGeocode {
+		log.Println("rgeo loading")
+		r, err := rgeo.New(rgeo.Provinces10, rgeo.Cities10)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("failed to initialize rgeo: %s", err)
+		}
 		source.rg = r
 	}
 
@@ -285,6 +291,9 @@ func NewSource(config Config, migrations embed.FS, migrationsThumbs embed.FS) *S
 }
 
 func (source *Source) ReverseGeocode(l s2.LatLng) (string, error) {
+	if source.rg == nil {
+		return "", ErrUnavailable
+	}
 	location, err := source.rg.ReverseGeocode([]float64{l.Lng.Degrees(), l.Lat.Degrees()})
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 30a146c..ee898fd 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -997,6 +997,7 @@ type AppConfig struct {
 	Render       render.Render           `json:"render"`
 	Media        image.Config            `json:"media"`
 	AI           clip.AI                 `json:"ai"`
+	Geo          image.Geo               `json:"geo"`
 	Tags         tag.Config              `json:"tags"`
 	TileRequests TileRequestConfig       `json:"tile_requests"`
 }
@@ -1065,6 +1066,7 @@ func loadConfiguration(path string) AppConfig {
 	}
 
 	appConfig.Media.AI = appConfig.AI
+	appConfig.Media.Geo = appConfig.Geo
 	appConfig.Tags.Enable = appConfig.Tags.Enable || appConfig.Tags.Enabled
 
 	return appConfig