diff --git a/configuration.default.ini b/configuration.default.ini
index 0eea407..17cea84 100644
--- a/configuration.default.ini
+++ b/configuration.default.ini
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ tmp_folder_max_size = 10
 username = botamusique
 volume = 0.8
 when_nobody_in_channel = nothing
-youtube_query_cookie = {}
 
 [webinterface]
 access_address = http://127.0.0.1:8181
diff --git a/util.py b/util.py
index 50946c2..7841b3b 100644
--- a/util.py
+++ b/util.py
@@ -323,8 +323,8 @@ def youtube_search(query):
     import json
 
     try:
-        cookie_json = var.config.get('bot', 'youtube_query_cookie')
-        cookie = json.loads(cookie_json if cookie_json else '{}')
+        cookie_file =  var.config.get('youtube_dl', 'cookie_file')
+        cookie = parse_cookie_file(cookie_file) if cookie_file else {}
         r = requests.get("https://www.youtube.com/results", cookies=cookie,
                          params={'search_query': query}, timeout=5)
         result_json_match = re.findall(r">var ytInitialData = (.*?);</script>", r.text)
@@ -574,4 +574,16 @@ def check_extra_config(config, template):
             if not template.has_option(key, opt):
                 extra.append((key, opt))
 
-    return extra
\ No newline at end of file
+    return extra
+
+
+def parse_cookie_file(cookiefile):
+    # https://stackoverflow.com/a/54659484/1584825
+
+    cookies = {}
+    with open (cookiefile, 'r') as fp:
+        for line in fp:
+            if not re.match(r'^#', line):
+                lineFields = line.strip().split('\t')
+                cookies[lineFields[5]] = lineFields[6]
+    return cookies