diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 513e4de..5e59f3b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -401,6 +401,30 @@ A `machines` entry only needs `host`; `name` overrides the display name.
 Machines listed at the top level (outside any group) go into a `Machines`
 section instead.
 
+`host` accepts brace patterns that are expanded at load time:
+
+- `{1,2,3}` — enumeration
+- `{2..5,8..10}` — inclusive numeric ranges
+- `{a3,a4}` — labels (any non-range item is kept literally)
+- several groups multiply in cartesian fashion; leading zeros are preserved
+
+```yaml
+groups:
+  - name: "Server room"
+    machines:
+      - host: server-{a3,a4}-{1..10}.example.org
+```
+
+expands to `server-a3-1.example.org`, `server-a3-2.example.org`, ...,
+`server-a4-10.example.org`. A `name:` applies to every expanded machine;
+without one, each machine is named after its host. Ranges must go from a
+smaller to a larger number, and their endpoints must be integers.
+
+Malformed patterns make startup fail with an error instead of expanding
+silently: unmatched or nested `{...}` groups, ranges with non-integer
+endpoints, or ranges with extra dots (e.g. `{1..5..10}`). A single pattern may
+expand to at most 10 000 machines; anything larger is rejected too.
+
 Per-machine overrides for `ping` and `ssh` are supported, and inherit
 unset values from the top level:
 
diff --git a/example.config.yaml b/example.config.yaml
index 9dac60a..740b05f 100644
--- a/example.config.yaml
+++ b/example.config.yaml
@@ -104,6 +104,26 @@
 #         ssh:
 #           interval: 1m
 #           user: root
+#
+#   # host patterns are expanded at load time. Inside a {...} group:
+#   #   {1,2,3}      enumeration            -> 1, 2, 3
+#   #   {2..5,8..10} inclusive numeric range -> 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10
+#   #   {a3,a4}      labels (any non-range item is kept literally)
+#   # several groups multiply in cartesian fashion:
+#   #   server-{a3,a4}-{1..2}.example.org
+#   #     -> server-a3-1.example.org, server-a3-2.example.org,
+#   #        server-a4-1.example.org, server-a4-2.example.org
+#   # leading zeros are preserved: {01..03} -> 01, 02, 03
+#   # a name: applies to every expanded machine.
+#   #
+#   # Bad patterns fail at startup: unmatched/nested braces, ranges with
+#   # non-integer endpoints or extra dots (e.g. {1..5..10}), and descending
+#   # ranges. A single pattern may expand to at most 10000 machines.
+#   - name: Server room
+#     machines:
+#       - host: server-{a3,a4}-{1..10}.example.org
+#         ssh:
+#           interval: 1m
 
 # ---------- machines without a group (shown under "Machines") ----------
 # machines:
diff --git a/server/config.go b/server/config.go
index e92f2f3..ff22b68 100644
--- a/server/config.go
+++ b/server/config.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package main
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
@@ -144,15 +146,187 @@ func LoadConfig(path string) (*Config, error) {
 	cfg.Metrics = raw.Metrics
 	for _, g := range raw.Groups {
 		for _, mc := range g.Machines {
-			cfg.Machines = append(cfg.Machines, resolveMachine(mc, g.Name, cfg))
+			ms, err := expandMachine(mc, g.Name, cfg)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			cfg.Machines = append(cfg.Machines, ms...)
 		}
 	}
 	for _, mc := range raw.Machines {
-		cfg.Machines = append(cfg.Machines, resolveMachine(mc, "", cfg))
+		ms, err := expandMachine(mc, "", cfg)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		cfg.Machines = append(cfg.Machines, ms...)
 	}
 	return cfg, nil
 }
 
+// expandMachine expands a MachineConfig's host pattern into one or more
+// concrete Machine entries. A host may contain brace groups that are expanded
+// cartesian-style, e.g. "server-{a3,a4}-{1..10}.example.org".
+func expandMachine(mc MachineConfig, group string, cfg *Config) ([]Machine, error) {
+	hosts, err := expandHostPattern(mc.Host)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	machines := make([]Machine, 0, len(hosts))
+	for _, host := range hosts {
+		m := resolveMachine(mc, group, cfg)
+		m.Host = host
+		m.ID = host
+		if mc.Name == "" {
+			m.Name = host
+		}
+		machines = append(machines, m)
+	}
+	return machines, nil
+}
+
+// maximum number of machines a single host pattern may expand to
+const maxHostExpansion = 10000
+
+// expandHostPattern expands brace groups in a host pattern. Supported syntax:
+//
+//	{1,2,3}          enumeration
+//	{2..5,8..10}     inclusive numeric ranges
+//	{a3,a4}          labels (any non-range item is taken literally)
+//
+// Multiple groups expand in cartesian fashion:
+//
+//	server-{a3,a4}-{1..2}.example.org
+//	-> server-a3-1.example.org, server-a3-2.example.org, server-a4-1.example.org, ...
+//
+// A pattern without braces is returned unchanged.
+func expandHostPattern(pattern string) ([]string, error) {
+	type segment struct {
+		prefix string
+		values []string
+	}
+	var segs []segment
+	rest := pattern
+	for {
+		open := strings.IndexByte(rest, '{')
+		if open < 0 {
+			if rest != "" {
+				segs = append(segs, segment{prefix: rest})
+			}
+			break
+		}
+		close := strings.IndexByte(rest[open:], '}')
+		if close < 0 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("host %q: unmatched '{'", pattern)
+		}
+		close += open
+		if strings.IndexByte(rest[open+1:close], '{') >= 0 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("host %q: nested brace groups are not supported", pattern)
+		}
+		inner := rest[open+1 : close]
+		values, err := parseBraceGroup(inner)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("host %q: %w", pattern, err)
+		}
+		segs = append(segs, segment{prefix: rest[:open], values: values})
+		rest = rest[close+1:]
+	}
+
+	result := []string{""}
+	count := 1
+	for _, s := range segs {
+		if len(s.values) > 0 {
+			if maxHostExpansion/count < len(s.values) {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("host %q: expands to more than %d machines", pattern, maxHostExpansion)
+			}
+			count *= len(s.values)
+		}
+	}
+	for _, s := range segs {
+		if len(s.values) == 0 {
+			for i := range result {
+				result[i] += s.prefix
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+		next := make([]string, 0, len(result)*len(s.values))
+		for _, r := range result {
+			for _, v := range s.values {
+				next = append(next, r+s.prefix+v)
+			}
+		}
+		result = next
+	}
+	return result, nil
+}
+
+func parseBraceGroup(inner string) ([]string, error) {
+	var values []string
+	for _, part := range strings.Split(inner, ",") {
+		part = strings.TrimSpace(part)
+		if part == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+		if lo, hi, ok := strings.Cut(part, ".."); ok {
+			vals, err := expandNumericRange(lo, hi, part)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			values = append(values, vals...)
+		} else {
+			values = append(values, part)
+		}
+	}
+	if len(values) == 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("empty brace group")
+	}
+	return values, nil
+}
+
+func expandNumericRange(lo, hi, raw string) ([]string, error) {
+	if lo == "" || hi == "" || !isNumeric(lo) || !isNumeric(hi) {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid range %q: endpoints must be numbers", raw)
+	}
+	a, err := strconv.Atoi(lo)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid range %q: %w", raw, err)
+	}
+	b, err := strconv.Atoi(hi)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid range %q: %w", raw, err)
+	}
+	if b < a {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid range %q: %d > %d", raw, a, b)
+	}
+	if b-a+1 > maxHostExpansion {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("range %q: expands to more than %d values", raw, maxHostExpansion)
+	}
+	pad := 0
+	if len(lo) > 1 && lo[0] == '0' {
+		pad = len(lo)
+	}
+	out := make([]string, 0, b-a+1)
+	for n := a; n <= b; n++ {
+		if pad > 0 {
+			out = append(out, fmt.Sprintf("%0*d", pad, n))
+		} else {
+			out = append(out, strconv.Itoa(n))
+		}
+	}
+	return out, nil
+}
+
+func isNumeric(s string) bool {
+	if s == "" {
+		return false
+	}
+	for _, r := range s {
+		if r < '0' || r > '9' {
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
 func resolveMachine(mc MachineConfig, group string, cfg *Config) Machine {
 	m := Machine{
 		ID:    mc.Host,
diff --git a/server/config_fuzz_test.go b/server/config_fuzz_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f6a974
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/config_fuzz_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"reflect"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func FuzzExpandHostPattern(f *testing.F) {
+	seeds := []string{
+		"server{1..3}.example.org",
+		"server{1,2,3}.example.org",
+		"server-{a3,a4}-{1..2}.example.org",
+		"host{01..03}",
+		"router.example.net",
+		"host-{5..2}.example.org",
+		"host-{1,2.example.org",
+		"{1..10}",
+		"{2..5,8..10}.example.org",
+		"",
+		"host-{}",
+		"{1..}",
+		"{..5}",
+		"x}{y}",
+		"{a,b}{c,d}",
+		"{0..10001}",
+	}
+	for _, s := range seeds {
+		f.Add(s)
+	}
+	f.Fuzz(func(t *testing.T, pattern string) {
+		hosts, err := expandHostPattern(pattern)
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+		if !strings.Contains(pattern, "{") {
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(hosts, []string{pattern}) {
+				t.Fatalf("pattern without braces %q expanded to %v", pattern, hosts)
+			}
+			return
+		}
+		if len(hosts) == 0 {
+			t.Fatalf("pattern %q produced no hosts", pattern)
+		}
+		for _, h := range hosts {
+			if strings.Contains(h, "{") {
+				t.Fatalf("expanded host %q still contains '{' (pattern %q)", h, pattern)
+			}
+		}
+	})
+}
diff --git a/server/config_test.go b/server/config_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b550f62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/config_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"reflect"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestExpandHostPattern(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		pattern string
+		want    []string
+		err     string
+	}{
+		{
+			pattern: "server{1..3}.example.org",
+			want:    []string{"server1.example.org", "server2.example.org", "server3.example.org"},
+		},
+		{
+			pattern: "server{1,2,3}.example.org",
+			want:    []string{"server1.example.org", "server2.example.org", "server3.example.org"},
+		},
+		{
+			pattern: "server{2..5,8..10}.example.org",
+			want: []string{
+				"server2.example.org", "server3.example.org", "server4.example.org",
+				"server5.example.org", "server8.example.org", "server9.example.org", "server10.example.org",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			pattern: "server-{a3,a4}-{1..2}.example.org",
+			want: []string{
+				"server-a3-1.example.org",
+				"server-a3-2.example.org",
+				"server-a4-1.example.org",
+				"server-a4-2.example.org",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			pattern: "node{01..03}",
+			want:    []string{"node01", "node02", "node03"},
+		},
+		{
+			pattern: "router.example.net",
+			want:    []string{"router.example.net"},
+		},
+		{
+			pattern: "host-{1..2}-{a,b}",
+			want:    []string{"host-1-a", "host-1-b", "host-2-a", "host-2-b"},
+		},
+		{
+			pattern: "{1..10..2}.example.org",
+			err:     "endpoints must be numbers",
+		},
+		{
+			pattern: "host-{5..2}.example.org",
+			err:     "5 > 2",
+		},
+		{
+			pattern: "host-{x..y}.example.org",
+			err:     "endpoints must be numbers",
+		},
+		{
+			pattern: "host-{1,2.example.org",
+			err:     "unmatched '{'",
+		},
+		{
+			pattern: "host-{1..2-{3..4}}.example.org",
+			err:     "nested",
+		},
+		{
+			pattern: "{{",
+			err:     "unmatched '{'",
+		},
+		{
+			pattern: "{{1,2}}",
+			err:     "nested",
+		},
+		{
+			pattern: "{a}{{b}}",
+			err:     "nested",
+		},
+		{
+			pattern: "{1..5..10}",
+			err:     "endpoints must be numbers",
+		},
+		{
+			pattern: "{1...5}",
+			err:     "endpoints must be numbers",
+		},
+		{
+			pattern: "{1..2..3}",
+			err:     "endpoints must be numbers",
+		},
+		{
+			pattern: "{1..2.5}",
+			err:     "endpoints must be numbers",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		got, err := expandHostPattern(tt.pattern)
+		if tt.err != "" {
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Errorf("%q: expected error containing %q, got nil", tt.pattern, tt.err)
+			} else if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), tt.err) {
+				t.Errorf("%q: expected error containing %q, got %q", tt.pattern, tt.err, err)
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("%q: unexpected error: %v", tt.pattern, err)
+			continue
+		}
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, tt.want) {
+			t.Errorf("%q:\n got %v\nwant %v", tt.pattern, got, tt.want)
+		}
+	}
+}