diff --git a/lib/jekyll/configuration.rb b/lib/jekyll/configuration.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8fb476cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/jekyll/configuration.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+module Jekyll
+  class Configuration < Hash
+
+    # Default options. Overriden by values in _config.yml.
+    # Strings rather than symbols are used for compatability with YAML.
+    DEFAULTS = {
+      'source'        => Dir.pwd,
+      'destination'   => File.join(Dir.pwd, '_site'),
+      'plugins'       => '_plugins',
+      'layouts'       => '_layouts',
+      'keep_files'   => ['.git','.svn'],
+
+      'future'        => true,           # remove and make true just default
+      'pygments'      => true,           # remove and make true just default
+
+      'markdown'      => 'maruku',
+      'permalink'     => 'date',
+      'baseurl'       => '/',
+      'include'       => ['.htaccess'],
+      'paginate_path' => 'page:num',
+
+      'markdown_ext'  => 'markdown,mkd,mkdn,md',
+      'textile_ext'   => 'textile',
+
+      'port'          => '4000',
+      'host'          => '0.0.0.0',
+
+      'excerpt_separator' => "\n\n",
+
+      'maruku' => {
+        'use_tex'    => false,
+        'use_divs'   => false,
+        'png_engine' => 'blahtex',
+        'png_dir'    => 'images/latex',
+        'png_url'    => '/images/latex'
+      },
+
+      'rdiscount' => {
+        'extensions' => []
+      },
+
+      'redcarpet' => {
+        'extensions' => []
+      },
+
+      'kramdown' => {
+        'auto_ids'      => true,
+        'footnote_nr'   => 1,
+        'entity_output' => 'as_char',
+        'toc_levels'    => '1..6',
+        'smart_quotes'  => 'lsquo,rsquo,ldquo,rdquo',
+        'use_coderay'   => false,
+
+        'coderay' => {
+          'coderay_wrap'              => 'div',
+          'coderay_line_numbers'      => 'inline',
+          'coderay_line_number_start' => 1,
+          'coderay_tab_width'         => 4,
+          'coderay_bold_every'        => 10,
+          'coderay_css'               => 'style'
+        }
+      },
+
+      'redcloth' => {
+        'hard_breaks' => true
+      }
+    }
+
+    # Public: Turn all keys into string
+    #
+    # Return a copy of the hash where all its keys are strings
+    def stringify_keys
+      reduce({}) { |hsh,(k,v)| hsh.merge(k.to_s => v) }
+    end
+
+    # Public: Generate list of configuration files from the override§
+    def config_files(override)
+      # _config.yml may override default source location, but until
+      # then, we need to know where to look for _config.yml
+      source = override['source'] || DEFAULTS['source']
+
+      # Get configuration from <source>/_config.yml or <source>/<config_file>
+      config_files = override.delete('config')
+      config_files = File.join(source, "_config.yml") if config_files.to_s.empty?
+      unless config_files.is_a? Array
+        config_files = [config_files]
+      end
+      config_files
+    end
+
+    # Public: Read configuration and return merged Hash
+    #
+    # file - 
+    def read_config_file(file)
+      configuration = dup
+      next_config = YAML.safe_load_file(file)
+      raise "Configuration file: (INVALID) #{file}" if !next_config.is_a?(Hash)
+      $stdout.puts "Configuration file: #{file}"
+      configuration.deep_merge(next_config)
+    end
+    
+    def read_config_files(files)
+      configuration = dup
+
+      begin
+        files.each do |config_file|
+          configuration = read_config_file(config_file)
+        end
+      rescue SystemCallError
+        # Errno:ENOENT = file not found
+        $stderr.puts "Configuration file: none"
+      rescue => err
+        $stderr.puts "           " +
+                     "WARNING: Error reading configuration. " +
+                     "Using defaults (and options)."
+        $stderr.puts "#{err}"
+      end
+      
+      configuration
+    end
+    
+    def backwards_compatibilize
+      config = dup
+      # Provide backwards-compatibility
+      if config['auto']
+        $stderr.puts "Deprecation: ".rjust(20) + "'auto' has been changed to " +
+                   "'watch'. Please update your configuration to use 'watch'."
+        config['watch'] = config['auto']
+      end
+
+      config
+    end
+
+  end
+end