diff --git a/Config.cc b/Config.cc
index 297af8b..7680e94 100644
--- a/Config.cc
+++ b/Config.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 
 #include "Config.h"
+#include "trim.h"
 #include <iostream>
 #include <fstream>
 #include <string>
@@ -15,15 +16,76 @@ Config::Entry::Entry(const string & name)
     on_unlock = NONE;
 }
 
+Config::Config()
+{
+    port = "LPT1";                  /* default to first parallel port */
+}
+
 void Config::read(const char * file)
 {
     ifstream ifs(file);
     if (ifs.is_open())
     {
+        int entry_num = -1;
         string line;
         while (!ifs.eof())
         {
             getline(ifs, line);
+            line = trim(line);
+
+            if (line == "")         /* skip blank lines */
+                continue;
+
+            if (line[0] == ';' || line[0] == '#')   /* skip comments */
+                continue;
+
+            /* Look for the beginning of a new entry section */
+            if (line[0] == '[' && line[line.size()-1] == ']')
+            {
+                entries.push_back(Entry(string(line, 1, line.size() - 2)));
+                entry_num++;
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            /* split the line into variable and value parts */
+            pair<string, string> parts = split(line);
+            if (entry_num == -1)
+            {
+                if (parts.first == "port")
+                {
+                    if (parts.second != "")
+                        port = parts.second;
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    cerr << "Warning: Unrecognized global command: "
+                         << line << endl;
+                }
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                if      (parts.first == "on_start")
+                {
+                    entries[entry_num].on_start = parseAction(parts.second);
+                }
+                else if (parts.first == "on_exit")
+                {
+                    entries[entry_num].on_exit = parseAction(parts.second);
+                }
+                else if (parts.first == "on_lock")
+                {
+                    entries[entry_num].on_lock = parseAction(parts.second);
+                }
+                else if (parts.first == "on_unlock")
+                {
+                    entries[entry_num].on_unlock = parseAction(parts.second);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    cerr << "Warning: Unrecognized entry command: "
+                         << line << endl;
+                }
+            }
         }
     }
     else
@@ -31,3 +93,30 @@ void Config::read(const char * file)
         cerr << "Warning: Could not open '" << file << "'" << endl;
     }
 }
+
+pair<string, string> Config::split(const string & line)
+{
+    pair<string, string> res;
+    size_t pos = line.find('=');
+    if (pos != string::npos)
+    {
+        res.first = trim(string(line, 0, pos));
+        res.second = trim(string(line, pos + 1, line.size() - pos - 1));
+    }
+    return res;
+}
+
+Config::Action Config::parseAction(const string & str)
+{
+    string s = str;
+    Action res = NONE;
+    for (int sz = s.size(), i = 0; i < sz; i++)
+        s[i] = tolower(s[i]);
+    if (s == "on")
+        res = ON;
+    else if (s == "off")
+        res = OFF;
+    else if (s == "previous")
+        res = PREVIOUS;
+    return res;
+}
diff --git a/Config.h b/Config.h
index cad4663..d8ede6e 100644
--- a/Config.h
+++ b/Config.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
+#include <utility>                  /* pair */
 
 class Config
 {
@@ -26,7 +27,12 @@ class Config
         std::string         port;
         std::vector<Entry>  entries;
 
+        Config();
         void read(const char * file);
+
+    protected:
+        std::pair<std::string, std::string> split(const std::string & line);
+        Action parseAction(const std::string & str);
 };
 
 #endif