diff --git a/s/setup b/s/setup
index d8ffa74ad..848175ddc 100755
--- a/s/setup
+++ b/s/setup
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ touch eressea.ini
 ini_start
 ini_sec game
 ini_add game locales de,en
+ini_add id $game
 ini_sec lua
 ini_add lua install $SOURCE
 ini_add lua paths $SOURCE/scripts:$SOURCE/lunit
diff --git a/src/bindings.c b/src/bindings.c
index f17ccc3a1..94e78fb70 100755
--- a/src/bindings.c
+++ b/src/bindings.c
@@ -978,7 +978,7 @@ static int tolua_report_unit(lua_State * L)
     return 1;
 }
 
-static void parse_inifile(lua_State * L, dictionary * d, const char *section)
+static void parse_inifile(lua_State * L, const dictionary * d, const char *section)
 {
     int i;
     const char *arg;
@@ -1018,7 +1018,7 @@ static void parse_inifile(lua_State * L, dictionary * d, const char *section)
 
 void tolua_bind_open(lua_State * L);
 
-int tolua_bindings_open(lua_State * L)
+int tolua_bindings_open(lua_State * L, const dictionary *inifile)
 {
     tolua_open(L);
 
@@ -1072,7 +1072,7 @@ int tolua_bindings_open(lua_State * L)
         tolua_module(L, TOLUA_CAST "config", 1);
         tolua_beginmodule(L, TOLUA_CAST "config");
         {
-            parse_inifile(L, global.inifile, "lua");
+            parse_inifile(L, inifile, "lua");
             tolua_variable(L, TOLUA_CAST "locales", &config_get_locales, 0);
             tolua_function(L, TOLUA_CAST "get_resource", &config_get_resource);
             tolua_variable(L, TOLUA_CAST "buildings", &config_get_buildings, 0);
@@ -1142,12 +1142,12 @@ void lua_done(lua_State * L) {
     lua_close(L);
 }
 
-lua_State *lua_init(void) {
+lua_State *lua_init(const dictionary *inifile) {
     lua_State *L = luaL_newstate();
 
     openlibs(L);
     register_tolua_helpers();
-    tolua_bindings_open(L);
+    tolua_bindings_open(L, inifile);
     tolua_eressea_open(L);
 #ifdef USE_SQLITE
     tolua_sqlite_open(L);
diff --git a/src/bindings.h b/src/bindings.h
index 6c71ecf94..2db83248d 100755
--- a/src/bindings.h
+++ b/src/bindings.h
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@ extern "C" {
 
     struct lua_State;
     struct quicklist;
+    struct _dictionary_;
 
     int tolua_sqlite_open(struct lua_State *L);
-    int tolua_bindings_open(struct lua_State *L);
-    int tolua_spelllist_next(struct lua_State *L);
+    int tolua_bindings_open(struct lua_State *L, const struct _dictionary_ *d);
     int tolua_itemlist_next(struct lua_State *L);
     int tolua_orderlist_next(struct lua_State *L);
     int tolua_quicklist_push(struct lua_State *L, const char *list_type,
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ extern "C" {
     int log_lua_error(struct lua_State *L);
 
     void lua_done(struct lua_State *L);
-    struct lua_State *lua_init(void);
+    struct lua_State *lua_init(const struct _dictionary_ *d);
     int eressea_run(struct lua_State *L, const char *luafile);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/src/kernel/config.c b/src/kernel/config.c
index 1f3cd92b2..88130056b 100644
--- a/src/kernel/config.c
+++ b/src/kernel/config.c
@@ -713,6 +713,34 @@ bool config_changed(int *cache_key) {
     return false;
 }
 
+#define MAXKEYS 16
+void config_set_from(const dictionary *d)
+{
+    int s, nsec = iniparser_getnsec(d);
+    for (s=0;s!=nsec;++s) {
+        char key[128];
+        const char *sec = iniparser_getsecname(d, s);
+        int k, nkeys = iniparser_getsecnkeys(d, sec);
+        const char *keys[MAXKEYS];
+        size_t slen = strlen(sec);
+        assert(nkeys <= MAXKEYS);
+        assert(slen<sizeof(key));
+        memcpy(key, sec, slen);
+        key[slen] = '.';
+        iniparser_getseckeys(d, sec, keys);
+        for (k=0;k!=nkeys;++k) {
+            const char *val;
+            size_t klen = strlen(keys[k]);
+            assert(klen+slen+1<sizeof(key));
+            memcpy(key+slen+1, keys[k]+slen+1, klen-slen);
+            val = iniparser_getstring(d, keys[k], NULL);
+            if (val) {
+                config_set(key, val);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 void config_set(const char *key, const char *value) {
     ++config_cache_key;
     set_param(&configuration, key, value);
diff --git a/src/kernel/config.h b/src/kernel/config.h
index 096d54da4..2c761ab9d 100644
--- a/src/kernel/config.h
+++ b/src/kernel/config.h
@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@ extern "C" {
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include "types.h"
-struct param;
+
+    struct param;
+    struct _dictionary_;
 
 #define DISPLAYSIZE         8192        /* max. L�nge einer Beschreibung, incl trailing 0 */
 #define ORDERSIZE           (DISPLAYSIZE*2) /* max. length of an order */
@@ -108,7 +110,6 @@ struct param;
         struct attrib *attribs;
         unsigned int data_turn;
         void *vm_state;
-        struct _dictionary_ *inifile;
         struct global_functions {
             int(*wage) (const struct region * r, const struct faction * f,
                 const struct race * rc, int in_turn);
@@ -123,6 +124,7 @@ struct param;
     void free_params(struct param **pp);
 
     void config_set(const char *key, const char *value);
+    void config_set_from(const struct _dictionary_ *d);
     const char *config_get(const char *key);
     int config_get_int(const char *key, int def);
     double config_get_flt(const char *key, double def);
diff --git a/src/kernel/config.test.c b/src/kernel/config.test.c
index 405587443..719ff840e 100644
--- a/src/kernel/config.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/config.test.c
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 #include <util/base36.h>
 #include <util/attrib.h>
 
+#include <iniparser.h>
+
 #include <CuTest.h>
 #include <tests.h>
 
@@ -233,9 +235,24 @@ static void test_rules(CuTest *tc) {
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 1000, rule_faction_limit());
 }
 
+static void test_config_inifile(CuTest *tc) {
+    dictionary *ini;
+    test_setup();
+    ini = dictionary_new(0);
+    dictionary_set(ini, "game", NULL);
+    iniparser_set(ini, "game:id", "42");
+    iniparser_set(ini, "game:name", "Eressea");
+    config_set_from(ini);
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "Eressea", config_get("game.name"));
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 42, game_id());
+    iniparser_freedict(ini);
+    test_cleanup();
+}
+
 CuSuite *get_config_suite(void)
 {
     CuSuite *suite = CuSuiteNew();
+    SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_config_inifile);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_config_cache);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_get_set_param);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_param_int);
diff --git a/src/kernel/jsonconf.c b/src/kernel/jsonconf.c
index 414704309..03e210ce0 100644
--- a/src/kernel/jsonconf.c
+++ b/src/kernel/jsonconf.c
@@ -806,7 +806,9 @@ static void json_settings(cJSON *json) {
             else {
                 sprintf(value, "%d", child->valueint);
             }
-            config_set(child->string, value);
+            if (config_get(child->string) == NULL) {
+                config_set(child->string, value);
+            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/kernel/jsonconf.test.c b/src/kernel/jsonconf.test.c
index 950868046..93fcd8d10 100644
--- a/src/kernel/jsonconf.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/jsonconf.test.c
@@ -69,12 +69,15 @@ static void test_settings(CuTest * tc)
         "\"string\" : \"1d4\","
         "\"integer\" : 14,"
         "\"true\": true,"
+        "\"game.id\": 4,"
         "\"false\": false,"
         "\"float\" : 1.5 }}";
     cJSON *json = cJSON_Parse(data);
 
     test_cleanup();
+    config_set("game.id", "42"); // should not be replaced
     json_config(json);
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "42", config_get("game.id"));
     CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "1", config_get("true"));
     CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "0", config_get("false"));
     CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "1d4", config_get("string"));
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 2d81041ec..777770f0a 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -72,17 +72,15 @@ static void load_inifile(dictionary * d)
     verbosity = iniparser_getint(d, "game:verbose", 2);
     str = iniparser_getstring(d, "game:locales", "de,en");
     make_locales(str);
-
-    if (global.inifile) iniparser_freedict(global.inifile);
-    global.inifile = d;
 }
 
-static void parse_config(const char *filename)
+static dictionary *parse_config(const char *filename)
 {
     dictionary *d = iniparser_load(filename);
     if (d) {
         load_inifile(d);
         log_debug("reading from configuration file %s\n", filename);
+        config_set_from(d);
 
         memdebug = iniparser_getint(d, "game:memcheck", memdebug);
 #ifdef USE_CURSES
@@ -91,6 +89,7 @@ static void parse_config(const char *filename)
         gm_codepage = iniparser_getint(d, "editor:codepage", gm_codepage);
 #endif
     }
+    return d;
 }
 
 static int usage(const char *prog, const char *arg)
@@ -271,10 +270,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
     int err = 0;
     lua_State *L;
+    dictionary *d;
     setup_signal_handler();
     /* ini file sets defaults for arguments*/
-    parse_config(inifile);
-    if (!global.inifile) {
+    d = parse_config(inifile);
+    if (!d) {
         log_error("could not open ini configuration %s\n", inifile);
     }
     /* parse arguments again, to override ini file */
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
     locale_init();
 
-    L = lua_init();
+    L = lua_init(d);
     game_init();
     bind_monsters(L);
     err = eressea_run(L, luafile);
@@ -293,8 +293,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     game_done();
     lua_done(L);
     log_close();
-    if (global.inifile) {
-        iniparser_freedict(global.inifile);
+    if (d) {
+        iniparser_freedict(d);
     }
     return 0;
 }