diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index c30e1514..29673085 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
+    - added 'scope' attribute for {config_load}, 'global' is now deprecated but
+      is still supported. (Andrei)
+    - reduced template symbol table pollution by moving config array into the
+      class itself. (Andrei)
     - fixed a bug with passing quoted arguments to modifiers inside {if}
       statements. (Andrei, Sam Beckwith)
     - added security features for third party template editing. (Monte)
     - added assign custom function, documented. (Monte)
-    - fixed bug with template header using version instead of _version (Monte)
+    - fixed bug with template header using version instead of _version. (Monte)
     - fixed a problem with putting $ followed by numbers inside {strip} and
       {/strip} tags. (Andrei)
     - fixed Config_File class to allow empty config paths (defaults to current
diff --git a/Smarty.class.php b/Smarty.class.php
index 029b524d..6e19ecec 100644
--- a/Smarty.class.php
+++ b/Smarty.class.php
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ class Smarty
     var $_tpl_vars              =   array();    // where assigned template vars are kept
     var $_sections              =   array();    // keeps track of sections
     var $_conf_obj              =   null;       // configuration object
+    var $_config                =   array();    // loaded configuration settings
     var $_smarty_md5            =   'f8d698aea36fcbead2b9d5359ffca76f'; // md5 checksum of the string 'Smarty'    
     var $_version               =   '1.4.2';    // Smarty version number    
     var $_extract               =   false;      // flag for custom functions
@@ -519,6 +520,9 @@ class Smarty
 
         extract($this->_tpl_vars);
 
+        /* Initialize config array. */
+        $this->_config = array(array());
+
         if ($this->show_info_header) {
             $info_header = '<!-- Smarty '.$this->_version.' '.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %Z").' -->'."\n\n";
         } else {
@@ -739,15 +743,17 @@ class Smarty
     Function:   _smarty_include()
     Purpose:    called for included templates
 \*======================================================================*/
-    function _smarty_include($_smarty_include_tpl_file, $_smarty_include_vars,
-                             &$_smarty_config_parent)
+    function _smarty_include($_smarty_include_tpl_file, $_smarty_include_vars)
     {
-        $_smarty_config = $_smarty_config_parent;
         $this->_tpl_vars = array_merge($this->_tpl_vars, $_smarty_include_vars);
         extract($this->_tpl_vars);
+
+        array_unshift($this->_config, $this->_config[0]);
  
         $this->_process_template($_smarty_include_tpl_file, $compile_path);
         include($compile_path);
+
+        array_shift($this->_config);
     }
         
 /*======================================================================*\
diff --git a/Smarty_Compiler.class.php b/Smarty_Compiler.class.php
index fdb09f2a..6922487d 100644
--- a/Smarty_Compiler.class.php
+++ b/Smarty_Compiler.class.php
@@ -347,20 +347,39 @@ class Smarty_Compiler extends Smarty {
             $this->_syntax_error("missing 'file' attribute in config_load tag");
         }
 
-        if (!empty($attrs['global']) && $attrs['global'])
-            $update_parent = true;
-        else
-            $update_parent = false;
+        $scope = $this->_dequote($attrs['scope']);
+        if (!empty($scope)) {
+            if ($scope != 'local' &&
+                $scope != 'parent' &&
+                $scope != 'global') {
+                var_dump($scope);
+                $this->_syntax_error("invalid 'scope' attribute value");
+            }
+        } else {
+            if (!empty($attrs['global']) && $attrs['global'])
+                $scope = 'parent';
+            else
+                $scope = 'local';
+        }
 
         $output  = "<?php\n" .
-                   "\$_smarty_config = array_merge((array)\$_smarty_config, \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file']."));\n";
-        if ($update_parent)
-            $output .=  "\$_smarty_config_parent = array_merge((array)\$_smarty_config_parent, \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file']."));\n";
+                   "\$this->_config[0] = array_merge(\$this->_config[0], \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file']."));\n";
+        if ($scope == 'parent')
+            $output .=  "if (count(\$this->_config) > 0)\n" .
+                        "   \$this->_config[1] = array_merge(\$this->_config[1], \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file']."));\n";
+        else if ($scope == 'global')
+            $output .=  "for (\$this->_i = 1; \$this->_i < count(\$this->_config); \$this->_i++)\n" .
+                        "   \$this->_config[\$this->_i] = array_merge(\$this->_config[\$this->_i], \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file']."));\n";
 
-        if (!empty($attrs['section'])) {
-            $output .=  "\$_smarty_config = array_merge((array)\$_smarty_config, \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file'].", ".$attrs['section']."));\n";
-            if ($update_parent)
-                $output .=  "\$_smarty_config_parent = array_merge((array)\$_smarty_config_parent, \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file'].", ".$attrs['section']."));\n";
+        $dq_section = $this->_dequote($attrs['section']);
+        if (!empty($dq_section)) {
+            $output .=  "\$this->_config[0] = array_merge(\$this->_config[0], \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file'].", ".$attrs['section']."));\n";
+            if ($scope == 'parent')
+                $output .= "if (count(\$this->_config) > 0)\n" .
+                           "    \$this->_config[1] = array_merge(\$this->_config[1], \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file'].", ".$attrs['section']."));\n";
+            else if ($scope == 'global')
+                $output .=  "for (\$this->_i = 1; \$this->_i < count(\$this->_config); \$this->_i++)\n" .
+                            "   \$this->_config[\$this->_i] = array_merge(\$this->_config[\$this->_i], \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file'].", ".$attrs['section']."));\n";
         }
 
         $output .= '?>';
@@ -393,7 +412,7 @@ class Smarty_Compiler extends Smarty {
 
         return  "<?php " .
             "\$_smarty_tpl_vars = \$this->_tpl_vars;\n" .
-            "\$this->_smarty_include(".$include_file.", array(".implode(',', (array)$arg_list)."), \$_smarty_config);\n" .
+            "\$this->_smarty_include(".$include_file.", array(".implode(',', (array)$arg_list)."));\n" .
             "\$this->_tpl_vars = \$_smarty_tpl_vars;\n" .
             "unset(\$_smarty_tpl_vars); ?>";
     }
@@ -793,7 +812,7 @@ class Smarty_Compiler extends Smarty {
 
         $var_name = substr($var_ref, 1, -1);
 
-        $output = "\$_smarty_config['$var_name']";
+        $output = "\$this->_config[0]['$var_name']";
 
         $this->_parse_modifiers($output, $modifiers);
 
@@ -891,4 +910,6 @@ class Smarty_Compiler extends Smarty {
     }
 }
 
+/* vim: set et: */
+
 ?>
diff --git a/demo/templates/index.tpl b/demo/templates/index.tpl
index ad66a50c..109fd991 100644
--- a/demo/templates/index.tpl
+++ b/demo/templates/index.tpl
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{config_load file=test.conf section="setup"}
+{config_load file=test.conf section=""}
 {include file=header.tpl title=foo}
 
 <PRE>
diff --git a/libs/Smarty.class.php b/libs/Smarty.class.php
index 029b524d..6e19ecec 100644
--- a/libs/Smarty.class.php
+++ b/libs/Smarty.class.php
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ class Smarty
     var $_tpl_vars              =   array();    // where assigned template vars are kept
     var $_sections              =   array();    // keeps track of sections
     var $_conf_obj              =   null;       // configuration object
+    var $_config                =   array();    // loaded configuration settings
     var $_smarty_md5            =   'f8d698aea36fcbead2b9d5359ffca76f'; // md5 checksum of the string 'Smarty'    
     var $_version               =   '1.4.2';    // Smarty version number    
     var $_extract               =   false;      // flag for custom functions
@@ -519,6 +520,9 @@ class Smarty
 
         extract($this->_tpl_vars);
 
+        /* Initialize config array. */
+        $this->_config = array(array());
+
         if ($this->show_info_header) {
             $info_header = '<!-- Smarty '.$this->_version.' '.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %Z").' -->'."\n\n";
         } else {
@@ -739,15 +743,17 @@ class Smarty
     Function:   _smarty_include()
     Purpose:    called for included templates
 \*======================================================================*/
-    function _smarty_include($_smarty_include_tpl_file, $_smarty_include_vars,
-                             &$_smarty_config_parent)
+    function _smarty_include($_smarty_include_tpl_file, $_smarty_include_vars)
     {
-        $_smarty_config = $_smarty_config_parent;
         $this->_tpl_vars = array_merge($this->_tpl_vars, $_smarty_include_vars);
         extract($this->_tpl_vars);
+
+        array_unshift($this->_config, $this->_config[0]);
  
         $this->_process_template($_smarty_include_tpl_file, $compile_path);
         include($compile_path);
+
+        array_shift($this->_config);
     }
         
 /*======================================================================*\
diff --git a/libs/Smarty_Compiler.class.php b/libs/Smarty_Compiler.class.php
index fdb09f2a..6922487d 100644
--- a/libs/Smarty_Compiler.class.php
+++ b/libs/Smarty_Compiler.class.php
@@ -347,20 +347,39 @@ class Smarty_Compiler extends Smarty {
             $this->_syntax_error("missing 'file' attribute in config_load tag");
         }
 
-        if (!empty($attrs['global']) && $attrs['global'])
-            $update_parent = true;
-        else
-            $update_parent = false;
+        $scope = $this->_dequote($attrs['scope']);
+        if (!empty($scope)) {
+            if ($scope != 'local' &&
+                $scope != 'parent' &&
+                $scope != 'global') {
+                var_dump($scope);
+                $this->_syntax_error("invalid 'scope' attribute value");
+            }
+        } else {
+            if (!empty($attrs['global']) && $attrs['global'])
+                $scope = 'parent';
+            else
+                $scope = 'local';
+        }
 
         $output  = "<?php\n" .
-                   "\$_smarty_config = array_merge((array)\$_smarty_config, \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file']."));\n";
-        if ($update_parent)
-            $output .=  "\$_smarty_config_parent = array_merge((array)\$_smarty_config_parent, \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file']."));\n";
+                   "\$this->_config[0] = array_merge(\$this->_config[0], \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file']."));\n";
+        if ($scope == 'parent')
+            $output .=  "if (count(\$this->_config) > 0)\n" .
+                        "   \$this->_config[1] = array_merge(\$this->_config[1], \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file']."));\n";
+        else if ($scope == 'global')
+            $output .=  "for (\$this->_i = 1; \$this->_i < count(\$this->_config); \$this->_i++)\n" .
+                        "   \$this->_config[\$this->_i] = array_merge(\$this->_config[\$this->_i], \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file']."));\n";
 
-        if (!empty($attrs['section'])) {
-            $output .=  "\$_smarty_config = array_merge((array)\$_smarty_config, \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file'].", ".$attrs['section']."));\n";
-            if ($update_parent)
-                $output .=  "\$_smarty_config_parent = array_merge((array)\$_smarty_config_parent, \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file'].", ".$attrs['section']."));\n";
+        $dq_section = $this->_dequote($attrs['section']);
+        if (!empty($dq_section)) {
+            $output .=  "\$this->_config[0] = array_merge(\$this->_config[0], \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file'].", ".$attrs['section']."));\n";
+            if ($scope == 'parent')
+                $output .= "if (count(\$this->_config) > 0)\n" .
+                           "    \$this->_config[1] = array_merge(\$this->_config[1], \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file'].", ".$attrs['section']."));\n";
+            else if ($scope == 'global')
+                $output .=  "for (\$this->_i = 1; \$this->_i < count(\$this->_config); \$this->_i++)\n" .
+                            "   \$this->_config[\$this->_i] = array_merge(\$this->_config[\$this->_i], \$this->_conf_obj->get(".$attrs['file'].", ".$attrs['section']."));\n";
         }
 
         $output .= '?>';
@@ -393,7 +412,7 @@ class Smarty_Compiler extends Smarty {
 
         return  "<?php " .
             "\$_smarty_tpl_vars = \$this->_tpl_vars;\n" .
-            "\$this->_smarty_include(".$include_file.", array(".implode(',', (array)$arg_list)."), \$_smarty_config);\n" .
+            "\$this->_smarty_include(".$include_file.", array(".implode(',', (array)$arg_list)."));\n" .
             "\$this->_tpl_vars = \$_smarty_tpl_vars;\n" .
             "unset(\$_smarty_tpl_vars); ?>";
     }
@@ -793,7 +812,7 @@ class Smarty_Compiler extends Smarty {
 
         $var_name = substr($var_ref, 1, -1);
 
-        $output = "\$_smarty_config['$var_name']";
+        $output = "\$this->_config[0]['$var_name']";
 
         $this->_parse_modifiers($output, $modifiers);
 
@@ -891,4 +910,6 @@ class Smarty_Compiler extends Smarty {
     }
 }
 
+/* vim: set et: */
+
 ?>
diff --git a/templates/index.tpl b/templates/index.tpl
index ad66a50c..109fd991 100644
--- a/templates/index.tpl
+++ b/templates/index.tpl
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{config_load file=test.conf section="setup"}
+{config_load file=test.conf section=""}
 {include file=header.tpl title=foo}
 
 <PRE>