diff --git a/wicd/configmanager.py b/wicd/configmanager.py
index b636678..29d4320 100644
--- a/wicd/configmanager.py
+++ b/wicd/configmanager.py
@@ -31,10 +31,11 @@ from wicd.misc import stringToNone, Noneify, to_unicode
 
 class ConfigManager(RawConfigParser):
     """ A class that can be used to manage a given configuration file. """
-    def __init__(self, path, debug=False):
+    def __init__(self, path, debug=False, mark_whitespace="`'`"):
         RawConfigParser.__init__(self)
         self.config_file = path
         self.debug = debug
+        self.mrk_ws = mark_whitespace
         self.read(path)
         
     def __repr__(self):
@@ -60,6 +61,9 @@ class ConfigManager(RawConfigParser):
             self.add_section(section)
         if isinstance(value, basestring):
             value = to_unicode(value)
+            if value.startswith(' ') or value.endswith(' '):
+                value = "%(ws)s%(value)s%(ws)s" % {"value" : value,
+                                                   "ws" : self.mrk_ws}
         RawConfigParser.set(self, section, str(option), value)
         if save:
             self.write()
@@ -77,10 +81,16 @@ class ConfigManager(RawConfigParser):
         
         """
         if not self.has_section(section):
-            self.add_section(section)
+            if default != "__None__":
+                self.add_section(section)
+            else:
+                return None
     
         if self.has_option(section, option):
             ret = RawConfigParser.get(self, section, option)
+            if (isinstance(ret, basestring) and ret.startswith(self.mrk_ws) 
+                and ret.endswith(self.mrk_ws)):
+                ret = ret[3:-3]
             if default:
                 if self.debug:
                     print ''.join(['found ', option, ' in configuration ', 
diff --git a/wicd/wicd-daemon.py b/wicd/wicd-daemon.py
index 8087c87..8fb98bb 100644
--- a/wicd/wicd-daemon.py
+++ b/wicd/wicd-daemon.py
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ class WicdDaemon(dbus.service.Object):
         self.vpn_session =  None
         self.gui_open = False
         self.suspended = False
-        self.debug_mode = False
+        self._debug_mode = False
         self.connection_state = misc.NOT_CONNECTED
         self.connection_info = [""]
         self.auto_connecting = False
@@ -123,6 +123,13 @@ class WicdDaemon(dbus.service.Object):
             self.SetForcedDisconnect(True)
             print "--no-autoconnect detected, not autoconnecting..."
             
+    def get_debug_mode(self):
+        return self._debug_mode
+    def set_debug_mode(self, mode):
+        self._debug_mode = mode
+        self.config.debug = mode
+    debug_mode = property(get_debug_mode, set_debug_mode)
+            
     @dbus.service.method('org.wicd.daemon')
     def Hello(self):
         """ Returns the version number. 
@@ -874,10 +881,18 @@ class WirelessDaemon(dbus.service.Object):
         self.hidden_essid = None
         self.daemon = daemon
         self.wifi = wifi
-        self.debug_mode = debug
+        self._debug_mode = debug
         self.forced_disconnect = False
         self.config = ConfigManager(os.path.join(wpath.etc, 
-                                                 "wireless-settings.conf"))
+                                                 "wireless-settings.conf"),
+                                    debug=debug)
+        
+    def get_debug_mode(self):
+        return self._debug_mode
+    def set_debug_mode(self, mode):
+        self._debug_mode = mode
+        self.config.debug = mode
+    debug_mode = property(get_debug_mode, set_debug_mode)
         
     @dbus.service.method('org.wicd.daemon.wireless')
     def SetHiddenNetworkESSID(self, essid):
@@ -1223,11 +1238,19 @@ class WiredDaemon(dbus.service.Object):
                                      object_path="/org/wicd/daemon/wired")
         self.daemon = daemon
         self.wired = wired
-        self.debug_mode = debug
+        self._debug_mode = debug
         self.forced_disconnect = False
         self.WiredNetwork = {}
         self.config = ConfigManager(os.path.join(wpath.etc,
-                                                 "wired-settings.conf"))
+                                                 "wired-settings.conf"), 
+                                    debug=debug)
+
+    def get_debug_mode(self):
+        return self._debug_mode
+    def set_debug_mode(self, mode):
+        self._debug_mode = mode
+        self.config.debug = mode
+    debug_mode = property(get_debug_mode, set_debug_mode)
         
     @dbus.service.method('org.wicd.daemon.wired')
     def GetWiredIP(self, ifconfig=""):