diff --git a/src/libopensc/ctx.c b/src/libopensc/ctx.c
index effdaaf8..4e28674f 100644
--- a/src/libopensc/ctx.c
+++ b/src/libopensc/ctx.c
@@ -150,13 +150,12 @@ static int load_parameters(struct sc_context *ctx, const char *app,
 	scconf_block **blocks = NULL;
 	int i, err = 0;
 
-	blocks = scconf_find_blocks(ctx->conf, NULL, "app");
+	blocks = scconf_find_blocks(ctx->conf, NULL, "app", NULL);
 	for (i = 0; blocks[i]; i++) {
-		scconf_block *block = blocks[i];
+		const scconf_block *block = blocks[i];
                 const scconf_list *list;
-		const char *val;
-		const char *s_internal = "internal";
- 
+		const char *s_internal = "internal", *val;
+
 		if (!block->name && strcmp(block->name->data, app))
 			continue;
 		val = scconf_find_value_first(block, "debug");
diff --git a/src/scconf/scconf.c b/src/scconf/scconf.c
index e6e620c2..f1e827e0 100644
--- a/src/scconf/scconf.c
+++ b/src/scconf/scconf.c
@@ -60,40 +60,48 @@ void scconf_deinit(scconf_context * config)
 	config = NULL;
 }
 
-scconf_block *scconf_find_block(scconf_context * config, scconf_block * block,
-				const char *key)
+const scconf_block *scconf_find_block(scconf_context * config, const scconf_block * block, const char *item_name)
 {
 	scconf_item *item;
 
 	if (!block) {
 		block = config->root;
 	}
+	if (!item_name) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
 	for (item = block->items; item; item = item->next) {
 		if (item->type == SCCONF_ITEM_TYPE_BLOCK &&
-		    strcasecmp(key, item->key) == 0) {
+		    strcasecmp(item_name, item->key) == 0) {
 			return item->value.block;
 		}
 	}
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-scconf_block **scconf_find_blocks(scconf_context * config, scconf_block * block,
-				  const char *key)
+scconf_block **scconf_find_blocks(scconf_context * config, const scconf_block * block, const char *item_name, const char *key)
 {
 	scconf_block **blocks = NULL;
-	scconf_item *item;
 	int alloc_size, size;
+	scconf_item *item;
 
 	if (!block) {
 		block = config->root;
 	}
+	if (!item_name) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
 	size = 0;
 	alloc_size = 10;
 	blocks = realloc(blocks, sizeof(scconf_block *) * alloc_size);
 
 	for (item = block->items; item; item = item->next) {
 		if (item->type == SCCONF_ITEM_TYPE_BLOCK &&
-		    strcasecmp(key, item->key) == 0) {
+		    strcasecmp(item_name, item->key) == 0) {
+			if (key && item->value.block->name) {
+				if (strcasecmp(key, item->value.block->name->data))
+					continue;
+			}
 			if (size + 1 >= alloc_size) {
 				alloc_size *= 2;
 				blocks = realloc(blocks, sizeof(scconf_block *) * alloc_size);
@@ -105,24 +113,30 @@ scconf_block **scconf_find_blocks(scconf_context * config, scconf_block * block,
 	return blocks;
 }
 
-scconf_list *scconf_find_value(scconf_block * block, const char *key)
+const scconf_list *scconf_find_value(const scconf_block * block, const char *option)
 {
 	scconf_item *item;
 
+	if (!block) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
 	for (item = block->items; item; item = item->next) {
 		if (item->type == SCCONF_ITEM_TYPE_VALUE &&
-		    strcasecmp(key, item->key) == 0) {
+		    strcasecmp(option, item->key) == 0) {
 			return item->value.list;
 		}
 	}
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-char *scconf_find_value_first(scconf_block * block, const char *key)
+const char *scconf_find_value_first(const scconf_block * block, const char *option)
 {
-	scconf_list *list;
+	const scconf_list *list;
 
-	list = scconf_find_value(block, key);
+	if (!block) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	list = scconf_find_value(block, option);
 	return !list ? NULL : list->data;
 }
 
@@ -182,7 +196,7 @@ void scconf_block_destroy(scconf_block * block)
 	}
 }
 
-int scconf_list_array_length(scconf_list * list)
+int scconf_list_array_length(const scconf_list * list)
 {
 	int len = 0;
 
@@ -190,11 +204,10 @@ int scconf_list_array_length(scconf_list * list)
 		len++;
 		list = list->next;
 	}
-
 	return len;
 }
 
-int scconf_list_strings_length(scconf_list * list)
+int scconf_list_strings_length(const scconf_list * list)
 {
 	int len = 0;
 
@@ -202,15 +215,17 @@ int scconf_list_strings_length(scconf_list * list)
 		len += strlen(list->data) + 1;
 		list = list->next;
 	}
-
 	return len;
 }
 
-char *scconf_list_strdup(scconf_list * list, const char *filler)
+char *scconf_list_strdup(const scconf_list * list, const char *filler)
 {
 	char *buf = NULL;
 	int len = 0;
 
+	if (!list) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
 	len = scconf_list_strings_length(list);
 	if (filler) {
 		len += scconf_list_array_length(list) * (strlen(filler) + 1);
diff --git a/src/scconf/scconf.h b/src/scconf/scconf.h
index 89f4d62c..beac07be 100644
--- a/src/scconf/scconf.h
+++ b/src/scconf/scconf.h
@@ -61,38 +61,65 @@ typedef struct {
 	scconf_block *root;
 } scconf_context;
 
+/* Init configuration
+ * The filename can be NULL
+ */
 extern scconf_context *scconf_init(const char *filename);
+
+/* Free configuration
+ */
 extern void scconf_deinit(scconf_context * config);
 
-/* Returns 1 = ok, 0 = error, -1 = error opening config file */
+/* Parse configuration
+ * Returns 1 = ok, 0 = error, -1 = error opening config file
+ */
 extern int scconf_parse(scconf_context * config);
 
-/* Write config to file.
- * if filename is NULL, use the config->filename.
+/* Write config to a file
+ * If the filename is NULL, use the config->filename
  * Returns 0 = ok, else = errno
  */
 extern int scconf_write(scconf_context * config, const char *filename);
 
-/* Find config block by key. If block is NULL, the root block is used. */
-extern scconf_block *scconf_find_block(scconf_context * config, scconf_block * block, const char *key);
-extern scconf_block **scconf_find_blocks(scconf_context * config, scconf_block * block, const char *key);
+/* Find a config by the item_name
+ * If the block is NULL, the root block is used
+ */
+extern const scconf_block *scconf_find_block(scconf_context * config, const scconf_block * block, const char *item_name);
 
-/* Find value from block */
-extern scconf_list *scconf_find_value(scconf_block * block, const char *key);
-extern char *scconf_find_value_first(scconf_block * block, const char *key);
+/* Find a config by the item_name
+ * If the block is NULL, the root block is used
+ * The key can be used to specify what the blocks first name should be.
+ */
+extern scconf_block **scconf_find_blocks(scconf_context * config, const scconf_block * block, const char *item_name, const char *key);
 
-/* Free list/block structure */
+/* Get a list of values for option
+ */
+extern const scconf_list *scconf_find_value(const scconf_block * block, const char *option);
+
+/* Return the first value of the option
+ */
+extern const char *scconf_find_value_first(const scconf_block * block, const char *option);
+
+/* Free list structure
+ */
 extern void scconf_list_destroy(scconf_list * list);
+
+/* Free block structure
+ */
 extern void scconf_block_destroy(scconf_block * block);
 
-/* Return the length of an list array */
-extern int scconf_list_array_length(scconf_list * list);
+/* Return the length of an list array
+ */
+extern int scconf_list_array_length(const scconf_list * list);
 
-/* Return the combined length of the strings on all arrays */
-extern int scconf_list_strings_length(scconf_list * list);
+/* Return the combined length of the strings on all arrays
+ */
+extern int scconf_list_strings_length(const scconf_list * list);
 
-/* Return allocated string that contains all strings in a list */
-extern char *scconf_list_strdup(scconf_list * list, const char *filler);
+/* Return an allocated string that contains all
+ * the strings in a list separated by the filler
+ */
+extern char *scconf_list_strdup(const scconf_list * list, const char *filler);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/src/scconf/test-conf.c b/src/scconf/test-conf.c
index 1d50e6e5..0e5e4b13 100644
--- a/src/scconf/test-conf.c
+++ b/src/scconf/test-conf.c
@@ -33,10 +33,10 @@ void print_ldap_block(scconf_context * conf, scconf_block * block)
 	scconf_block **blocks = NULL;
 	unsigned int i;
 
-	blocks = scconf_find_blocks(conf, block, "ldap");
+	blocks = scconf_find_blocks(conf, block, "ldap", NULL);
 	for (i = 0; blocks[i]; i++) {
-		scconf_block *block = blocks[i];
-		scconf_list *list, *tmp;
+		const scconf_block *block = blocks[i];
+		const scconf_list *list, *tmp;
 
 		printf("LDAP entry[%s]\n", !block->name ? "Default" : block->name->data);
 		printf("ldaphost: %s\n", scconf_find_value_first(block, "ldaphost"));
diff --git a/src/scldap/scldap.c b/src/scldap/scldap.c
index 90012750..e1558072 100644
--- a/src/scldap/scldap.c
+++ b/src/scldap/scldap.c
@@ -48,11 +48,11 @@ static void scldap_parse_block(scldap_context * ctx, scconf_block * block, const
 	char fallback[32];
 	unsigned int i;
 
-	blocks = scconf_find_blocks(ctx->conf, block, "ldap");
+	blocks = scconf_find_blocks(ctx->conf, block, "ldap", NULL);
 	for (i = 0; blocks[i]; i++) {
-		scconf_block *block = blocks[i];
-		scconf_list *list = NULL, *tmp = NULL;
-		char *val = NULL;
+		const scconf_block *block = blocks[i];
+		const scconf_list *list = NULL, *tmp = NULL;
+		const char *val = NULL;
 		size_t len = 0;
 
 		if (ctx->entries >= SCLDAP_MAX_ENTRIES)
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ scldap_context *scldap_parse_parameters(const char *filename)
 		scldap_parse_block(ctx, NULL, NULL);
 
 		/* Parse card specific LDAP blocks */
-		blocks = scconf_find_blocks(ctx->conf, NULL, "card");
+		blocks = scconf_find_blocks(ctx->conf, NULL, "card", NULL);
 		for (i = 0; blocks[i]; i++) {
 			scconf_block *block = blocks[i];
 			char *name = NULL;