@@ -38,18 +38,19 @@
     (append newalist (list (list key val)))))
 
 (define (config:eval-string-in-environment str)
   (let ((cmdres (cmd-run->list (conc "echo " str))))
     (if (null? cmdres) ""
-	(car cmdres))))
+	(caar cmdres))))
 
 ;; read a config file, returns hash table of alists
 ;; adds to ht if given (must be #f otherwise)
 ;; envion-patt is a regex spec that identifies sections that will be eval'd
 ;; in the environment on the fly
 
 (define (read-config path ht allow-system #!key (environ-patt #f))
+  (debug:print 4 "INFO: read-config " path " allow-system " allow-system " environ-patt " environ-patt)
   (if (not (file-exists? path))
       (if (not ht)(make-hash-table) ht)
       (let ((inp        (open-input-file path))
 	    (res        (if (not ht)(make-hash-table) ht))
 	    (include-rx (regexp "^\\[include\\s+(.*)\\]\\s*$"))
@@ -89,14 +90,19 @@
 								     (string-intersperse res " ")))))
 						    (hash-table-set! res curr-section-name 
 								     (config:assoc-safe-add alist key val))
 						    (loop (read-line inp) curr-section-name #f #f))
 						  (loop (read-line inp) curr-section-name #f #f)))
-	       (key-val-pr ( x key val      ) (let ((alist   (hash-table-ref/default res curr-section-name '()))
-						    (realval (if (and environ-patt (string-match (regexp environ-patt) curr-section-name))
+	       (key-val-pr ( x key val      ) (let* ((alist   (hash-table-ref/default res curr-section-name '()))
+						     (envar   (and environ-patt (string-match (regexp environ-patt) curr-section-name)))
+						     (realval (if envar
 								 (config:eval-string-in-environment val)
 								 val)))
+						(if envar
+						    (begin
+						      (debug:print 4 "INFO: read-config key=" key ", val=" val ", realval=" realval)
+						      (setenv key realval)))
 						(hash-table-set! res curr-section-name 
 								 (config:assoc-safe-add alist key realval))
 						(loop (read-line inp) curr-section-name key #f)))
 	       ;; if a continued line
 	       (cont-ln-rx ( x whsp val     ) (let ((alist (hash-table-ref/default res curr-section-name '())))