diff --git a/src/client/Makefile.am b/src/client/Makefile.am
--- a/src/client/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/client/Makefile.am
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 bin_PROGRAMS = distren
 distren_SOURCES = distren.c
-distren_LDADD = @DISTLIBS_LIBS@ @top_builddir@/src/common/libdistrencommon.la libdistren.la @XML_LIBS@
-distren_CFLAGS = @DISTLIBS_CFLAGS@ -I@top_srcdir@/src/common @XML_CPPFLAGS@
+distren_LDADD = @DISTLIBS_LIBS@libdistren.la
+distren_CFLAGS = @DISTLIBS_CFLAGS@
 
 
 include_HEADERS = distren.h
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ lib_LTLIBRARIES = libdistren.la
 
 libdistren_la_SOURCES = distren.h libdistren.h libdistren.c libdistren_job.c libdistren_unbias.c libdistren_config.c
 #evidently the following should not be LDADD, but LDFLAGS because automake doesn't like the idea of LDADD for libraries for some reason... or I am very confused
-libdistren_la_LIBADD = @DISTLIBS_LIBS@
-libdistren_la_CXXFLAGS = @DISTLIBS_CFLAGS@
+libdistren_la_LIBADD = @DISTLIBS_LIBS@ @top_builddir@/src/common/libdistrencommon.la @XML_LIBS@
+libdistren_la_CFLAGS = @DISTLIBS_CFLAGS@ -I@top_srcdir@/src/common @XML_CPPFLAGS@
 
 #see http://sources.redhat.com/autobook/autobook/autobook_91.html
 # either increase the revision number or the interface number each release!
diff --git a/src/client/distren.c b/src/client/distren.c
--- a/src/client/distren.c
+++ b/src/client/distren.c
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
  */
 
 
-#include "options.h"
 #include "execio.h"
 
 #include <distren.h>
@@ -51,18 +50,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   distren_t distren;
   distren_job_t distren_job;
 
-  struct options_common *options;
 
-  cfg_t *cfg;
-
-  cfg_opt_t cfg_opts[] =
-    {
-      CFG_STR_LIST("render_types", NULL, 0),
-      CFG_STR("username", NULL, 0),
-      CFG_STR("name", NULL, 0),
-      CFG_STR("email", NULL, 0),
-      CFG_END()
-    };
 
   input = NULL;
   output = NULL;
@@ -100,14 +88,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
       else if(curopt == 'o')
 	output = strdup(optarg);
     } 
-  /*
-    parse the config file after the arguments so we can intercept -h for help
-  */  
-  if(options_init(argc, argv, &cfg, cfg_opts, "client", &options))
-    {
-      fprintf(stderr, "error getting configuration\n");
-      //return 1;
-    }
 
   /* 
      give this error after the general arguments parsing so that
@@ -176,7 +156,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   // We need some code to ssh, and if the SSH fails, tell the user to register.
   // Killed the user reg code, as the php interface will take care of this. Although it should check for users...
 
-  options_free(options);
+  
   return 0;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/client/libdistren.h b/src/client/libdistren.h
--- a/src/client/libdistren.h
+++ b/src/client/libdistren.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ struct distren
 {
   distren_malloc_t malloc;
   distren_free_t free;
+  struct options_common *options; /*< use a pointer just to avoid #include "options.h"? */
 };
 
 struct distren_job
@@ -62,3 +63,8 @@ void _free(distren_t distren, void *tofr
    DISTREN_CONFIG or the built-in default config file location.
  */
 int _distren_getoptions(distren_t handle);
+
+/**
+   Unsets-up the distren handle with options loadable from a config file.
+ */
+int _distren_loseoptions(distren_t handle);
diff --git a/src/client/libdistren_config.c b/src/client/libdistren_config.c
--- a/src/client/libdistren_config.c
+++ b/src/client/libdistren_config.c
@@ -22,11 +22,39 @@
  */
 
 #include <libdistren.h>
+#include "options.h"
 
 /**
 @todo Stub
  */
 int _distren_getoptions(distren_t handle)
 {
+  cfg_t *cfg;
+
+  cfg_opt_t cfg_opts[] =
+    {
+      CFG_STR_LIST("render_types", NULL, 0),
+      CFG_STR("username", NULL, 0),
+      CFG_STR("name", NULL, 0),
+      CFG_STR("email", NULL, 0),
+      CFG_END()
+    };
+  
+  if(options_init(0, NULL, &cfg, cfg_opts, "client", &handle->options))
+    {
+      fprintf(stderr, "error getting configuration\n");
+      return 1;
+    }
+  
   return 1;
 }
+
+/**
+@todo stubish
+ */
+int _distren_loseoptions(distren_t handle)
+{
+  options_free(handle->options);
+  
+  return 0;
+}