diff --git a/docs/config.rst b/docs/config.rst
index 19b85b4..56a2a85 100644
--- a/docs/config.rst
+++ b/docs/config.rst
@@ -209,6 +209,21 @@ Render Dictonary Keys
 The render dictionary is a dictionary mapping configuration key strings to
 values. The valid configuration keys are listed below.
 
+.. note::
+
+    Any of these items can be specified at the top level of the config file to
+    set the default for every render. For example, this line at the top of the
+    config file will set the world for every render to 'myworld' if no world is
+    specified::
+
+        world = 'myworld'
+
+    Then you don't need to specify a ``world`` key in the render dictionaries::
+
+        render['arender'] = {
+                'title': 'This render doesn't explicitly declare a world!',
+                }
+
 ``world``
     Specifies which world this render corresponds to. Its value should be a
     string from the appropriate key in the worlds dictionary.
diff --git a/overviewer_core/configParser.py b/overviewer_core/configParser.py
index 533f861..412e1bf 100644
--- a/overviewer_core/configParser.py
+++ b/overviewer_core/configParser.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ class MultiWorldParser(object):
     set_config_item() method.
 
     get_validated_config() validates and returns the validated config
+
     """
 
     def __init__(self):
@@ -34,6 +35,9 @@ class MultiWorldParser(object):
 
             self._settings[settingname] = setting
             
+            # Set top level defaults. This is intended to be for container
+            # types, so they can initialize a config file with an empty
+            # container (like a dict)
             if setting.required and setting.default is not None:
                 self._config_state[settingname] = setting.default
 
@@ -45,6 +49,10 @@ class MultiWorldParser(object):
         internal state awating to be validated and returned upon call to
         get_render_settings()
 
+        Attributes defined in the file that do not match any setting are then
+        matched against the renderdict setting, and if it does match, is used as
+        the default for that setting.
+
         """
         if not os.path.exists(settings_file) and not os.path.isfile(settings_file):
             raise ValueError("bad settings file")
@@ -60,6 +68,16 @@ class MultiWorldParser(object):
             logging.exception("Error parsing %s.  Please check the trackback for more info" % settings_file)
             sys.exit(1)
 
+        # At this point, make a pass through the file to possibly set global
+        # render defaults
+        render_settings = self._settings['renders'].validator.valuevalidator.config
+        for key in self._config_state.iterkeys():
+            if key not in self._settings:
+                if key in render_settings:
+                    setting = render_settings[key]
+                    setting.default = self._config_state[key]
+
+
     def get_validated_config(self):
         """Validate and return the configuration. Raises a ValidationException
         if there was a problem validating the config.
diff --git a/overviewer_core/settingsValidators.py b/overviewer_core/settingsValidators.py
index 5c9e245..7882d93 100644
--- a/overviewer_core/settingsValidators.py
+++ b/overviewer_core/settingsValidators.py
@@ -9,11 +9,12 @@ from world import UPPER_LEFT, UPPER_RIGHT, LOWER_LEFT, LOWER_RIGHT
 class ValidationException(Exception):
     pass
 
-Setting = namedtuple("Setting", [
-    'required',
-    'validator',
-    'default',
-    ])
+class Setting(object):
+    __slots__ = ['required', 'validator', 'default']
+    def __init__(self, required, validator, default):
+        self.required = required
+        self.validator = validator
+        self.default = default
 
 def validateWorldPath(worldpath):
     abs_path = os.path.abspath(worldpath)
@@ -147,6 +148,10 @@ def make_dictValidator(keyvalidator, valuevalidator):
         for key, value in d.iteritems():
             newd[keyvalidator(key)] = valuevalidator(value)
         return newd
+    # Put these objects as attributes of the function so they can be accessed
+    # externally later if need be
+    v.keyvalidator = keyvalidator
+    v.valuevalidator = valuevalidator
     return v
 
 def make_configDictValidator(config, ignore_undefined=False):
@@ -167,6 +172,7 @@ def make_configDictValidator(config, ignore_undefined=False):
 
     """
     def configDictValidator(d):
+        newdict = {}
 
         # values are config keys that the user specified that don't match any
         # valid key
@@ -183,16 +189,22 @@ def make_configDictValidator(config, ignore_undefined=False):
                     # some required key that wasn't specified. (If all required
                     # keys are specified, then this should be ignored)
                     undefined_key_matches[match] = key
+                    newdict[key] = d[key]
                 elif match:
                     raise ValidationException(
                             "'%s' is not a configuration item. Did you mean '%s'?"
                             % (key, match))
                 elif not ignore_undefined:
                     raise ValidationException("'%s' is not a configuration item" % key)
+                else:
+                    # the key is to be ignored. Copy it as-is to the `newdict`
+                    # to be returned. It shouldn't conflict, and may be used as
+                    # a default value for a render configdict later on.
+                    newdict[key] = d[key]
 
-        newdict = {}
         # Iterate through the defined keys in the configuration (`config`),
-        # checking each one to see if the user specified it (in `d`)
+        # checking each one to see if the user specified it (in `d`). Then
+        # validate it and copy the result to `newdict`
         for configkey, configsetting in config.iteritems():
             if configkey in d:
                 # This key /was/ specified in the user's dict. Make sure it validates.
@@ -213,7 +225,10 @@ def make_configDictValidator(config, ignore_undefined=False):
                     % configkey)
 
         return newdict
-
+    # Put these objects as attributes of the function so they can be accessed
+    # externally later if need be
+    configDictValidator.config = config
+    configDictValidator.ignore_undefined = ignore_undefined
     return configDictValidator
 
 def error(errstr):