diff --git a/jeepyb/cmd/close_pull_requests.py b/jeepyb/cmd/close_pull_requests.py
index 19d2d25..f890bb1 100644
--- a/jeepyb/cmd/close_pull_requests.py
+++ b/jeepyb/cmd/close_pull_requests.py
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@
 import github
 import logging
 import os
-import yaml
+
+import jeepyb.utils as u
 
 MESSAGE = """Thank you for contributing to %(project)s!
 
@@ -57,20 +58,12 @@
 
     logging.basicConfig(level=logging.ERROR)
 
-    PROJECTS_YAML = os.environ.get('PROJECTS_YAML',
-                                   '/home/gerrit2/projects.yaml')
-    PROJECTS_INI = os.environ.get('PROJECTS_INI',
-                                  '/home/gerrit2/projects.ini')
     GITHUB_SECURE_CONFIG = os.environ.get('GITHUB_SECURE_CONFIG',
                                           '/etc/github/github.secure.config')
 
     secure_config = ConfigParser.ConfigParser()
     secure_config.read(GITHUB_SECURE_CONFIG)
-    yaml_docs = [config for config in yaml.load_all(open(PROJECTS_YAML))]
-    if os.path.exists(PROJECTS_INI):
-        config = yaml_docs[0]
-    else:
-        config = yaml_docs[1]
+    registry = u.ProjectsRegistry()
 
     if secure_config.has_option("github", "oauth_token"):
         ghub = github.Github(secure_config.get("github", "oauth_token"))
@@ -80,7 +73,7 @@
 
     orgs = ghub.get_user().get_orgs()
     orgs_dict = dict(zip([o.login.lower() for o in orgs], orgs))
-    for section in config:
+    for section in registry.configs_list:
         project = section['project']
 
         # Make sure we're supposed to close pull requests for this project:
diff --git a/jeepyb/cmd/create_cgitrepos.py b/jeepyb/cmd/create_cgitrepos.py
index 1572a44..6950655 100644
--- a/jeepyb/cmd/create_cgitrepos.py
+++ b/jeepyb/cmd/create_cgitrepos.py
@@ -22,15 +22,13 @@
 
 import os
 import subprocess
-import yaml
+
+import jeepyb.utils as u
 
 
-PROJECTS_YAML = os.environ.get('PROJECTS_YAML',
-                               '/home/cgit/projects.yaml')
-CGIT_REPOS = os.environ.get('CGIT_REPOS',
-                            '/etc/cgitrepos')
-REPO_PATH = os.environ.get('REPO_PATH',
-                           '/var/lib/git')
+PROJECTS_YAML = os.environ.get('PROJECTS_YAML', '/home/cgit/projects.yaml')
+CGIT_REPOS = os.environ.get('CGIT_REPOS', '/etc/cgitrepos')
+REPO_PATH = os.environ.get('REPO_PATH', '/var/lib/git')
 SCRATCH_SUBPATH = os.environ.get('SCRATCH_SUBPATH')
 SCRATCH_OWNER = os.environ.get('SCRATCH_OWNER', 'scratch')
 SCRATCH_GROUP = os.environ.get('SCRATCH_GROUP', 'scratch')
@@ -39,11 +37,10 @@
 
 
 def main():
-    yaml_docs = [config for config in yaml.safe_load_all(open(PROJECTS_YAML))]
-    config = yaml_docs[-1]
+    registry = u.ProjectsRegistry(PROJECTS_YAML)
     gitorgs = {}
     names = set()
-    for entry in config:
+    for entry in registry.configs_list:
         project = entry['project']
         (org, name) = project.split('/')
         description = entry.get('description', name)
diff --git a/jeepyb/cmd/manage_projects.py b/jeepyb/cmd/manage_projects.py
index c446244..3ee4cd2 100644
--- a/jeepyb/cmd/manage_projects.py
+++ b/jeepyb/cmd/manage_projects.py
@@ -58,12 +58,14 @@
 import subprocess
 import tempfile
 import time
-import yaml
 
 import gerritlib.gerrit
 import github
 
 import jeepyb.gerritdb
+import jeepyb.utils as u
+
+registry = u.ProjectsRegistry()
 
 log = logging.getLogger("manage_projects")
 
@@ -505,15 +507,6 @@
                        git_mirror_path))
 
 
-def get_option(options, section, key, default):
-    if options.has_option(section, key):
-        if type(default) is bool:
-            return options.getboolean(section, key)
-        else:
-            return options.get(section, key)
-    return default
-
-
 def main():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Manage projects')
     parser.add_argument('-v', dest='verbose', action='store_true',
@@ -533,68 +526,27 @@
     else:
         logging.basicConfig(level=logging.ERROR)
 
-    PROJECTS_YAML = os.environ.get('PROJECTS_YAML',
-                                   '/home/gerrit2/projects.yaml')
-    yaml_docs = [config for config in yaml.safe_load_all(open(PROJECTS_YAML))]
+    default_has_github = registry.get('has-github', True)
 
-    PROJECTS_INI = os.environ.get('PROJECTS_INI',
-                                  '/home/gerrit2/projects.ini')
-    if os.path.exists(PROJECTS_INI):
-        # New-style - supports projects.ini
-        projects_yaml_list = yaml_docs[0]
-        defaults = ConfigParser.ConfigParser()
-        defaults.read(PROJECTS_INI)
-
-        default_has_github = get_option(
-            defaults, 'projects', 'has-github', True)
-
-        LOCAL_GIT_DIR = get_option(
-            defaults, 'projects', 'local-git-dir', '/var/lib/git')
-        JEEPYB_CACHE_DIR = get_option(
-            defaults, 'projects', 'jeepyb-cache-dir', '/var/lib/jeepyb')
-        ACL_DIR = defaults.get('projects', 'acl-dir')
-        GERRIT_HOST = defaults.get('projects', 'gerrit-host')
-        GERRIT_PORT = int(get_option(
-            defaults, 'projects', 'gerrit-port', '29418'))
-        GERRIT_USER = defaults.get('projects', 'gerrit-user')
-        GERRIT_KEY = defaults.get('projects', 'gerrit-key')
-        GERRIT_GITID = defaults.get('projects', 'gerrit-committer')
-        GERRIT_SYSTEM_USER = get_option(
-            defaults, 'projects', 'gerrit-system-user', 'gerrit2')
-        GERRIT_SYSTEM_GROUP = get_option(
-            defaults, 'projects', 'gerrit-system-group', 'gerrit2')
-        DEFAULT_HOMEPAGE = get_option(defaults, 'projects', 'homepage', None)
-        DEFAULT_HAS_ISSUES = get_option(
-            defaults, 'projects', 'has-issues', False)
-        DEFAULT_HAS_DOWNLOADS = get_option(
-            defaults, 'projects', 'has-downloads', False)
-        DEFAULT_HAS_WIKI = get_option(defaults, 'projects', 'has-wiki', False)
-        GITHUB_SECURE_CONFIG = get_option(
-            defaults, 'projects', 'github-config',
-            '/etc/github/github-projects.secure.config')
-    else:
-        # Old-style - embedded
-        projects_yaml_list = yaml_docs[1]
-        defaults = yaml_docs[0][0]
-        default_has_github = defaults.get('has-github', True)
-
-        LOCAL_GIT_DIR = defaults.get('local-git-dir', '/var/lib/git')
-        JEEPYB_CACHE_DIR = defaults.get('jeepyb-cache-dir', '/var/lib/jeepyb')
-        ACL_DIR = defaults.get('acl-dir')
-        GERRIT_HOST = defaults.get('gerrit-host')
-        GERRIT_PORT = int(defaults.get('gerrit-port', '29418'))
-        GERRIT_USER = defaults.get('gerrit-user')
-        GERRIT_KEY = defaults.get('gerrit-key')
-        GERRIT_GITID = defaults.get('gerrit-committer')
-        GERRIT_SYSTEM_USER = defaults.get('gerrit-system-user', 'gerrit2')
-        GERRIT_SYSTEM_GROUP = defaults.get('gerrit-system-group', 'gerrit2')
-        DEFAULT_HOMEPAGE = defaults.get('homepage', None)
-        DEFAULT_HAS_ISSUES = defaults.get('has-issues', False)
-        DEFAULT_HAS_DOWNLOADS = defaults.get('has-downloads', False)
-        DEFAULT_HAS_WIKI = defaults.get('has-wiki', False)
-        GITHUB_SECURE_CONFIG = defaults.get(
-            'github-config',
-            '/etc/github/github-projects.secure.config')
+    LOCAL_GIT_DIR = registry.get_defaults('local-git-dir', '/var/lib/git')
+    JEEPYB_CACHE_DIR = registry.get_defaults('jeepyb-cache-dir',
+                                             '/var/lib/jeepyb')
+    ACL_DIR = registry.get_defaults('acl-dir')
+    GERRIT_HOST = registry.get_defaults('gerrit-host')
+    GERRIT_PORT = int(registry.get_defaults('gerrit-port', '29418'))
+    GERRIT_USER = registry.get_defaults('gerrit-user')
+    GERRIT_KEY = registry.get_defaults('gerrit-key')
+    GERRIT_GITID = registry.get_defaults('gerrit-committer')
+    GERRIT_SYSTEM_USER = registry.get_defaults('gerrit-system-user', 'gerrit2')
+    GERRIT_SYSTEM_GROUP = registry.get_defaults('gerrit-system-group',
+                                                'gerrit2')
+    DEFAULT_HOMEPAGE = registry.get_defaults('homepage')
+    DEFAULT_HAS_ISSUES = registry.get_defaults('has-issues', False)
+    DEFAULT_HAS_DOWNLOADS = registry.get_defaults('has-downloads', False)
+    DEFAULT_HAS_WIKI = registry.get_defaults('has-wiki', False)
+    GITHUB_SECURE_CONFIG = registry.get_defaults(
+        'github-config',
+        '/etc/github/github-projects.secure.config')
 
     gerrit = gerritlib.gerrit.Gerrit('localhost',
                                      GERRIT_USER,
@@ -604,7 +556,7 @@
     ssh_env = make_ssh_wrapper(GERRIT_USER, GERRIT_KEY)
     try:
 
-        for section in projects_yaml_list:
+        for section in registry.configs_list:
             project = section['project']
             if args.projects and project not in args.projects:
                 continue
diff --git a/jeepyb/projects.py b/jeepyb/projects.py
index 64d00d9..a801830 100644
--- a/jeepyb/projects.py
+++ b/jeepyb/projects.py
@@ -27,8 +27,7 @@
 import jeepyb.utils as u
 
 
-registry = u.ProjectsYamlRegistry('/home/gerrit2/projects.yaml',
-                                  'PROJECTS_YAML')
+registry = u.ProjectsRegistry()
 
 
 def project_to_group(project_full_name):
diff --git a/jeepyb/utils.py b/jeepyb/utils.py
index f92852e..7b04dc1 100644
--- a/jeepyb/utils.py
+++ b/jeepyb/utils.py
@@ -12,38 +12,49 @@
 # License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 # under the License.
 
+import ConfigParser
 import os
 import yaml
 
+PROJECTS_INI = os.environ.get('PROJECTS_INI', '/home/gerrit2/projects.ini')
+PROJECTS_YAML = os.environ.get('PROJECTS_YAML', '/home/gerrit2/projects.yaml')
+
 
 def short_project_name(full_project_name):
     """Return the project part of the git repository name."""
     return full_project_name.split('/')[-1]
 
 
-class ProjectsYamlRegistry(object):
-    """review.projects.yaml style config file parser.
+class ProjectsRegistry(object):
+    """read config from ini or yaml file.
 
     It could be used as dict 'project name' -> 'project properties'.
     """
-
-    def __init__(self, file_path, env_name=None, single_doc=True):
-        self.file_path = file_path
-        self.env_name = env_name
+    def __init__(self, yaml_file=PROJECTS_YAML, single_doc=True):
+        self.yaml_doc = [c for c in yaml.safe_load_all(open(yaml_file))]
         self.single_doc = single_doc
 
+        self.configs_list = []
+        self.defaults = {}
         self._parse_file()
 
     def _parse_file(self):
-        file_path = os.environ.get(self.env_name, self.file_path)
-        yaml_docs = [config for config in yaml.safe_load_all(open(file_path))]
         if self.single_doc:
-            configs_list = yaml_docs[0]
+            self.configs_list = self.yaml_doc[0]
         else:
-            configs_list = yaml_docs[1]
+            self.configs_list = self.yaml_doc[1]
+
+        if os.path.exists(PROJECTS_INI):
+            self.defaults = ConfigParser.ConfigParser()
+            self.defaults.read(PROJECTS_INI)
+        else:
+            try:
+                self.defaults = self.yaml_doc[0][0]
+            except IndexError:
+                pass
 
         configs = {}
-        for section in configs_list:
+        for section in self.configs_list:
             configs[section['project']] = section
 
         self.configs = configs
@@ -56,3 +67,18 @@
             return self.configs[project].get(item, default)
         else:
             return default
+
+    def get(self, item, default=None):
+        return self.configs.get(item, default)
+
+    def get_defaults(self, item, default=None):
+        if os.path.exists(PROJECTS_INI):
+            section = 'projects'
+            if self.defaults.has_option(section, item):
+                if type(default) == bool:
+                    return self.defaults.getboolean(section, item)
+                else:
+                    return self.defaults.get(section, item)
+            return default
+        else:
+            return self.defaults.get(item, default)