diff --git a/shepherd/config.py b/shepherd/config.py
index 6c7a8bc..241d8ed 100644
--- a/shepherd/config.py
+++ b/shepherd/config.py
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import re
 import toml
 
+from shepherd.freezedry import freezedryable, rehydrate
+
+
+
 
 class InvalidConfigError(Exception):
     pass
@@ -31,28 +35,37 @@ class InvalidConfigError(Exception):
 # config def required interface:
 # Validate values.
 
+
+
+# The Table and Array terms used here are directly from the TOML convention, but they essentially 
+# map directly to Dictionaries (Tables), and Lists (Arrays)
+
+
+
 class _ConfigDefinition():
-    def __init__(self, default=None, optional=False):
+    def __init__(self, default=None, optional=False, helptext=""):
         self.default = default
         self.optional = optional
+        self.helptext = helptext
 
-    def validate(self, value): # pylint: disable=W0613
+    def validate(self, value):  # pylint: disable=W0613
         raise TypeError("_ConfigDefinition.validate() is an abstract method")
+        
 
-
+@freezedryable
 class BoolDef(_ConfigDefinition):
-    def __init__(self, default=None, optional=False): # pylint: disable=W0235
-        super().__init__(default, optional)
+    def __init__(self, default=None, optional=False, helptext=""):  # pylint: disable=W0235
+        super().__init__(default, optional, helptext)
 
     def validate(self, value):
         if not isinstance(value, bool):
             raise InvalidConfigError("Config value must be a boolean")
 
-
+@freezedryable
 class IntDef(_ConfigDefinition):
     def __init__(self, default=None, minval=None, maxval=None,
-                 optional=False):
-        super().__init__(default, optional)
+                 optional=False, helptext=""):
+        super().__init__(default, optional, helptext)
         self.minval = minval
         self.maxval = maxval
 
@@ -66,11 +79,11 @@ class IntDef(_ConfigDefinition):
             raise InvalidConfigError("Config value must be <= " +
                                      str(self.maxval))
 
-
+@freezedryable
 class StringDef(_ConfigDefinition):
     def __init__(self, default=None, minlength=None, maxlength=None,
-                 optional=False):
-        super().__init__(default, optional)
+                 optional=False, helptext=""):
+        super().__init__(default, optional, helptext)
         self.minlength = minlength
         self.maxlength = maxlength
 
@@ -84,10 +97,10 @@ class StringDef(_ConfigDefinition):
             raise InvalidConfigError("Config string length must be <= " +
                                      str(self.maxlength))
 
-
+@freezedryable
 class TableDef(_ConfigDefinition):
-    def __init__(self, default=None, optional=False):
-        super().__init__(default, optional)
+    def __init__(self, default=None, optional=False, helptext=""):
+        super().__init__(default, optional, helptext)
         self.def_table = {}
 
     def add_def(self, name, newdef):
@@ -99,7 +112,7 @@ class TableDef(_ConfigDefinition):
         self.def_table[name] = newdef
         return newdef
 
-    def validate(self, value_table): # pylint: disable=W0221
+    def validate(self, value_table):  # pylint: disable=W0221
         def_set = set(self.def_table.keys())
         value_set = set(value_table.keys())
 
@@ -133,23 +146,23 @@ class _ArrayDefMixin():
                 e.args = ("Array index: " + str(index),) + e.args
                 raise
 
-
+@freezedryable
 class BoolArrayDef(_ArrayDefMixin, BoolDef):
     pass
 
-
+@freezedryable
 class IntArrayDef(_ArrayDefMixin, IntDef):
     pass
 
-
+@freezedryable
 class StringArrayDef(_ArrayDefMixin, StringDef):
     pass
 
-
+@freezedryable
 class TableArrayDef(_ArrayDefMixin, TableDef):
     pass
 
-
+@freezedryable
 class ConfDefinition(TableDef):
     pass
 
@@ -172,7 +185,8 @@ class ConfigManager():
             raise TypeError("Supplied config definition must be an instance "
                             "of ConfDefinition")
         if table_name not in self.root_config:
-            raise InvalidConfigError("Config must contain table: " + table_name)
+            raise InvalidConfigError(
+                "Config must contain table: " + table_name)
         try:
             conf_def.validate(self.root_config[table_name])
         except InvalidConfigError as e:
@@ -186,10 +200,12 @@ class ConfigManager():
             config_values[name] = self.get_config(name, conf_def)
         return config_values
 
-    def get_module_configs(self, modules):
+    def get_plugin_configs(self, plugin_classes):
         config_values = {}
-        for name, module in modules.items():
-            config_values[name] = self.get_config(name, module.conf_def)
+        for plugin_name, plugin_class in plugin_classes.items():
+            conf_def = ConfDefinition()
+            plugin_class.define_config(conf_def)
+            config_values[plugin_name] = self.get_config(plugin_name, conf_def)
         return config_values
 
     def dump_toml(self):
@@ -221,3 +237,4 @@ def update_toml_message(filepath, message):
 
 def gen_comment(string):
     return '\n# shepherd_message: ' + '\n# '.join(string.replace('#', '').splitlines()) + '\n'
+