diff --git a/src/conf.c b/src/conf.c
index 21df0f07..ab6668b7 100644
--- a/src/conf.c
+++ b/src/conf.c
@@ -306,6 +306,12 @@ int _conf_verify_element(char *section, char *key, char *value) {
         return CONF_E_BADELEMENT;
     }
 
+    if(strcmp(value,"") == 0) {
+        if(!pce->required) {
+            return CONF_E_SUCCESS;
+        }
+    }
+
     switch(pce->type) {
     case CONF_T_MULTICOMMA: /* can't really check these */
     case CONF_T_STRING:
@@ -904,6 +910,29 @@ int conf_set_string(char *section, char *key, char *value, int verify) {
     if(pce)
         key_type = pce->type;
 
+    if(strcmp(value,"") == 0) {
+        /* deleting the item */
+        pitem = ll_fetch_item(conf_main,section);
+        if(!pitem) {
+            _conf_unlock();
+            return CONF_E_SUCCESS;
+        }
+
+        section_ll = pitem->value.as_ll;
+        if(!section_ll) {
+            _conf_unlock();
+            return CONF_E_SUCCESS; /* ?? deleting an already deleted item */
+        }
+
+        if(ll_del_item(section_ll,key) == LL_E_SUCCESS) {
+            _conf_unlock();
+            return CONF_E_SUCCESS;
+        }
+
+        _conf_unlock();
+        return CONF_E_UNKNOWN;
+    }
+
     pitem = _conf_fetch_item(conf_main,section,key);
     if(!pitem) {
         /* fetch the section and add it to that list */
diff --git a/src/ll.c b/src/ll.c
index b14153d3..5816343f 100644
--- a/src/ll.c
+++ b/src/ll.c
@@ -119,6 +119,36 @@ int ll_add_ll(LL *pl, char *key, LL *pnew) {
     return result;
 }
 
+int ll_del_item(LL *pl, char *key) {
+    LL_ITEM *phead, *ptail;
+
+    ptail = &pl->itemlist;
+    phead = pl->itemlist.next;
+
+    while(phead) {
+        if((pl->flags & LL_FLAG_HONORCASE) && 
+           (strcmp(phead->key,key)==0))
+            break;
+        if((!(pl->flags & LL_FLAG_HONORCASE) && 
+            (strcasecmp(phead->key,key)==0))) 
+            break;
+
+        ptail=phead;
+        phead=phead->next;
+    }
+
+    if(phead) {
+        /* found the item... */
+        if(pl->tailptr == phead)
+            pl->tailptr = ptail;
+        ptail->next = phead->next;
+    } else {
+        /* no matching item */
+        return LL_E_NOKEY;
+    }
+    return LL_E_SUCCESS;
+}
+
 /**
  * add an item to a ll
  */
diff --git a/src/ll.h b/src/ll.h
index 83909187..c4f89257 100644
--- a/src/ll.h
+++ b/src/ll.h
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ extern int ll_update_ll(LL_ITEM *pli, LL *pnew);
 extern int ll_set_flags(LL *pl, unsigned int flags);
 extern int ll_get_flags(LL *pl, unsigned int *flags);
 
+extern int ll_del_item(LL *pl, char *key);
+
 extern LL_ITEM *ll_fetch_item(LL *pl, char *key);
 extern LL_ITEM *ll_get_next(LL *pl, LL_ITEM *prev);