diff --git a/src/settings.cpp b/src/settings.cpp
index 89ec2a7..3a610ff 100644
--- a/src/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/settings.cpp
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ void _settings_clean_string (char **str)
 				cil = 0;
 				continue;
 			}
-			if (cil == 0 && c == ';')
+			if (cil == 0 && (c == ';' || c == '#'))
 			{
 				while (i < len)
 				{
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ void _settings_clean_string (char **str)
 	{
 		SettingClass *c;
 
-		if (classN == "" || name == "")
+		if (classN == "" || name == "" || value == "")
 			return false;
 
 		c = this->getClass (classN);
@@ -321,9 +321,20 @@ void _settings_clean_string (char **str)
 		int r = _isTrue(v);
 		if (r == 0 || r == 1)
 			return (bool)r;
-		throw exception();
+		throw SettingsException("Invalid boolean value.");
 	}
 
+	bool Settings::SettingClass::getBool (const string& key, bool defaultValue)
+	{
+		try {
+			return this->getBool(key);
+		} catch (SettingsException &e)
+		{
+			return defaultValue;
+		}
+	}
+
+
 	int Settings::SettingClass::getInt (const string& key, int def)
 	{
 		string v = this->get (key);
diff --git a/src/settings.hpp b/src/settings.hpp
index 7eff80b..7193849 100644
--- a/src/settings.hpp
+++ b/src/settings.hpp
@@ -30,6 +30,23 @@ namespace UDPT
 	class Settings
 	{
 	public:
+		class SettingsException : public std::exception
+		{
+		public:
+			SettingsException (const char *str)
+			{
+				this->str = str;
+			}
+
+			const char * what ()
+			{
+				return str;
+			}
+
+		private:
+			const char *str;
+		};
+
 		class SettingClass
 		{
 		public:
@@ -37,6 +54,7 @@ namespace UDPT
 			bool set (const string key, const string value);
 			string get (const string& key);
 			bool getBool (const string& key);
+			bool getBool (const string& key, bool defaultValue);
 			int getInt (const string& key, int def = -1);
 			map<string, string>* getMap ();
 		private:
diff --git a/src/udpTracker.cpp b/src/udpTracker.cpp
index 2e130a9..3b860bb 100644
--- a/src/udpTracker.cpp
+++ b/src/udpTracker.cpp
@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@ namespace UDPT
 
 		sc_tracker = settings->getClass("tracker");
 
-		this->allowRemotes = sc_tracker->getBool("allow_remotes");
-		this->allowIANA_IPs = sc_tracker->getBool("allow_iana_ips");
-		this->isDynamic = sc_tracker->getBool("is_dynamic");
+		this->allowRemotes = sc_tracker->getBool("allow_remotes", true);
+		this->allowIANA_IPs = sc_tracker->getBool("allow_iana_ips", false);
+		this->isDynamic = sc_tracker->getBool("is_dynamic", true);
 
 		this->announce_interval = sc_tracker->getInt("announce_interval", 1800);
 		this->cleanup_interval = sc_tracker->getInt("cleanup_interval", 120);