diff --git a/sanoid b/sanoid
index 741fcd3..e273b68 100755
--- a/sanoid
+++ b/sanoid
@@ -15,10 +15,12 @@ use Time::Local;	# to parse dates in reverse
 my $pscmd = '/bin/ps';
 
 my $zfs = '/sbin/zfs';
+
 my $conf_file = '/etc/sanoid/sanoid.conf';
+my $default_conf_file = '/etc/sanoid/sanoid.defaults.conf';
 
 # parse config file
-my %config = init($conf_file);
+my %config = init($conf_file,$default_conf_file);
 
 # if we call getsnaps(%config,1) it will forcibly update the cache, TTL or no TTL
 my $forcecacheupdate = 0;
@@ -515,9 +517,10 @@ sub getsnaps {
 ####################################################################################
 
 sub init {
-	my ($conf_file) = @_;
+	my ($conf_file, $default_conf_file) = @_;
 	my %config;
 
+	tie my %defaults, 'Config::IniFiles', ( -file => $default_conf_file );
 	tie my %ini, 'Config::IniFiles', ( -file => $conf_file );
 
 	# we'll use these later to normalize potentially true and false values on any toggle keys
diff --git a/sanoid.conf b/sanoid.conf
index a150846..49415d4 100644
--- a/sanoid.conf
+++ b/sanoid.conf
@@ -50,68 +50,3 @@
 	daily_crit = 60
 
 
-###################################################################################
-# default template - contains same values as hardcoded, unless you override here. #
-#                    ALL values set here, so useful as documentation even if      #
-#                    nothing is actually overridden.                              #
-###################################################################################
-
-[template_default]
-template = yes
-
-# If any snapshot type is set to 0, we will not take snapshots for it - and will immediately
-# prune any of those type snapshots already present.
-#
-# Otherwise, if autoprune is set, we will prune any snapshots of that type which are older
-# than (setting * periodicity) - so if daily = 90, we'll prune any dailies older than 90 days.
-autoprune = yes
-hourly = 48
-daily = 90
-monthly = 6
-yearly = 0
-min_percent_free = 10
-
-# We will automatically take snapshots if autosnap is on, at the desired times configured
-# below (or immediately, if we don't have one since the last preferred time for that type).
-#
-# Note that we will not take snapshots for a given type if that type is set to 0 above, 
-# regardless of the autosnap setting - for example, if yearly=0 we will not take yearlies
-# even if we've defined a preferred time for yearlies and autosnap is on.
-autosnap = 1;
-# hourly - top of the hour
-hourly_min = 0;
-# daily - at 23:59 (most people expect a daily to contain everything done DURING that day)
-daily_hour = 23;
-daily_min = 59;
-# monthly - immediately at the beginning of the month (ie 00:00 of day 1)
-monthly_mday = 1;
-monthly_hour = 0;
-monthly_min = 0;
-# yearly - immediately at the beginning of the year (ie 00:00 on Jan 1)
-yearly_mon = 1;
-yearly_mday = 1;
-yearly_hour = 0;
-yearly_min = 0;
-
-# monitoring plugin - define warn / crit levels for each snapshot type by age, in units of one period down
-# example hourly_warn = 90 means issue WARNING if most recent hourly snapshot is not less than 90 minutes old,
-# daily_crit = 36 means issue CRITICAL if most recent daily snapshot is not less than 36 hours old,
-# monthly_warn = 36 means issue WARNING if most recent monthly snapshot is not less than 36 days old... etc.
-#
-# monitor_dont_warn = yes will cause the monitoring service to report warnings as text, but with status OK.
-# monitor_dont_crit = yes will cause the monitoring service to report criticals as text, but with status OK.
-#
-# setting any value to 0 will keep the monitoring service from monitoring that snapshot type on that section at all.
-monitor = yes
-monitor_dont_warn = no
-monitor_dont_crit = no
-hourly_warn = 90
-hourly_crit = 360 
-daily_warn = 28
-daily_crit = 32
-monthly_warn = 32
-monthly_crit = 35
-yearly_warn = 0
-yearly_crit = 0
-
-
diff --git a/sanoid.defaults.conf b/sanoid.defaults.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..86a6e52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sanoid.defaults.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+###################################################################################
+# default template - DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE DIRECTLY.                              #
+#                    If you wish to override default values, you can create your  #
+#                    own [template_default] in /etc/sanoid/sanoid.conf.           #
+#                                                                                 #
+#                    you have been warned.                                        #
+###################################################################################
+
+[template_default]
+template = yes
+
+# If any snapshot type is set to 0, we will not take snapshots for it - and will immediately
+# prune any of those type snapshots already present.
+#
+# Otherwise, if autoprune is set, we will prune any snapshots of that type which are older
+# than (setting * periodicity) - so if daily = 90, we'll prune any dailies older than 90 days.
+autoprune = yes
+hourly = 48
+daily = 90
+monthly = 6
+yearly = 0
+min_percent_free = 10
+
+# We will automatically take snapshots if autosnap is on, at the desired times configured
+# below (or immediately, if we don't have one since the last preferred time for that type).
+#
+# Note that we will not take snapshots for a given type if that type is set to 0 above, 
+# regardless of the autosnap setting - for example, if yearly=0 we will not take yearlies
+# even if we've defined a preferred time for yearlies and autosnap is on.
+autosnap = 1;
+# hourly - top of the hour
+hourly_min = 0;
+# daily - at 23:59 (most people expect a daily to contain everything done DURING that day)
+daily_hour = 23;
+daily_min = 59;
+# monthly - immediately at the beginning of the month (ie 00:00 of day 1)
+monthly_mday = 1;
+monthly_hour = 0;
+monthly_min = 0;
+# yearly - immediately at the beginning of the year (ie 00:00 on Jan 1)
+yearly_yday = 1;
+yearly_hour = 0;
+yearly_min = 0;
+
+# monitoring plugin - define warn / crit levels for each snapshot type by age, in units of one period down
+# example hourly_warn = 90 means issue WARNING if most recent hourly snapshot is not less than 90 minutes old,
+# daily_crit = 36 means issue CRITICAL if most recent daily snapshot is not less than 36 hours old,
+# monthly_warn = 36 means issue WARNING if most recent monthly snapshot is not less than 36 days old... etc.
+#
+# monitor_dont_warn = yes will cause the monitoring service to report warnings as text, but with status OK.
+# monitor_dont_crit = yes will cause the monitoring service to report criticals as text, but with status OK.
+#
+# setting any value to 0 will keep the monitoring service from monitoring that snapshot type on that section at all.
+monitor = yes
+monitor_dont_warn = no
+monitor_dont_crit = no
+hourly_warn = 90
+hourly_crit = 360 
+daily_warn = 28
+daily_crit = 32
+monthly_warn = 32
+monthly_crit = 35
+yearly_warn = 0
+yearly_crit = 0
+
+