diff --git a/includes/bootstrap.inc b/includes/bootstrap.inc
index ac50a49..4a9721c 100644
--- a/includes/bootstrap.inc
+++ b/includes/bootstrap.inc
@@ -716,8 +716,8 @@ function drupal_settings_initialize() {
   global $base_url, $base_path, $base_root;
 
   // Export the following settings.php variables to the global namespace
-  global $databases, $cookie_domain, $conf, $installed_profile, $update_free_access, $db_url, $db_prefix, $drupal_hash_salt, $is_https, $base_secure_url, $base_insecure_url, $drupal_config_directory_name, $drupal_config_key;
-  $conf = array();
+  global $databases, $cookie_domain, $installed_profile, $update_free_access, $db_url, $db_prefix, $drupal_hash_salt, $is_https, $base_secure_url, $base_insecure_url, $drupal_config_directory_name, $drupal_config_key;
+  $conf = bootstrap_config('core.base');
 
   if (file_exists(DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . conf_path() . '/settings.php')) {
     include_once DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . conf_path() . '/settings.php';
@@ -792,6 +792,7 @@ function drupal_settings_initialize() {
     ini_set('session.cookie_secure', TRUE);
   }
   $prefix = ini_get('session.cookie_secure') ? 'SSESS' : 'SESS';
+
   session_name($prefix . substr(hash('sha256', $session_name), 0, 32));
 }
 
@@ -892,43 +893,6 @@ function drupal_get_filename($type, $name, $filename = NULL) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Load the persistent variable table.
- *
- * The variable table is composed of values that have been saved in the table
- * with variable_set() as well as those explicitly specified in the configuration
- * file.
- */
-function variable_initialize($conf = array()) {
-  // NOTE: caching the variables improves performance by 20% when serving
-  // cached pages.
-  if ($cached = cache('bootstrap')->get('variables')) {
-    $variables = $cached->data;
-  }
-  else {
-    // Cache miss. Avoid a stampede.
-    $name = 'variable_init';
-    if (!lock_acquire($name, 1)) {
-      // Another request is building the variable cache.
-      // Wait, then re-run this function.
-      lock_wait($name);
-      return variable_initialize($conf);
-    }
-    else {
-      // Proceed with variable rebuild.
-      $variables = array_map('unserialize', db_query('SELECT name, value FROM {variable}')->fetchAllKeyed());
-      cache('bootstrap')->set('variables', $variables);
-      lock_release($name);
-    }
-  }
-
-  foreach ($conf as $name => $value) {
-    $variables[$name] = $value;
-  }
-
-  return $variables;
-}
-
-/**
  * Returns a persistent variable.
  *
  * Case-sensitivity of the variable_* functions depends on the database
@@ -947,9 +911,18 @@ function variable_initialize($conf = array()) {
  * @see variable_set()
  */
 function variable_get($name, $default = NULL) {
-  global $conf;
-
-  return isset($conf[$name]) ? $conf[$name] : $default;
+  // If we try and get variables before the database is initialized we will
+  // get an error. Let's defend against this by checking our current bootstrap
+  // phase.
+  $phase = drupal_bootstrap(NULL, FALSE);
+  if ($phase > DRUPAL_BOOTSTRAP_DATABASE) {
+    $config = config('core.variable');
+  }
+  // Fall back on settings from settings.php
+  else {
+    $config = config('core.base');
+  }
+  return (isset($config->{$name})) ? $config->{$name} : $default;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -969,13 +942,9 @@ function variable_get($name, $default = NULL) {
  * @see variable_get()
  */
 function variable_set($name, $value) {
-  global $conf;
-
-  db_merge('variable')->key(array('name' => $name))->fields(array('value' => serialize($value)))->execute();
-
-  cache('bootstrap')->delete('variables');
-
-  $conf[$name] = $value;
+  $config = config('core.variable');
+  $config->{$name} = $value;
+  $config->save();
 }
 
 /**
@@ -992,14 +961,8 @@ function variable_set($name, $value) {
  * @see variable_set()
  */
 function variable_del($name) {
-  global $conf;
-
-  db_delete('variable')
-    ->condition('name', $name)
-    ->execute();
-  cache('bootstrap')->delete('variables');
-
-  unset($conf[$name]);
+  $config = config('core.variable');
+  unset($config->{$name});
 }
 
 /**
@@ -2216,7 +2179,7 @@ function _drupal_bootstrap_page_cache() {
     require_once DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . $include;
   }
   // Check for a cache mode force from settings.php.
-  if (variable_get('page_cache_without_database')) {
+  if (variable_get('page_cache_without_database', FALSE)) {
     $cache_enabled = TRUE;
   }
   else {
@@ -2241,13 +2204,13 @@ function _drupal_bootstrap_page_cache() {
       date_default_timezone_set(drupal_get_user_timezone());
       // If the skipping of the bootstrap hooks is not enforced, call
       // hook_boot.
-      if (variable_get('page_cache_invoke_hooks', TRUE)) {
+      if (variable_get('page_cache_without_database', FALSE)) {
         bootstrap_invoke_all('boot');
       }
       drupal_serve_page_from_cache($cache);
       // If the skipping of the bootstrap hooks is not enforced, call
       // hook_exit.
-      if (variable_get('page_cache_invoke_hooks', TRUE)) {
+      if (variable_get('page_cache_invoke_hooks', FALSE)) {
         bootstrap_invoke_all('exit');
       }
       // We are done.
@@ -2315,14 +2278,10 @@ function _drupal_bootstrap_database() {
  * Bootstrap variables: Load system variables and all enabled bootstrap modules.
  */
 function _drupal_bootstrap_variables() {
-  global $conf;
-
   // Initialize the lock system.
   require_once DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . variable_get('lock_inc', 'includes/lock.inc');
   lock_initialize();
 
-  // Load variables from the database, but do not overwrite variables set in settings.php.
-  $conf = variable_initialize(isset($conf) ? $conf : array());
   // Load bootstrap modules.
   require_once DRUPAL_ROOT . '/includes/module.inc';
   module_load_all(TRUE);
diff --git a/includes/config.inc b/includes/config.inc
index 64d2c46..ffeaa36 100755
--- a/includes/config.inc
+++ b/includes/config.inc
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
  */
 function config_get_config_directory() {
   global $drupal_config_directory_name;
-  
+
   return conf_path() . '/files/' . $drupal_config_directory_name;
 }
 
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ function config_install_default_config($module) {
   $drupal_config_dir = config_get_config_directory();
   if (is_dir(drupal_get_path('module', $module) . '/config')) {
     $files = glob($module_config_dir . '/' . '*.xml');
-    foreach ($files as $key => $file) {            
-      // Load config data into the active store and write it out to the 
+    foreach ($files as $key => $file) {
+      // Load config data into the active store and write it out to the
       // file system in the drupal config directory. Note the config name
       // needs to be the same as the file name WITHOUT the extension.
       //
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ function config_install_default_config($module) {
       $verified_storage = new DrupalVerifiedStorageSQL($config_name);
       $verified_storage->write(file_get_contents($module_config_dir . '/' . $file));
     }
-  }  
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ function config_install_default_config($module) {
  *   core.entity.node_type.page.xml
  *
  * You can pass a prefix 'core.entity.node_type' and get back an array of the
- * filenames that match. This allows you to iterate through all files in a 
+ * filenames that match. This allows you to iterate through all files in a
  * branch. Note that this will only work on the level above the tips, so
  * a prefix of 'core.entity' would return an empty array.
  *
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ function config_get_signed_file_storage_names_with_prefix($prefix = '') {
 
 /**
  * Generate a hash of a config file's contents using our encryption key.
- * 
+ *
  * @param $data
  *   The contents of a configuration file.
  * @return
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ function config_get_signed_file_storage_names_with_prefix($prefix = '') {
 function config_sign_data($data) {
   // The configuration key is loaded from settings.php and imported into the global namespace
   global $drupal_config_key;
-  
+
   // SHA-512 is both secure and very fast on 64 bit CPUs.
   return hash_hmac('sha512', $data, $drupal_config_key);
 }
@@ -95,16 +95,53 @@ function config_get_names_with_prefix($prefix) {
 }
 
 function config($name, $class = 'DrupalConfig') {
+  $overrides = config_get_overrides($name);
+  // @TODO Replace this with the appropriate factory.
+  return new $class(config_get_verified_storage($name, 'DrupalVerifiedStorageSQL'), config_get_overrides($name));
+}
+
+/**
+ * Bootstrap the configuration.
+ * @param $name
+ *   The name of the bin where we want to store data.
+ * @return DrupalConfig
+ *   A DrupalConfig object.
+ */
+function bootstrap_config($name, $class = 'DrupalConfig') {
+  // @TODO Replace this with the appropriate factory.
+  return new $class(config_get_verified_storage($name, 'DrupalVerifiedStorageMemory'), config_get_overrides($name));
+}
+
+function config_get_overrides($name = NULL) {
   static $overrides;
   if (!isset($overrides)) {
     $storage = new SignedFileStorage('local');
     $overrides = (array) config_decode($storage->read());
   }
-  $key_overrides = isset($overrides[$name]) ? $overrides[$name] : array();
-  // @TODO Replace this with the appropriate factory.
-  return new $class(new DrupalVerifiedStorageSQL($name), $key_overrides);
+  if (isset($name)) {
+    return isset($overrides[$name]) ? $overrides[$name] : array();
+  }
+  return $overrides;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Create instances of the VerifiedStorage interface.
+ * @param $name
+ *   The name of the bin to initialize.
+ * @param $class
+ *   The class to instantiate with that bin.
+ * @return DrupalVerifiedStorage $storage
+ *   An instantiated storage class.
+ */
+function config_get_verified_storage($name, $class) {
+  static $storage_objects = array();
+  if (!isset($storage_objects[$name])) {
+    $storage_objects[$name] = new $class($name);
+  }
+  return $storage_objects[$name];
 }
 
+
 /**
  * Decode configuration data from its native format to an associative array.
  *
@@ -129,7 +166,7 @@ function config_decode($data) {
  *   An associative array or an object
  * @return
  *   A representation of this array or object in the native configuration
- *   format. 
+ *   format.
  * @todo
  *   This needs to work for objects as well and currently doesn't
  */
@@ -145,22 +182,22 @@ function config_encode($data) {
  *   An associative array or an object
  * @return
  *   A representation of this array or object in the native configuration
- *   format. 
+ *   format.
  */
 function config_array_to_xml($arr, $tab_count = 0) {
   $xml = '';
   if (is_object($arr)) return '';
 
-  foreach ($arr as $tag => $val) { 
-    if (!is_array($val)) { 
-      $xml .= PHP_EOL . '<' . $tag . '>' . htmlentities($val) . '</' . $tag . '>'; 
-    } else { 
-      $tab_count++; 
-      $xml .= PHP_EOL . '<' . $tag . '>' . config_array_to_xml($val, $tab_count); 
-      $xml .= PHP_EOL . '</' . $tag . '>'; 
-    } 
-  } 
-  return $xml; 
+  foreach ($arr as $tag => $val) {
+    if (!is_array($val)) {
+      $xml .= PHP_EOL . '<' . $tag . '>' . htmlentities($val) . '</' . $tag . '>';
+    } else {
+      $tab_count++;
+      $xml .= PHP_EOL . '<' . $tag . '>' . config_array_to_xml($val, $tab_count);
+      $xml .= PHP_EOL . '</' . $tag . '>';
+    }
+  }
+  return $xml;
 }
 
 class ConfigException extends Exception {}
@@ -208,7 +245,7 @@ class SignedFileStorage {
   protected function exists() {
     return file_exists($this->getFilePath());
   }
-  
+
   public function getFilePath() {
     return config_get_config_directory() . '/' . $this->name  . '.xml';
   }
@@ -361,6 +398,26 @@ class DrupalVerifiedStorageSQL extends DrupalConfigVerifiedStorage {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * This Verified Storage does not use the database as it's backend,
+ * it just stores things in an array.
+ */
+class DrupalVerifiedStorageMemory extends DrupalConfigVerifiedStorage {
+  private $data;
+  public function read() {
+    return $this->data;
+  }
+
+  public function writeToActive($data) {
+    $this->data = $data;
+  }
+
+  static public function getNamesWithPrefix($prefix = '') {
+    // This is a naive version for now. I don't see this being used that much.
+    return array();
+  }
+}
+
 class DrupalConfig {
 
   /**
@@ -387,10 +444,10 @@ class DrupalConfig {
   }
 
   public function save() {
-    $obj = new stdClass();
+    $obj = array();
     foreach (get_object_vars($this) as $key => $val) {
       if ($key[0] != '_') {
-        $obj->$key = $val;
+        $obj[$key] = $val;
       }
     }
     $this->_verifiedStorage->write(config_encode($obj));