diff --git a/src/backend/configitem.c b/src/backend/configitem.c
index 6252b0bcf..96012ad14 100644
--- a/src/backend/configitem.c
+++ b/src/backend/configitem.c
@@ -107,7 +107,6 @@ lumiera_configitem_new (const char* line)
     ? tmp.vtable->new (&tmp)
     : lumiera_configitem_move (lumiera_malloc (sizeof (*self)), &tmp);
 
-  TRACE (config_item, "key size of %s is %d", tmp.key, tmp.key_size);
   return self;
 }
 
@@ -215,6 +214,60 @@ lumiera_configitem_parse (LumieraConfigitem self, const char* line)
   else if (*itr == '@' )
     {
       /*this is a directive*/
+
+      /*itr points now to @*/
+      self->key = itr;
+
+      /*check whether there are illegal whitespaces after @*/
+      itr++;
+      if (*itr && !isspace(*itr))
+        {
+          /*now look for the end of the directive and set the keysize*/
+          self->key_size = strspn (itr, LUMIERA_CONFIG_KEY_CHARS);
+      
+          itr += self->key_size;
+
+          /*we need a key with a length greather than zero and 
+           * either the end of the line 
+           * or a whitespace after the key */
+
+          if ( self->key_size && ( !*itr || (*itr && isspace(*itr)) ))
+            {
+              /*look for given arguments*/ 
+
+              /*skip blanks*/
+              while (*itr && isspace (*itr))
+                itr++;
+
+              if (*itr)
+                {
+                  /*there are arguments given, thus set delim*/
+                  self->delim = itr - 1;
+                }
+              else
+                {
+                  /*no arguments were given*/
+                  self->delim = NULL;
+                }
+            }
+          else
+            {
+              /*malformed lines shall be treated like if they were comments*/
+              self->key = NULL;
+              self->key_size = 0;
+
+              LUMIERA_ERROR_SET (config_item, CONFIG_SYNTAX);
+            }
+        }
+      else
+        {
+          /*there occurred already an error right after the @!*/
+          /*malformed lines shall be treated like if they were comments*/
+          self->key = NULL;
+          self->key_size = 0;
+
+          LUMIERA_ERROR_SET (config_item, CONFIG_SYNTAX);
+        } 
     }
   else if (*itr == '[' )
     {
diff --git a/tests/22config_highlevel.tests b/tests/22config_highlevel.tests
index ab07af113..dbd86005a 100644
--- a/tests/22config_highlevel.tests
+++ b/tests/22config_highlevel.tests
@@ -128,3 +128,65 @@ END
 
 PLANNED "bool set"  <<END
 END
+
+TEST "create configitem with empty line" configitem_simple_ctor_dtor '' <<END
+END
+
+TEST "create configitem with blank line" configitem_simple_ctor_dtor $' \t \t' <<END
+END
+
+TEST "create configitem with comment" configitem_simple_ctor_dtor $' #\t comment bla' <<END
+END
+
+TEST "create configitem with section" configitem_simple_ctor_dtor $'\t[prefix suffix ] bla' <<END
+END
+
+TEST "create configitem with directive" configitem_simple_ctor_dtor $' @include \t\t file   \t' <<END
+END
+
+TEST "create configitem with configentry" configitem_simple_ctor_dtor $' key \t=\t value' <<END
+END
+
+TEST "create configitem with configentry (redirect)" configitem_simple_ctor_dtor $'keya <\t\t keyb ' <<END
+END
+
+TEST "check content of configitem with empty line" configitem_simple_content_check $'' << END
+END
+
+TEST "check content of configitem with comment" configitem_simple_content_check $'\t #comment bla' << END
+out: item->line = '	 #comment bla'
+END
+
+TEST "check content of configitem with section" configitem_simple_content_check $'[ key.foo suffix.bar ] ' << END
+out: item->line = '[ key.foo suffix.bar ] '
+out: item->key_size = '7'
+out: item->key = 'key.foo suffix.bar ] '
+out: item->delim = ' suffix.bar ] '
+END
+
+TEST "check content of configitem with directive (without argument)" configitem_simple_content_check $'\t @directive  ' << END
+out: item->line = '	 @directive  '
+out: item->key_size = '9'
+out: item->key = '@directive  '
+END
+
+TEST "check content of configitem with directive (with argument)" configitem_simple_content_check $'\t @directive \targument' << END
+out: item->line = '	 @directive 	argument'
+out: item->key_size = '9'
+out: item->key = '@directive 	argument'
+out: item->delim = '	argument'
+END
+
+TEST "check content of configitem with configentry" configitem_simple_content_check $' \t\t key.foo \t\t=\tbar' << END
+out: item->line = ' 		 key.foo 		=	bar'
+out: item->key_size = '7'
+out: item->key = 'key.foo 		=	bar'
+out: item->delim = '=	bar'
+END
+
+TEST "check content of configitem with configentry (redirect)" configitem_simple_content_check $' \t\t key.foo \t\t<\tkey.bar' << END
+out: item->line = ' 		 key.foo 		<	key.bar'
+out: item->key_size = '7'
+out: item->key = 'key.foo 		<	key.bar'
+out: item->delim = '<	key.bar'
+END
diff --git a/tests/backend/test-config.c b/tests/backend/test-config.c
index 8fed601f8..c9b2aeca3 100644
--- a/tests/backend/test-config.c
+++ b/tests/backend/test-config.c
@@ -178,4 +178,45 @@ TEST ("word_get")
   lumiera_config_destroy ();
 }
 
+TEST ("configitem_simple_ctor_dtor")
+{
+  REQUIRE (argv[2]);
+  lumiera_config_init ("./");
+
+  LumieraConfigitem item;
+
+  item = lumiera_configitem_new (argv[2]);
+
+  lumiera_config_destroy ();
+}
+
+TEST ("configitem_simple_content_check")
+{
+  REQUIRE (argv[2]);
+  lumiera_config_init ("./");
+
+  LumieraConfigitem item;
+
+  item = lumiera_configitem_new (argv[2]);
+
+  if ( item->line )
+    {
+      printf("item->line = '%s'\n", item->line);
+    }
+  if ( item->key_size )
+    {
+      printf("item->key_size = '%zi'\n", item->key_size);
+    }
+  if ( item->key )
+    {
+      printf("item->key = '%s'\n", item->key);
+    }
+  if ( item->delim )
+    {
+      printf("item->delim = '%s'\n", item->delim);
+    }
+
+  lumiera_config_destroy ();
+}
+
 TESTS_END
diff --git a/tests/library/test-llist.c b/tests/library/test-llist.c
index 6f859b3f7..520cf9012 100644
--- a/tests/library/test-llist.c
+++ b/tests/library/test-llist.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
-  test-llist.c  -  test the linked lis lib
+  test-llist.c  -  test the linked list lib
 
   Copyright (C)         Lumiera.org
     2008,               Christian Thaeter <ct@pipapo.org>