diff --git a/LCS/PyCommon/defaultmailaddresses.py b/LCS/PyCommon/defaultmailaddresses.py
index ba1798899e71fc79c71b16167ee3a9d29da4f38b..c00fe99087e097418b38e548022876bd2487541e 100644
--- a/LCS/PyCommon/defaultmailaddresses.py
+++ b/LCS/PyCommon/defaultmailaddresses.py
@@ -24,5 +24,53 @@
 This package contains the default mail addresses used in the LOFAR software
 """
 
+from ConfigParser import ConfigParser
+
+# obtain the environment, and add USER and HOME if needed (since supervisord does not)
+environ = os.environ
+user_info = pwd.getpwuid(os.getuid())
+environ.setdefault("HOME", user_info.pw_dir)
+environ.setdefault("USER", user_info.pw_name)
+
+
+
+def findfiles(pattern):
+  """ Returns a list of files matched by `pattern'.
+      The pattern can include environment variables using the
+      {VAR} notation.
+  """
+  try:
+    return glob(pattern.format(**environ))
+  except KeyError:
+    return []
+
+
 # Addresses used for the pipelines
-pipelines = {"error-sender":"softwaresupport@lofar.eu"}
+class PipelineConfig():
+    """
+        Pipeline configuration class
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, filepatterns = None):
+        if self.pattern:
+            self.pattern = ["{LOFARROOT}/etc/pipeline/*.ini",
+                    "{HOME}/.lofar/pipeline/*.ini"]# TODO correct the pattern here
+        self.configfiles = sum([findfiles(p) for p in self.pattern],[])
+        self.config = None
+
+        ## Load the config files
+        self.load_config()
+
+    def load_config(self):
+        self.config = ConfigParser()
+
+    def get(self, key):
+        return self.config.getstring("Pipeline",key)
+
+    def __getitem__(self, what):
+        return get(what)
+#pipelines = {"error-sender":"softwaresupport@lofar.eu"}
+
+
+
+
diff --git a/LCS/PyCommon/test/CMakeLists.txt b/LCS/PyCommon/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 1f219cba046fd9c580029cace58ee1248dca5c86..cfdbe99b2d385aa153f3df20e0221e283c5b2600 100644
--- a/LCS/PyCommon/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/LCS/PyCommon/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ file(COPY
 
 lofar_add_test(t_cache)
 lofar_add_test(t_dbcredentials)
+lofar_add_test(t_defaultpipelineconfig)
 lofar_add_test(t_methodtrigger)
 lofar_add_test(t_util)
 lofar_add_test(t_test_utils)