diff --git a/ietf/doc/settings.py b/ietf/doc/settings.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0a31d9dba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ietf/doc/settings.py
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+CHART_TYPE_COLUMN_OPTIONS = {
+    "chart": {
+        "type": 'column',
+    },
+    "credits": {
+        "enabled": False,
+    },
+    "exporting": {
+        "fallbackToExportServer": False,
+    },
+    "rangeSelector" : {
+        "selected": 5,
+        "allButtonsEnabled": True,
+    },
+    "series" : [{
+        "name" : "Items",
+        "type" : "column",
+        "data" : [],
+        "dataGrouping": {
+            "units": [[
+                'week',                                 # unit name
+                [1,],                                   # allowed multiples
+            ], [
+                'month',
+                [1, 4,],
+            ]]
+        },
+        "turboThreshold": 1, # Only check format of first data point. All others are the same
+        "pointIntervalUnit": 'day',
+        "pointPadding": 0.05,
+    }],
+    "title" : {
+        "text" : "Items over time"
+    },
+    "xAxis": {
+        "type": "datetime",
+        # This makes the axis use the given coordinates, rather than
+        # squashing them to equidistant columns
+        "ordinal": False,
+    },
+}
+
+CHART_TYPE_ACTIVITY_OPTIONS = {
+    "chart": {
+        "type": 'column',
+    },
+    "credits": {
+        "enabled": False,
+    },
+    "exporting": {
+        "fallbackToExportServer": False,
+    },
+    "navigation": {
+        "buttonOptions": {
+            "enabled": False,
+        }
+    },
+    "navigator": {
+        "enabled": False,
+    },
+    "rangeSelector" : {
+        "enabled": False,
+    },
+    "scrollbar": {
+        "enabled": False,
+    },
+    "series" : [{
+        "name" : None,
+        "animation": False,
+        "type" : "column",
+        "data" : [],
+        "dataGrouping": {
+            "units": [[
+                'year',                                 # unit name
+                [1,],                                   # allowed multiples
+            ]]
+        },
+        "turboThreshold": 1, # Only check format of first data point. All others are the same
+        "pointIntervalUnit": 'day',
+        "pointPadding": -0.2,
+    }],
+    "title" : {
+        "text" : None,
+    },
+    "xAxis": {
+        "type": "datetime",
+        # This makes the axis use the given coordinates, rather than
+        # squashing them to equidistant columns
+        "ordinal": False,
+    },
+    "yAxis": {
+        "labels": {
+            "enabled": False,
+        }
+    },
+}
+
diff --git a/ietf/settings.py b/ietf/settings.py
index f636f45bd..3a9e3376f 100644
--- a/ietf/settings.py
+++ b/ietf/settings.py
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@
 # http://code.djangoproject.com/wiki/SplitSettings
 
 import os
+import importlib
+import sys
+import datetime
+
 try:
     import syslog
     syslog.openlog("datatracker", syslog.LOG_PID, syslog.LOG_USER)
@@ -12,19 +16,14 @@ except ImportError:
     pass
 
 BASE_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
-
-# a place to put ajax logs if necessary.
-LOG_DIR = '/var/log/datatracker'
-
-import sys
 sys.path.append(os.path.abspath(BASE_DIR + "/.."))
 
-import datetime
-
 from ietf import __version__
+import debug
 
 DEBUG = True
 TEMPLATE_DEBUG = DEBUG
+debug.debug = DEBUG
 
 # Valid values:
 # 'production', 'test', 'development'
@@ -693,108 +692,18 @@ MAILMAN_LIB_DIR = '/usr/lib/mailman'
 LIST_ACCOUNT_DELAY = 60*60*25           # 25 hours
 ACCOUNT_REQUEST_EMAIL = 'account-request@ietf.org'
 
-CHART_TYPE_COLUMN_OPTIONS = {
-    "chart": {
-        "type": 'column',
-    },
-    "credits": {
-        "enabled": False,
-    },
-    "exporting": {
-        "fallbackToExportServer": False,
-    },
-    "rangeSelector" : {
-        "selected": 5,
-        "allButtonsEnabled": True,
-    },
-    "series" : [{
-        "name" : "Items",
-        "type" : "column",
-        "data" : [],
-        "dataGrouping": {
-            "units": [[
-                'week',                                 # unit name
-                [1,],                                   # allowed multiples
-            ], [
-                'month',
-                [1, 4,],
-            ]]
-        },
-        "turboThreshold": 1, # Only check format of first data point. All others are the same
-        "pointIntervalUnit": 'day',
-        "pointPadding": 0.05,
-    }],
-    "title" : {
-        "text" : "Items over time"
-    },
-    "xAxis": {
-        "type": "datetime",
-        # This makes the axis use the given coordinates, rather than
-        # squashing them to equidistant columns
-        "ordinal": False,
-    },
-}
-
-CHART_TYPE_ACTIVITY_OPTIONS = {
-    "chart": {
-        "type": 'column',
-    },
-    "credits": {
-        "enabled": False,
-    },
-    "exporting": {
-        "fallbackToExportServer": False,
-    },
-    "navigation": {
-        "buttonOptions": {
-            "enabled": False,
-        }
-    },
-    "navigator": {
-        "enabled": False,
-    },
-    "rangeSelector" : {
-        "enabled": False,
-    },
-    "scrollbar": {
-        "enabled": False,
-    },
-    "series" : [{
-        "name" : None,
-        "animation": False,
-        "type" : "column",
-        "data" : [],
-        "dataGrouping": {
-            "units": [[
-                'year',                                 # unit name
-                [1,],                                   # allowed multiples
-            ]]
-        },
-        "turboThreshold": 1, # Only check format of first data point. All others are the same
-        "pointIntervalUnit": 'day',
-        "pointPadding": -0.2,
-    }],
-    "title" : {
-        "text" : None,
-    },
-    "xAxis": {
-        "type": "datetime",
-        # This makes the axis use the given coordinates, rather than
-        # squashing them to equidistant columns
-        "ordinal": False,
-    },
-    "yAxis": {
-        "labels": {
-            "enabled": False,
-        }
-    },
-}
 
 
 # Put the production SECRET_KEY in settings_local.py, and also any other
 # sensitive or site-specific changes.  DO NOT commit settings_local.py to svn.
 from settings_local import *            # pyflakes:ignore pylint: disable=wildcard-import
 
+for app in INSTALLED_APPS:
+    if app.startswith('ietf'):
+        app_settings_file = os.path.join(app.replace('.', os.sep), "settings.py")
+        if os.path.exists(app_settings_file):
+            exec "from %s import *" % (app+".settings")
+
 # Add DEV_APPS to INSTALLED_APPS
 INSTALLED_APPS += DEV_APPS
 MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES += DEV_MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES
@@ -817,5 +726,6 @@ if SERVER_MODE != 'production':
 
     if 'SECRET_KEY' not in locals():
         SECRET_KEY = 'PDwXboUq!=hPjnrtG2=ge#N$Dwy+wn@uivrugwpic8mxyPfHka'
+
     ALLOWED_HOSTS = ['*',]