diff --git a/core/config.class.php b/core/config.class.php
index 913965d4..17c6c192 100644
--- a/core/config.class.php
+++ b/core/config.class.php
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@ class Config {
 		$this->values[$name] = (($value == 'on' || $value === true) ? 'Y' : 'N');
 		$this->save($name);
 	}
+	public function set_default($name, $value) {
+		if(is_null($this->get($name))) {
+			$this->values[$name] = $value;
+		}
+	}
 
 	public function get_int($name, $default=null) {
 		// deprecated -- ints should be stored as ints now
diff --git a/ext/tag_list/main.php b/ext/tag_list/main.php
index b4f17c4a..5cf35d44 100644
--- a/ext/tag_list/main.php
+++ b/ext/tag_list/main.php
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 <?php
-define("TAG_LIST_LENGTH", 15);
-define("TAGS_MIN", 3);
 
 class TagList extends Extension {
 	var $theme = null;
@@ -9,6 +7,12 @@ class TagList extends Extension {
 	public function receive_event($event) {
 		if($this->theme == null) $this->theme = get_theme_object("tag_list", "TagListTheme");
 		
+		if(is_a($event, 'InitExtEvent')) {
+			global $config;
+			$config->set_default("tag_list_length", 15);
+			$config->set_default("tags_min", 3);
+		}
+
 		if(is_a($event, 'PageRequestEvent') && ($event->page == "tags")) {
 			global $page;
 
@@ -33,7 +37,7 @@ class TagList extends Extension {
 		if(is_a($event, 'PageRequestEvent') && ($event->page == "index")) {
 			global $config;
 			global $page;
-			if($config->get_int('tag_list_length', TAG_LIST_LENGTH) > 0) {
+			if($config->get_int('tag_list_length') > 0) {
 				if(isset($_GET['search'])) {
 					$this->add_refine_block($page, tag_explode($_GET['search']));
 				}
@@ -45,7 +49,7 @@ class TagList extends Extension {
 
 		if(is_a($event, 'DisplayingImageEvent')) {
 			global $config;
-			if($config->get_int('tag_list_length', TAG_LIST_LENGTH) > 0) {
+			if($config->get_int('tag_list_length') > 0) {
 				$this->add_related_block($event->page, $event->image);
 			}
 		}
@@ -82,7 +86,7 @@ class TagList extends Extension {
 		global $database;
 		global $config;
 
-		$tags_min = $config->get_int('tags_min', TAGS_MIN);
+		$tags_min = $config->get_int('tags_min');
 		$result = $database->Execute(
 				"SELECT tag,count FROM tags WHERE count > ? ORDER BY tag",
 				array($tags_min));
@@ -106,7 +110,7 @@ class TagList extends Extension {
 		global $database;
 		global $config;
 
-		$tags_min = $config->get_int('tags_min', TAGS_MIN);
+		$tags_min = $config->get_int('tags_min');
 		$result = $database->Execute(
 				"SELECT tag,count FROM tags WHERE count > ? ORDER BY tag",
 				array($tags_min));
@@ -133,7 +137,7 @@ class TagList extends Extension {
 		global $database;
 		global $config;
 
-		$tags_min = $config->get_int('tags_min', TAGS_MIN);
+		$tags_min = $config->get_int('tags_min');
 		$result = $database->Execute(
 				"SELECT tag,count FROM tags WHERE count > ? ORDER BY count DESC, tag ASC",
 				array($tags_min)