diff --git a/application.py b/application.py
index 4ae4b5d..9a48a8f 100755
--- a/application.py
+++ b/application.py
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ class Application(object):
         }
         self.default_color = ('default', 'default',)
 
+        # xyz
+        self._load_config_defaults()
+
         # initialize our colors
         if curses.has_colors():
             curses.start_color()
@@ -189,15 +192,15 @@ class Application(object):
         self.registers           = {}
 
         # initialize tab handlers
-        method.DATATYPES['path']     = completer.FileCompleter()
+        method.DATATYPES['path']     = completer.FileCompleter(self)
         method.DATATYPES['buffer']   = completer.BufferCompleter(self)
-        method.DATATYPES['command']  = completer.CommandCompleter()
-        method.DATATYPES['shell']    = completer.ShellCompleter()
-        method.DATATYPES['config']   = completer.ConfigCompleter()
-        method.DATATYPES['method']   = completer.MethodCompleter()
-        method.DATATYPES['register'] = completer.RegisterCompleter()
-        method.DATATYPES['mode']     = completer.ModeCompleter()
-        method.DATATYPES['token']    = completer.TokenCompleter()
+        method.DATATYPES['command']  = completer.CommandCompleter(self)
+        method.DATATYPES['shell']    = completer.ShellCompleter(self)
+        method.DATATYPES['config']   = completer.ConfigCompleter(self)
+        method.DATATYPES['method']   = completer.MethodCompleter(self)
+        method.DATATYPES['register'] = completer.RegisterCompleter(self)
+        method.DATATYPES['mode']     = completer.ModeCompleter(self)
+        method.DATATYPES['token']    = completer.TokenCompleter(self)
 
         # set up curses
         self.win = curses.newwin(self.y, self.x, 0, 0)
@@ -208,6 +211,9 @@ class Application(object):
         curses.nonl()
         curses.def_prog_mode()
 
+    def _load_config_defaults(self):
+        self.config['ignore-suffix'] = ['~', '-']
+
     def completion_window_is_open(self):
         n = self.complete_slot
         if n is None:
diff --git a/completer.py b/completer.py
index 8ebf6d7..a4bc897 100644
--- a/completer.py
+++ b/completer.py
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ def find_common_string(candidates):
         return test
 
 class Completer(object):
+    def __init__(self, application):
+        self.application = application
     def get_candidates(self, s):
         assert "Not implemented"
     def tab_string(self, s, w=None):
@@ -45,6 +47,21 @@ class FileCompleter(Completer):
             candidates = [util.expand_tilde(user) for user in users if user.startswith(s)]
         else:
             candidates = glob.glob(s + '*')
+
+        # ignore some suffixes by default, unless the only possible completions
+        # ALL have ignored-suffixes, in which case just return them all.
+        cand2 = []
+        for c in candidates:
+            ok = True
+            for suffix in self.application.config['ignore-suffix']:
+                if c.endswith(suffix):
+                    ok = False
+                    break
+            if ok:
+                cand2.append(c)
+        if cand2:
+            candidates = cand2
+
         for i in range(0, len(candidates)):
             c = candidates[i]
             if os.path.isdir(os.path.realpath(c)):
@@ -52,8 +69,6 @@ class FileCompleter(Completer):
         return candidates
 
 class BufferCompleter(Completer):
-    def __init__(self, application):
-        self.application = application
     def get_candidates(self, s, w=None):
         bl = self.application.bufferlist
         candidates = [b.name() for b in bl.buffers if b.name().startswith(s)]
@@ -77,18 +92,19 @@ class CommandCompleter(Completer):
         return candidates
 
 class ShellCompleter(Completer):
-    def __init__(self):
-        self.file_completer = FileCompleter()
-        self.command_completer = CommandCompleter()
+    def __init__(self, application):
+        Completer.__init__(self, application)
+        self.fc = FileCompleter(application)
+        self.cc = CommandCompleter(application)
     def get_candidates(self, s, w=None):
         if ' ' in s:
             i = s.rindex(' ') + 1
             base = s[:i]
             last = s[i:]
-            candidates = self.file_completer.get_candidates(last)
+            candidates = self.fc.get_candidates(last)
             return [base + x for x in candidates]
         else:
-            return self.command_completer.get_candidates(s)
+            return self.cc.get_candidates(s)
 
 class TokenCompleter(Completer):
     def get_candidates(self, s, w=None):
diff --git a/method/introspect.py b/method/introspect.py
index ae785b0..5763b9b 100644
--- a/method/introspect.py
+++ b/method/introspect.py
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ class GetToken(Method):
 class TokenComplete(Method):
     '''Complete token names based on other tokens in the buffer'''
     _mini_prompt = 'Token Complete'
-    _tabber      = completer.TokenCompleter()
+    _tabber      = completer.TokenCompleter(None)
     class Dummy(object): pass
     def _complete(self, s):
         dw = self.Dummy()
diff --git a/mode/__init__.py b/mode/__init__.py
index b2db6c8..abaa193 100644
--- a/mode/__init__.py
+++ b/mode/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import math, os, string
+import math, os, sets, string
 import color, method
 from lex import Lexer
 from point import Point
@@ -88,9 +88,13 @@ class Fundamental(Handler):
     tabber     = None
     context    = None
     colors     = {}
-    config     = {}
-    lconfig    = {}
-    dconfig    = {}
+
+    # config settings installed/modified by the mode
+    config  = {}
+    dconfig = {}
+    lconfig = {}
+    sconfig = {}
+
     actions    = []
     completers = {}
     format     = "%(flag)s  %(bname)-18s  (%(mname)s)  %(indent)s  %(cursor)s/%(mark)s  %(perc)s"
@@ -110,8 +114,23 @@ class Fundamental(Handler):
                 raise Exception, s
             else:
                 app.token_colors[key] = val
+
+        # install configuration stuff
         for (key, val) in cls.config.iteritems():
+            assert key not in app.config, "uh oh: %r" % key
             app.config[key] = val
+        for (key, val) in cls.lconfig.iteritems():
+            app.config.setdefault(key, [])
+            for val2 in val:
+                app.config[key].append(val2)
+        for (key, val) in cls.sconfig.iteritems():
+            app.config.setdefault(key, sets.Set())
+            app.config[key].add(val)
+        for (key, d) in cls.dconfig.iteritems():
+            app.config.setdefault(key, {})
+            for (subkey, val) in d.iteritems():
+                app.config[key][subkey] = val
+
         for mcls in cls.actions:
             m = mcls()
             if m.name in app.methods:
diff --git a/mode/c.py b/mode/c.py
index f898539..657db33 100644
--- a/mode/c.py
+++ b/mode/c.py
@@ -185,6 +185,9 @@ class C(mode.Fundamental):
         'c.make-cmd':       "make",
         'c.make-rel-dir':   True,
     }
+    lconfig = {
+        'ignore-suffix': ['.o'],
+    }
     actions = [CCheckSyntax, CMake]
 
     format = "%(flag)s  %(bname)-18s  (%(mname)s)  %(indent)s  %(cursor)s/%(mark)s  %(perc)s  [%(func)s]"
diff --git a/mode/perl.py b/mode/perl.py
index 60df5b6..466bfb8 100644
--- a/mode/perl.py
+++ b/mode/perl.py
@@ -715,7 +715,7 @@ class Perl(mode.Fundamental):
                PerlListFunctions, PerlOpenModule, PerlOpenModuleWord,
                PerlSemanticComplete]
     completers = {
-        'perlfunction': PerlFunctionCompleter(),
+        'perlfunction': PerlFunctionCompleter(None),
     }
     format = "%(flag)s  %(bname)-18s  (%(mname)s)  %(indent)s  %(cursor)s/%(mark)s  %(perc)s  [%(func)s]"
     #format = "%(flag)s  %(bname)-18s  (%(mname)s)  %(cursor)s/%(mark)s  %(perc)s"
diff --git a/mode/python.py b/mode/python.py
index 4bbc715..3a0350f 100644
--- a/mode/python.py
+++ b/mode/python.py
@@ -497,14 +497,17 @@ class Python(mode.Fundamental):
     config = {
         'python.lib': '.',
     }
+    lconfig = {
+        'ignore-suffix': ['.pyc'],
+    }
     actions = [PythonInitNames, PythonListNames, PythonGotoName,
                PythonGotoFunction, PythonGotoClass, PythonCheckSyntax,
                PythonDictCleanup, PythonSemanticComplete,
                PythonInsertTripleSquotes, PythonInsertTripleDquotes]
     completers = {
-        "pythonname":     PythonNameCompleter(),
-        "pythonfunction": PythonFunctionCompleter(),
-        "pythonclass":    PythonClassCompleter(),
+        "pythonname":     PythonNameCompleter(None),
+        "pythonfunction": PythonFunctionCompleter(None),
+        "pythonclass":    PythonClassCompleter(None),
     }
 
     format = "%(flag)s  %(bname)-18s  (%(mname)s)  %(indent)s  %(cursor)s/%(mark)s  %(perc)s  [%(name)s]"