diff --git a/src/utils/conftree.cpp b/src/utils/conftree.cpp
index f2cb3714..7457c35c 100644
--- a/src/utils/conftree.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/conftree.cpp
@@ -274,6 +274,16 @@ int ConfSimple::get(const string& nm, string& value, const string& sk) const
     return 1;
 }
 
+int ConfSimple::get(const string& nm, int *value, const string& sk) const
+{
+    string sval;
+    if (!get(nm, sval, sk)) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+    *value = atoi(sval.c_str());
+    return 1;
+}
+
 // Appropriately output a subkey (nm=="") or variable line.
 // We can't make any assumption about the data except that it does not
 // contain line breaks.
@@ -332,6 +342,12 @@ int ConfSimple::set(const std::string& nm, const std::string& value,
     }
     return write();
 }
+int ConfSimple::set(const string& nm, long long val,
+                    const string& sk)
+{
+    return this->set(nm, lltodecstr(val), sk);
+}
+
 
 // Internal set variable: no rw checking or file rewriting. If init is
 // set, we're doing initial parsing, else we are changing a parsed
diff --git a/src/utils/conftree.h b/src/utils/conftree.h
index 31ddc1ec..58d9600d 100644
--- a/src/utils/conftree.h
+++ b/src/utils/conftree.h
@@ -165,19 +165,34 @@ public:
     }
 
     /**
-     * Get value for named parameter, from specified subsection (looks in
-     * global space if sk is empty).
+     * Get string value for named parameter, from specified subsection (looks 
+     * in global space if sk is empty).
      * @return 0 if name not found, 1 else
      */
     virtual int get(const string& name, string& value,
                     const string& sk = string()) const;
 
     /**
-     * Set value for named parameter in specified subsection (or global)
+     * Get integer value for named parameter, from specified subsection (looks 
+     * in global space if sk is empty).
+     * @return 0 if name not found, 1 else
+     */
+    virtual int get(const string& name, int* value,
+                    const string& sk = string()) const;
+
+
+    /**
+     * Set value for named string parameter in specified subsection (or global)
      * @return 0 for error, 1 else
      */
     virtual int set(const string& nm, const string& val,
                     const string& sk = string());
+    /**
+     * Set value for named integer parameter in specified subsection (or global)
+     * @return 0 for error, 1 else
+     */
+    virtual int set(const string& nm, long long val,
+                    const string& sk = string());
 
     /**
      * Remove name and value from config