--- a/configmix/__init__.py	Thu Apr 25 17:00:09 2019 +0200
+++ b/configmix/__init__.py	Fri Apr 26 14:30:52 2019 +0200
@@ -41,34 +41,57 @@
 """
 
 
-def load(*files):
+def load(*files, **kwargs):
     """Load the given configuration files, merge them in the given order
     and return the resulting configuration dictionary.
 
     :param files: the filenames of the configuration files to read and merge
+    :param defaults: optional configuration dictionary with some default
+                     settings where the settings from `files` are merged
+                     into
+    :type defaults: a configuration dictionary or `None`
     :returns: the configuration
     :rtype: ~configmix.config.Configuration
 
     """
+    defaults = kwargs.get("defaults")
     if not files:
-        return Configuration()
+        if defaults is None:
+            return Configuration()
+        else:
+            return Configuration(defaults)
     else:
-        ex = merge(None, _load_cfg_from_file(files[0]))
-        for f in files[1:]:
+        if defaults is None:
+            start = 1
+            ex = merge(None, _load_cfg_from_file(files[0]))
+        else:
+            start = 0
+            ex = merge(None, defaults)
+        for f in files[start:]:
             ex = merge(_load_cfg_from_file(f), ex)
         return Configuration(ex)
 
 
-def safe_load(*files):
+def safe_load(*files, **kwargs):
     """Analogous to :func:`load` but do merging with :func:`safe_merge`
     instead of :func:`merge`
 
     """
+    defaults = kwargs.get("defaults")
     if not files:
-        return Configuration()
+        if defaults is None:
+            return Configuration()
+        else:
+            return Configuration(defaults)
     else:
+        if defaults is None:
+            start = 1
+            ex = merge(None, _load_cfg_from_file(files[0]))
+        else:
+            start = 0
+            ex = merge(None, defaults)
         ex = safe_merge(None, _load_cfg_from_file(files[0]))
-        for f in files[1:]:
+        for f in files[start:]:
             ex = safe_merge(_load_cfg_from_file(f), ex)
         return Configuration(ex)