diff --git a/lib/puppet/face/config.rb b/lib/puppet/face/config.rb
index 3100426af..d1ff86672 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/face/config.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/face/config.rb
@@ -1,75 +1,78 @@
 require 'puppet/face'
 require 'puppet/settings/ini_file'
 
 Puppet::Face.define(:config, '0.0.1') do
   copyright "Puppet Labs", 2011
   license   "Apache 2 license; see COPYING"
 
   summary "Interact with Puppet's configuration options."
 
   action(:print) do
     summary "Examine Puppet's current configuration settings."
     arguments "(all | <setting> [<setting> ...]"
     returns <<-'EOT'
       A single value when called with one config setting, and a list of
       settings and values when called with multiple options or "all."
     EOT
     description <<-'EOT'
       Prints the value of a single configuration option or a list of
       configuration options.
 
       This action is an alternate interface to the information available with
       `puppet <subcommand> --configprint`.
     EOT
     notes <<-'EOT'
       By default, this action reads the configuration in agent mode.
       Use the '--run_mode' and '--environment' flags to examine other
       configuration domains.
     EOT
     examples <<-'EOT'
       Get puppet's runfile directory:
 
       $ puppet config print rundir
 
       Get a list of important directories from the master's config:
 
       $ puppet config print all --run_mode master | grep -E "(path|dir)"
     EOT
 
     when_invoked do |*args|
       args.pop
 
       args = [ "all" ] if args.empty?
 
       Puppet.settings[:configprint] = args.join(",")
       Puppet.settings.print_config_options
       nil
     end
   end
 
   action(:set) do
     summary "Set Puppet's configuration settings."
     arguments "[setting_name] [setting_value]"
     description <<-'EOT'
       Update values in the `puppet.conf` configuration file.
     EOT
     examples <<-'EOT'
       Set puppet's runfile directory:
 
       $ puppet config set rundir /var/run/puppet
     EOT
 
-    when_invoked do |*args|
-      name, value = args
+    option "--section SECTION_NAME" do
+      default_to { "main" }
+      summary "The section of the configuration file to change."
+    end
 
+    when_invoked do |name, value, options|
       file = Puppet::FileSystem::File.new(Puppet.settings.which_configuration_file)
       file.touch
       file.open(nil, 'r+') do |file|
         Puppet::Settings::IniFile.update(file) do |config|
-          config.set(name, value)
+          config.set(options[:section], name, value)
         end
       end
       nil
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/puppet/settings/ini_file.rb b/lib/puppet/settings/ini_file.rb
index 5e1aebf29..e99dce4ba 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/settings/ini_file.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/settings/ini_file.rb
@@ -1,94 +1,110 @@
 # @api private
 class Puppet::Settings::IniFile
+  DEFAULT_SECTION_NAME = "main"
+
   def self.update(config_fh, &block)
     config = parse(config_fh)
     manipulator = Manipulator.new(config)
     yield manipulator
     config.write(config_fh)
   end
 
   def self.parse(config_fh)
     config = new
     config_fh.each_line do |line|
       case line
       when /^(\s*)\[(\w+)\](\s*)$/
         config << SectionLine.new($1, $2, $3)
       when /^(\s*)(\w+)(\s*=\s*)(.*?)(\s*)$/
         config << SettingLine.new($1, $2, $3, $4, $5)
       else
         config << Line.new(line)
       end
     end
 
     config
   end
 
   def initialize
     @lines = []
   end
 
   def <<(line)
     @lines << line
   end
 
   def each(&block)
     @lines.each(&block)
   end
 
-  def setting(name)
-    @lines.find do |line|
+  def setting(section, name)
+    settings_in(section).find do |line|
       line.is_a?(SettingLine) && line.name == name
     end
   end
 
+  def settings_in(section)
+    section_lines = []
+    current_section = DEFAULT_SECTION_NAME
+    @lines.each do |line|
+      if line.is_a?(SectionLine)
+        current_section = line.name
+      elsif current_section == section
+        section_lines << line
+      end
+    end
+
+    section_lines
+  end
+
   def write(fh)
     fh.truncate(0)
     fh.rewind
     @lines.each do |line|
       line.write(fh)
     end
     fh.flush
   end
 
   class Manipulator
     def initialize(config)
       @config = config
     end
 
-    def set(name, value)
-      setting = @config.setting(name)
+    def set(section, name, value)
+      setting = @config.setting(section, name)
       if setting
         setting.value = value
       else
+        @config << SectionLine.new("", section, "")
         @config << SettingLine.new("", name, "=", value, "")
       end
     end
   end
 
   Line = Struct.new(:text) do
     def write(fh)
       fh.puts(text)
     end
   end
 
   SettingLine = Struct.new(:prefix, :name, :infix, :value, :suffix) do
     def write(fh)
       fh.write(prefix)
       fh.write(name)
       fh.write(infix)
       fh.write(value)
       fh.puts(suffix)
     end
   end
 
   SectionLine = Struct.new(:prefix, :name, :suffix) do
     def write(fh)
       fh.write(prefix)
       fh.write("[")
       fh.write(name)
       fh.write("]")
       fh.puts(suffix)
     end
   end
-
 end
diff --git a/spec/unit/settings/ini_file_spec.rb b/spec/unit/settings/ini_file_spec.rb
index d11e010fa..aa5beca18 100644
--- a/spec/unit/settings/ini_file_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/settings/ini_file_spec.rb
@@ -1,63 +1,122 @@
 require 'spec_helper'
 require 'stringio'
 
 require 'puppet/settings/ini_file'
 
 describe Puppet::Settings::IniFile do
   it "preserves the file when no changes are made" do
     original_config = <<-CONFIG
     # comment
     [section]
     name = value
     CONFIG
     config_fh = a_config_file_containing(original_config)
 
     Puppet::Settings::IniFile.update(config_fh) do; end
 
     expect(config_fh.string).to eq original_config
   end
 
   it "adds a set name and value to an empty file" do
     config_fh = a_config_file_containing("")
 
     Puppet::Settings::IniFile.update(config_fh) do |config|
-      config.set("name", "value")
+      config.set("the_section", "name", "value")
     end
 
-    expect(config_fh.string).to eq "name=value\n"
+    expect(config_fh.string).to eq "[the_section]\nname=value\n"
   end
 
   it "preserves comments when writing a new name and value" do
     config_fh = a_config_file_containing("# this is a comment")
 
     Puppet::Settings::IniFile.update(config_fh) do |config|
-      config.set("name", "value")
+      config.set("the_section", "name", "value")
     end
 
-    expect(config_fh.string).to eq "# this is a comment\nname=value\n"
+    expect(config_fh.string).to eq "# this is a comment\n[the_section]\nname=value\n"
   end
 
   it "updates existing names and values in place" do
     config_fh = a_config_file_containing(<<-CONFIG)
     # this is the preceeding comment
      [section]
     name = original value
     # this is the trailing comment
     CONFIG
 
     Puppet::Settings::IniFile.update(config_fh) do |config|
-      config.set("name", "changed value")
+      config.set("section", "name", "changed value")
     end
 
     expect(config_fh.string).to eq <<-CONFIG
     # this is the preceeding comment
      [section]
     name = changed value
     # this is the trailing comment
     CONFIG
   end
 
+  it "updates only the value in the selected section" do
+    config_fh = a_config_file_containing(<<-CONFIG)
+    [other_section]
+    name = does not change
+    [section]
+    name = original value
+    CONFIG
+
+    Puppet::Settings::IniFile.update(config_fh) do |config|
+      config.set("section", "name", "changed value")
+    end
+
+    expect(config_fh.string).to eq <<-CONFIG
+    [other_section]
+    name = does not change
+    [section]
+    name = changed value
+    CONFIG
+  end
+
+  it "considers settings outside a section to be in section 'main'" do
+    config_fh = a_config_file_containing(<<-CONFIG)
+    name = original value
+    CONFIG
+
+    Puppet::Settings::IniFile.update(config_fh) do |config|
+      config.set("main", "name", "changed value")
+    end
+
+    expect(config_fh.string).to eq <<-CONFIG
+    name = changed value
+    CONFIG
+  end
+
+  it "finds settings when the section is split up" do
+    config_fh = a_config_file_containing(<<-CONFIG)
+    [section]
+    name = original value
+    [different]
+    name = other value
+    [section]
+    other_name = different original value
+    CONFIG
+
+    Puppet::Settings::IniFile.update(config_fh) do |config|
+      config.set("section", "name", "changed value")
+      config.set("section", "other_name", "other changed value")
+    end
+
+    expect(config_fh.string).to eq <<-CONFIG
+    [section]
+    name = changed value
+    [different]
+    name = other value
+    [section]
+    other_name = other changed value
+    CONFIG
+  end
+
   def a_config_file_containing(text)
     StringIO.new(text)
   end
 end