diff --git a/colab/utils/conf.py b/colab/utils/conf.py
index f61d10b..b090ee0 100644
--- a/colab/utils/conf.py
+++ b/colab/utils/conf.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ def _load_yaml_file(yaml_path):
 
 def load_yaml_settings():
     settings_dir = '/etc/colab/settings.d'
-    yaml_path = os.getenv('COLAB_SETTINGS', '/etc/colab/settings.yaml')
+    yaml_path = os.getenv('COLAB_YAML_SETTINGS', '/etc/colab/settings.yaml')
 
     if os.path.exists(yaml_path):
         global USING_YAML_SETTINGS
@@ -71,24 +71,37 @@ class InaccessiblePySettings(ImproperlyConfigured):
     Check if the file exists and if you have read permissions."""
 
 
-def _load_py_file(py_path):
+def _load_py_file(py_path, path):
+    original_path = sys.path
+
+    sys.path = [path]
     try:
         py_settings = importlib.import_module(py_path)
 
-    except:
+    except IOError:
         msg = ('Could not open settings file {}. Please '
                'check if the file exists and if user '
                'has read rights.').format(py_path)
         raise InaccessiblePySettings(msg)
 
-    return py_settings
+    except SyntaxError as excpt:
+        msg = ('Syntax Error: {}'.format(excpt))
+        raise InaccessiblePySettings(msg)
+
+    finally:
+        sys.path = original_path
+
+    py_setting = {var: getattr(py_settings, var) for var in dir(py_settings)
+                  if not var.startswith('__')}
+
+    return py_setting
 
 
 def load_py_settings():
     settings_dir = '/etc/colab/settings.d'
-    settings_module = 'settings'
-    py_path = os.getenv('COLAB_SETTINGS',
-                        "/etc/colab/{}.py".format(settings_module))
+    settings_file = os.getenv('COLAB_SETTINGS', '/etc/colab/settings.py')
+    settings_module = settings_file.split('.')[-2].split('/')[-1]
+    py_path = "/".join(settings_file.split('/')[:-1])
 
     global USING_YAML_SETTINGS
     if not os.path.exists(py_path) and not USING_YAML_SETTINGS:
@@ -97,34 +110,28 @@ def load_py_settings():
     elif USING_YAML_SETTINGS:
         return {}
 
-    sys.path.insert(0, '/etc/colab/')
-    sys.path.insert(0, settings_dir)
-
-    py_settings = _load_py_file(settings_module).__dict__
+    py_settings = _load_py_file(settings_module, py_path)
 
     # Try to read settings from settings.d
+
     if os.path.exists(settings_dir):
+        return py_settings
         for file_name in os.listdir(settings_dir):
             if file_name.endswith('.py'):
                 file_module = file_name.split('.')[0]
-                py_settings_d = _load_py_file(file_module).__dict__
+                py_settings_d = _load_py_file(file_module, settings_dir)
                 py_settings.update(py_settings_d)
 
-    sys.path.remove('/etc/colab/')
-    sys.path.remove(settings_dir)
-
-    return py_settings or {}
+    return py_settings
 
 
 def load_colab_apps():
-    plugins_dir = '/etc/colab/plugins.d/'
+    plugins_dir = os.getenv('COLAB_PLUGINS', '/etc/colab/plugins.d/')
 
     global USING_YAML_SETTINGS
     if USING_YAML_SETTINGS:
         return {}
 
-    sys.path.insert(0, plugins_dir)
-
     COLAB_APPS = {}
 
     # Try to read settings from plugins.d
@@ -132,7 +139,7 @@ def load_colab_apps():
         for file_name in os.listdir(plugins_dir):
             if file_name.endswith('.py'):
                 file_module = file_name.split('.')[0]
-                py_settings_d = _load_py_file(file_module)
+                py_settings_d = _load_py_file(file_module, plugins_dir)
                 fields = ['urls', 'menu', 'upstream', 'middlewares',
                           'dependencies', 'context_processors']
 
@@ -147,8 +154,6 @@ def load_colab_apps():
                     if value:
                         COLAB_APPS[app_name][key] = value
 
-    sys.path.remove(plugins_dir)
-
     return {'COLAB_APPS': COLAB_APPS}
 
 
diff --git a/tests/config_settings.py b/tests/config_settings.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c7c6f26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/config_settings.py
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+SECRET_KEY = 'ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddaddddddddd'
+
+DATABASES = {
+    'default': {
+        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.postgresql_psycopg2',
+        'HOST': 'localhost',
+        'NAME': 'colab',
+        'USER': 'colab',
+        'PASSWORD': 'colab',
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/plugins.d/gitlab.py b/tests/plugins.d/gitlab.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b0f9cb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/plugins.d/gitlab.py
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
+
+name = 'colab.plugins.gitlab'
+verbose_name = 'Gitlab Proxy'
+
+upstream = 'localhost'
+#middlewares = []
+
+menu = {
+'title': _('Code'),
+'links': (
+    (_('Public Projects'), 'public/projects'),
+),
+'auth_links': (
+    (_('Profile'), 'profile'),
+    (_('New Project'), 'projects/new'),
+    (_('Projects'), 'dashboard/projects'),
+    (_('Groups'), 'profile/groups'),
+    (_('Issues'), 'dashboard/issues'),
+    (_('Merge Requests'), 'dashboard/merge_requests'),
+
+),
+}
+
+
+#  dpaste:
+#    dependencies:
+#      - 'mptt'
+#    urls:
+#      include: 'dpaste.urls.dpaste'
+#      prefix:  '^paste/'
+#      namespace: 'dpaste'
+#    menu:
+#      title: 'Dpaste'
+#      links:
+#        Public Projects:  '/paste'
+#      auth_links:
+#        Profile: '/projects'
+#        New Project: '/projects/new'
diff --git a/tests/run.py b/tests/run.py
index b2366bb..f57962e 100755
--- a/tests/run.py
+++ b/tests/run.py
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ import os
 import sys
 
 os.environ['DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE'] = 'tests.settings'
-os.environ['COLAB_SETTINGS'] = 'tests/settings.yaml'
+os.environ['COLAB_SETTINGS'] = 'tests/config_settings.py'
+os.environ['PLUGINS_SETTINGS'] = 'tests/plugins.d'
 os.environ['COVERAGE_PROCESS_START'] = '.coveragerc'
 os.environ['REUSE_DB'] = '0'
 
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