diff --git a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
index df9c88e..60a63a4 100644
--- a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
@@ -26,6 +26,17 @@ module ApplicationHelper
 
   include AccountHelper
 
+  def load_web2_conf
+    if File.exists?( RAILS_ROOT + '/config/web2.0.yml')
+      YAML.load_file( RAILS_ROOT + '/config/web2.0.yml' )
+    else
+      {}
+    end
+  end
+  def web2_conf
+    @web_conf ||= load_web2_conf
+  end
+
   # Displays context help. You can pass the content of the help message as the
   # first parameter or using template code inside a block passed to this
   # method. *Note*: the block is ignored if <tt>content</tt> is not
@@ -500,18 +511,21 @@ module ApplicationHelper
                :host => 'www.gravatar.com',
                :protocol => 'http://',
                :only_path => false,
-               :controller => 'avatar.php'
+               :controller => 'avatar.php',
+               :d => web2_conf['gravatar'] ? web2_conf['gravatar']['default'] : nil
              }.merge(options) )
   end
-    
+
   def str_gravatar_url_for(email, options = {})
+    default = web2_conf['gravatar'] ? web2_conf['gravatar']['default'] : nil
     url = 'http://www.gravatar.com/avatar.php?gravatar_id=' +
            Digest::MD5.hexdigest(email)
-    { :only_path => false }.merge(options).each { |k,v|
+    {
+      :only_path => false,
+      :d => default
+    }.merge(options).each { |k,v|
       url += ( '&%s=%s' % [ k,v ] )
     }
-    # we can set the default imgage with this:
-    # :default => 'DOMAIN/images/icons-app/gravatar-minor.gif'
     url
   end
 
diff --git a/app/models/google_maps.rb b/app/models/google_maps.rb
index 4850abc..a6e0111 100644
--- a/app/models/google_maps.rb
+++ b/app/models/google_maps.rb
@@ -4,22 +4,14 @@ class GoogleMaps
 
   class << self
 
+    include ApplicationHelper
+
     def erase_config
       @config = nil
     end
 
-    def config_file
-      File.join(RAILS_ROOT, 'config', 'web2.0.yml')
-    end
-
     def config
-      if @config.nil?
-        if File.exists?(config_file)
-          yaml = YAML.load_file(config_file)
-          @config = yaml['googlemaps']
-        end
-      end
-
+      @config = web2_conf['googlemaps'] if @config.nil?
       @config ||= {}
     end
 
diff --git a/app/views/content_viewer/view_page.rhtml b/app/views/content_viewer/view_page.rhtml
index d92541b..c07f945 100644
--- a/app/views/content_viewer/view_page.rhtml
+++ b/app/views/content_viewer/view_page.rhtml
@@ -2,10 +2,8 @@
 
 <%
   # AddThis Button
-  if block_given? and File.exists?( RAILS_ROOT + '/config/web2.0.yml')
-    opts = YAML.load_file( RAILS_ROOT + '/config/web2.0.yml' )
-    if opts['addthis']
-      opts = opts['addthis']
+  if block_given? and web2_conf['addthis']
+      opts = web2_conf['addthis']
 %>
 <div id="addThis">
 <script type="text/javascript">
@@ -19,7 +17,7 @@
 %></script>
 <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" id="bt_addThis" target="_blank" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="/images/bt-bookmark.gif" width="53" height="16" border="0" alt="" /></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/152/addthis_widget.js"></script>
 </div>
-<% end; end %>
+<% end %>
 
 <div>
   <%= article_title(@page, :no_link => true) %>
diff --git a/config/web2.0.yml.dist b/config/web2.0.yml.dist
index 5584781..a2764c6 100644
--- a/config/web2.0.yml.dist
+++ b/config/web2.0.yml.dist
@@ -8,3 +8,5 @@ addthis:
   options: favorites, email, digg, delicious, technorati, slashdot, twitter, more
 googlemaps:
   key: <id google>
+gravatar:
+  default: wavatar
diff --git a/test/unit/application_helper_test.rb b/test/unit/application_helper_test.rb
index 3ca1162..307d8b6 100644
--- a/test/unit/application_helper_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/application_helper_test.rb
@@ -8,6 +8,18 @@ class ApplicationHelperTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     self.stubs(:session).returns({})
   end
 
+  should 'retrieve conf from "web2.0" config file' do
+    yml = RAILS_ROOT + '/config/web2.0.yml'
+    conf = {
+      'addthis'=>{'pub'=>'mylogin', 'options'=>'favorites, email'},
+      'gravatar'=>{'default'=>'wavatar'}
+    }
+    # does not work!
+    File.stubs(:exists?).with(yml).returns(true)
+    YAML.stubs(:load_file).with(yml).returns(conf)
+    assert_equal conf, web2_conf
+  end
+
   should 'calculate correctly partial for object' do
     self.stubs(:params).returns({:controller => 'test'})
 
@@ -518,6 +530,14 @@ class ApplicationHelperTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert_match(/Community nickname/, page_title)
   end
 
+  should 'generate a gravatar url' do
+    url = str_gravatar_url_for( 'rms@gnu.org', :size => 50 )
+    assert_match(/^http:\/\/www\.gravatar\.com\/avatar\.php\?/, url)
+    assert_match(/(\?|&)gravatar_id=ed5214d4b49154ba0dc397a28ee90eb7(&|$)/, url)
+    assert_match(/(\?|&)d=wavatar(&|$)/, url)
+    assert_match(/(\?|&)size=50(&|$)/, url)
+  end
+
   protected
 
   def url_for(args = {})
diff --git a/test/unit/google_maps_test.rb b/test/unit/google_maps_test.rb
index 5a7aa1e..4264a21 100644
--- a/test/unit/google_maps_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/google_maps_test.rb
@@ -2,45 +2,23 @@ require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
 
 class GoogleMapsTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
 
-  CONFIG_FILE = '/not/existing.yml'
-
   def setup
     # force loading of config at every test
     GoogleMaps.erase_config
-    GoogleMaps.stubs(:config_file).returns(CONFIG_FILE)
-  end
-
-  should 'retrieve key from "web2.0" config file' do
-    File.expects(:exists?).with(CONFIG_FILE).returns(true)
-    YAML.expects(:load_file).with(CONFIG_FILE).returns({'googlemaps' => { 'key' => 'MYKEY' }})
-    assert_equal 'MYKEY', GoogleMaps.key
   end
 
   should 'enable when key is defined' do
-    File.expects(:exists?).with(CONFIG_FILE).returns(true)
-    YAML.expects(:load_file).with(CONFIG_FILE).returns({'googlemaps' => { 'key' => 'MYKEY' }})
+    GoogleMaps.stubs(:config).returns({ 'key' => 'MYKEY' })
     assert GoogleMaps.enabled?
   end
 
-  should 'disable if config file not present' do
-    File.expects(:exists?).with(CONFIG_FILE).returns(false)
-    assert !GoogleMaps.enabled?
-  end
-
   should 'disable if key not defined' do
-    File.expects(:exists?).with(CONFIG_FILE).returns(true)
-    YAML.expects(:load_file).with(CONFIG_FILE).returns({})
+    GoogleMaps.stubs(:config).returns({})
     assert !GoogleMaps.enabled?
   end
-  
-  should 'not crash if config not informed' do
-    File.expects(:exists?).with(CONFIG_FILE).returns(true)
-    YAML.expects(:load_file).with(CONFIG_FILE).returns({})
-    assert_equal '', GoogleMaps.key
-  end
 
-  should 'not crash if config file not found' do
-    GoogleMaps.expects(:config_file).returns('/not/present.yml')
+  should 'not crash if config not informed' do
+    GoogleMaps.stubs(:config).returns({})
     assert_equal '', GoogleMaps.key
   end
 
@@ -50,14 +28,12 @@ class GoogleMapsTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   end
 
   should 'provide initial_zoom setting' do
-    File.expects(:exists?).with(CONFIG_FILE).returns(true)
-    YAML.expects(:load_file).with(CONFIG_FILE).returns({'googlemaps' => { 'initial_zoom' => 2}})
+    GoogleMaps.stubs(:config).returns({'initial_zoom' => 2})
     assert_equal 2, GoogleMaps.initial_zoom
   end
 
   should 'use 4 as default initial_zoom' do
-    File.expects(:exists?).with(CONFIG_FILE).returns(true)
-    YAML.expects(:load_file).with(CONFIG_FILE).returns({'googlemaps' => { }})
+    GoogleMaps.stubs(:config).returns({})
     assert_equal 4, GoogleMaps.initial_zoom
   end
 
--
libgit2 0.21.2