diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d5cddf02..2284514c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -42,3 +42,4 @@ depcomp
 libtool
 ltmain.sh
 po/ChangeLog
+m4/intltool.m4
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9e7ffb72..a6786f32 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ sugar/activity/Makefile
 sugar/canvas/Makefile
 sugar/chat/Makefile
 sugar/chat/sketchpad/Makefile
+sugar/conf/Makefile
 sugar/p2p/Makefile
 sugar/p2p/model/Makefile
 sugar/presence/Makefile
diff --git a/shell/ActivityHost.py b/shell/ActivityHost.py
index 84577c1f..d8b6569a 100644
--- a/shell/ActivityHost.py
+++ b/shell/ActivityHost.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import gtk
 import dbus
 
+from sugar import conf
 from sugar.activity import Activity
 from PeopleWindow import PeopleWindow
 
@@ -20,7 +21,8 @@ class ActivityHost:
 		self._gdk_window = gtk.gdk.window_foreign_new(self._xid)
 		self._people_window = PeopleWindow(shell, self)
 
-		info = self._shell.get_registry().get_activity(self._default_type)
+		registry = conf.get_activity_registry()
+		info = registry.get_activity(self._default_type)
 		self._icon_name = info.get_icon()
 
 	def get_id(self):
diff --git a/shell/Makefile.am b/shell/Makefile.am
index dbaefdd9..7c788b91 100644
--- a/shell/Makefile.am
+++ b/shell/Makefile.am
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ sugardir = $(pkgdatadir)/shell
 sugar_PYTHON =				\
 	__init__.py			\
 	ActivityHost.py			\
-	ActivityRegistry.py		\
 	ChatController.py		\
 	ConsoleWindow.py		\
 	Owner.py			\
diff --git a/shell/Shell.py b/shell/Shell.py
index 2f47c22d..171ae13f 100755
--- a/shell/Shell.py
+++ b/shell/Shell.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import gtk
 import gobject
 import wnck
 
-from ActivityRegistry import ActivityRegistry
 from home.HomeWindow import HomeWindow
 from home.HomeModel import HomeModel
 from sugar import env
@@ -17,6 +16,7 @@ from ActivityHost import ActivityHost
 from ChatController import ChatController
 from sugar.activity import ActivityFactory
 from sugar.activity import Activity
+from sugar import conf
 import sugar.logger
 
 class ShellDbusService(dbus.service.Object):
@@ -59,11 +59,10 @@ class Shell(gobject.GObject):
 							gobject.TYPE_NONE, ([gobject.TYPE_PYOBJECT]))
 	}
 
-	def __init__(self, registry):
+	def __init__(self):
 		gobject.GObject.__init__(self)
 
 		self._screen = wnck.screen_get_default()
-		self._registry = registry
 		self._hosts = {}
 		self._zoom_level = Shell.ZOOM_HOME
 
@@ -78,7 +77,7 @@ class Shell(gobject.GObject):
 		self._chat_controller = ChatController(self)
 		self._chat_controller.listen()
 
-		home_model = HomeModel(self._registry)
+		home_model = HomeModel()
 		self._home_window = HomeWindow(self, home_model)
 		self._home_window.show()
 
@@ -141,11 +140,13 @@ class Shell(gobject.GObject):
 
 		activity = self.get_current_activity()
 		if activity:
-			module = self._registry.get_activity(activity.get_default_type())
+			registry = conf.get_activity_registry()
+			module = registry.get_activity(activity.get_default_type())
 			self._console.set_page(module.get_id())
 
 	def join_activity(self, service):
-		info = self._registry.get_activity(service.get_type())
+		registry = conf.get_activity_registry()
+		info = registry.get_activity(service.get_type())
 		
 		activity_id = service.get_activity_id()
 
@@ -165,7 +166,8 @@ class Shell(gobject.GObject):
 
 	def start_activity(self, activity_name):
 		activity = ActivityFactory.create(activity_name)
-		info = self._registry.get_activity_from_id(activity_name)
+		registry = conf.get_activity_registry()
+		info = registry.get_activity_from_id(activity_name)
 		if info:
 			default_type = info.get_default_type()
 			if default_type != None:
@@ -176,9 +178,6 @@ class Shell(gobject.GObject):
 			logging.error('No such activity in the directory')
 			return None
 
-	def get_registry(self):
-		return self._registry
-
 	def get_chat_controller(self):
 		return self._chat_controller
 
diff --git a/shell/home/HomeModel.py b/shell/home/HomeModel.py
index 5f4965d3..1e1e3163 100644
--- a/shell/home/HomeModel.py
+++ b/shell/home/HomeModel.py
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ from home.FriendsModel import FriendsModel
 from home.MeshModel import MeshModel
 
 class HomeModel:
-	def __init__(self, registry):
+	def __init__(self):
 		self._friends = FriendsModel()
-		self._mesh = MeshModel(registry)
+		self._mesh = MeshModel()
 
 	def get_friends(self):
 		return self._friends
diff --git a/shell/home/HomeView.py b/shell/home/HomeView.py
index acc451ca..48a3044e 100644
--- a/shell/home/HomeView.py
+++ b/shell/home/HomeView.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from sugar.canvas.IconItem import IconColor
 from sugar.canvas.DonutItem import DonutItem
 from sugar.canvas.DonutItem import PieceItem
 from sugar.canvas.DonutItem import PieceIcon
+from sugar import conf
 
 class TasksItem(DonutItem):
 	def __init__(self, shell):
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ class ActivityBar(goocanvas.Group):
 
 		self._shell = shell
 
-		registry = shell.get_registry()
+		registry = conf.get_activity_registry()
 		for activity in registry.list_activities():
 			if activity.get_show_launcher():
 				self.add_activity(activity)
diff --git a/shell/home/MeshModel.py b/shell/home/MeshModel.py
index b2163ac6..2225cc67 100644
--- a/shell/home/MeshModel.py
+++ b/shell/home/MeshModel.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import gobject
 
 from sugar.presence.PresenceService import PresenceService
-from ActivityRegistry import ActivityRegistry
+from sugar import conf
 
 class ActivityInfo:
 	def __init__(self, service):
@@ -27,11 +27,10 @@ class MeshModel(gobject.GObject):
 						    ([gobject.TYPE_PYOBJECT]))
 	}
 
-	def __init__(self, registry):
+	def __init__(self):
 		gobject.GObject.__init__(self)
 		
 		self._activities = {}
-		self._registry = registry
 		
 		self._pservice = PresenceService()
 		self._pservice.connect("service-appeared", self.__service_appeared_cb)
@@ -55,6 +54,7 @@ class MeshModel(gobject.GObject):
 		self.__check_service(service)
 
 	def __check_service(self, service):
-		if self._registry.get_activity(service.get_type()) != None:
+		registry = conf.get_activity_registry()
+		if registry.get_activity(service.get_type()) != None:
 			if not self.has_activity(service.get_activity_id()):
 				self.add_activity(service)
diff --git a/shell/home/MeshView.py b/shell/home/MeshView.py
index 8bbea055..a2694be5 100644
--- a/shell/home/MeshView.py
+++ b/shell/home/MeshView.py
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@ import goocanvas
 
 from sugar.canvas.IconItem import IconItem
 from sugar.canvas.IconItem import IconColor
+from sugar import conf
 
 class ActivityItem(IconItem):
-	def __init__(self, activity, registry):
+	def __init__(self, activity):
+		registry = conf.get_activity_registry()
 		info = registry.get_activity(activity.get_type())
 		icon_name = info.get_icon()
 
@@ -18,9 +20,8 @@ class ActivityItem(IconItem):
 		return self._activity.get_service()
 
 class Model(goocanvas.CanvasModelSimple):
-	def __init__(self, data_model, registry):
+	def __init__(self, data_model):
 		goocanvas.CanvasModelSimple.__init__(self)
-		self._registry = registry
 
 		root = self.get_root_item()
 
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@ class MeshView(goocanvas.CanvasView):
 
 		self.connect("item_view_created", self.__item_view_created_cb)
 
-		canvas_model = Model(data_model, shell.get_registry())
+		canvas_model = Model(data_model)
 		self.set_model(canvas_model)
 
 	def __activity_button_press_cb(self, view, target, event, service):
diff --git a/shell/session/Session.py b/shell/session/Session.py
index 8af2c659..28da29ab 100644
--- a/shell/session/Session.py
+++ b/shell/session/Session.py
@@ -25,11 +25,9 @@ class MatchboxProcess(Process):
 
 class Session:
 	"""Takes care of running the shell and all the sugar processes"""
-	def __init__(self, registry):
-		self._registry = registry
-		
 	def start(self):
 		"""Start the session"""
+
 		PresenceService.start()
 
 		process = MatchboxProcess()
@@ -38,7 +36,7 @@ class Session:
 		console = ConsoleWindow()
 		sugar.logger.start('Shell', console)
 
-		shell = Shell(self._registry)
+		shell = Shell()
 		shell.set_console(console)
 		shell.start()
 
diff --git a/shell/sugar b/shell/sugar
index 8108b26e..da0b7b3b 100755
--- a/shell/sugar
+++ b/shell/sugar
@@ -19,11 +19,6 @@ from sugar import env
 
 env.setup()
 
-from ActivityRegistry import ActivityRegistry
-
-registry = ActivityRegistry()
-registry.scan_directory(env.get_activities_dir())
-
 from session.Emulator import Emulator
 
 if os.environ.has_key('SUGAR_EMULATOR') and \
@@ -33,5 +28,5 @@ if os.environ.has_key('SUGAR_EMULATOR') and \
 	
 from session.Session import Session
 
-session = Session(registry)
+session = Session()
 session.start()
diff --git a/sugar/Makefile.am b/sugar/Makefile.am
index d339fbaf..b13bb240 100644
--- a/sugar/Makefile.am
+++ b/sugar/Makefile.am
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-SUBDIRS = activity canvas chat p2p presence
+SUBDIRS = activity canvas chat conf p2p presence
 
 sugardir = $(pythondir)/sugar
 sugar_PYTHON =				\
diff --git a/shell/ActivityRegistry.py b/sugar/conf/ActivityRegistry.py
similarity index 100%
rename from shell/ActivityRegistry.py
rename to sugar/conf/ActivityRegistry.py
diff --git a/sugar/conf/Makefile.am b/sugar/conf/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..59d65626
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sugar/conf/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+sugardir = $(pythondir)/sugar/conf
+sugar_PYTHON =				\
+	__init__.py			\
+	ActivityRegistry.py
diff --git a/sugar/conf/__init__.py b/sugar/conf/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..60328378
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sugar/conf/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+from sugar.conf.ActivityRegistry import ActivityRegistry
+
+__registry = ActivityRegistry()
+
+def get_activity_registry():
+	return __registry
diff --git a/sugar/env.py b/sugar/env.py
index 66299bfd..0caf1981 100644
--- a/sugar/env.py
+++ b/sugar/env.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ except ImportError:
 	from sugar.__installed__ import *
 
 import sugar.setup
+import sugar.conf
 
 def add_to_python_path(path):
 	sys.path.insert(0, path)
@@ -40,6 +41,9 @@ def setup():
 		sugar.setup.write_service('org.laptop.Presence', bin,
 								  get_services_dir())
 
+	registry = sugar.conf.get_activity_registry()
+	registry.scan_directory(get_activities_dir())
+
 def get_user_dir():
 	if os.environ.has_key('SUGAR_NICK_NAME'):
 		nick = get_nick_name()