diff --git a/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb.cpp b/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb.cpp
index 239a21f068..d09fa2317d 100644
--- a/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb.cpp
+++ b/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb.cpp
@@ -196,30 +196,265 @@ GncOptionDB::save_option_scheme(std::ostream& oss,
 
     return oss;
 }
-std::istream&
-GncOptionDB::load_option_scheme(std::istream& iss) noexcept
+
+static inline bool constexpr
+is_eol(char c)
 {
-    std::string section{classifier_size_max};
-    std::string name{classifier_size_max};
-    iss.ignore(strlen(scheme_tags[0]) + 7, '\n'); //throw away the scheme noise;
-    iss >> section; // Whitespace automatically discarded.
-    iss >> name; // Ditto
-    if (section.size() > 2)
-        section = section.substr(1, section.size() - 2); //Trim the quotes
-    if (name.size() > 2 + strlen(scheme_tags[2]))
-    name = name.substr(1, name.size() - (2 + strlen(scheme_tags[2])));
+    return c == '\n';
+}
+
+static inline bool constexpr
+is_whitespace(char c)
+{
+    return c == ' ' || c == '\n' || c == '\t';
+}
+
+static inline bool constexpr
+is_begin_paren(char c)
+{
+    return c == '(';
+}
+
+static inline bool constexpr
+is_end_paren(char c)
+{
+    return c == ')';
+}
+
+static inline bool constexpr
+is_double_quote(char c)
+{
+    return c == '"';
+}
+
+static inline bool constexpr
+is_single_quote(char c)
+{
+    return c == '\'';
+}
+
+static inline bool constexpr
+is_semicolon(char c)
+{
+    return c == ';';
+}
+
+static inline bool constexpr
+is_delim(char c)
+{
+    return is_begin_paren(c) || is_end_paren(c) || is_whitespace(c) ||
+        is_single_quote(c) || is_double_quote(c) || is_semicolon(c);
+}
+
+static std::string
+scan_scheme_symbol_from_streambuf(std::streambuf* sbuf)
+{
+    std::string retval;
+    while(sbuf->in_avail() && !is_delim(sbuf->sgetc()))
+        retval += sbuf->sbumpc();
+    return retval;
+}
+
+static inline void constexpr
+consume_scheme_comment(std::streambuf* sbuf)
+{
+    while (sbuf->in_avail() && !is_eol(sbuf->sgetc()))
+           sbuf->sbumpc();
+}
+
+static inline std::string
+scan_scheme_string_from_streambuf(std::streambuf* sbuf)
+{
+    std::string retval{static_cast<char>(sbuf->sbumpc())};
+    while(sbuf->in_avail() && !is_double_quote(sbuf->sgetc()))
+        retval += sbuf->sbumpc();
+    retval += sbuf->sbumpc(); // Add the closing quote.
+    return retval;
+}
+
+static inline void constexpr
+consume_scheme_whitespace(std::streambuf* sbuf)
+{
+    while (sbuf->in_avail() && is_whitespace(sbuf->sgetc()))
+           sbuf->sbumpc();
+}
+
+enum class IdentType
+{
+    NAME, //no introducing mark
+    CONST, //introduced with single quote
+    STRING, //delimited by double-quotes.
+    LIST, //introduced ' and delimited by parentheses
+    FORM //delimited by parentheses without ' introduction.
+};
+
+struct SchemeId
+{
+    IdentType m_type;
+    std::string m_name;
+    std::vector<SchemeId> m_ids;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Scheme Parse Tree
+ * An identifier is a string and a type (name, const, string, or form). A Form 
+ * 
+ */
+
+static void scan_scheme_id_from_streambuf(std::streambuf* sbuf, SchemeId& id);
+
+static void
+scan_scheme_form_from_streambuf(std::streambuf* sbuf, SchemeId& id)
+{
+    sbuf->sbumpc();
+    if (!sbuf->in_avail())
+        return;
+    char c = sbuf->sgetc();
+    while (sbuf->in_avail() && !is_end_paren(c))
+    {
+        SchemeId next_id;
+        scan_scheme_id_from_streambuf(sbuf, next_id);
+        if (id.m_name.empty() && next_id.m_type == IdentType::NAME)
+        {
+            id.m_name = std::move(next_id.m_name);
+            continue;
+        }
+        id.m_ids.emplace_back(std::move(next_id));
+        if (!sbuf->in_avail())
+        {
+            std::string err{"End of streambuf before end of form "};
+            err += id.m_name;
+            throw std::runtime_error(err);
+        }
+        c = sbuf->sgetc();
+    }
+    sbuf->sbumpc();
+}
+
+static void
+scan_scheme_list_from_streambuf(std::streambuf* sbuf, std::string& str)
+{
+
+    consume_scheme_whitespace(sbuf);
+    if (!sbuf->in_avail())
+        return;
+    char c = sbuf->sgetc();
+    while (sbuf->in_avail() && !is_end_paren(c))
+    {
+        str += static_cast<char>(sbuf->sbumpc());
+        if (!sbuf->in_avail())
+            return;
+        c = sbuf->sgetc();
+    }
+    str += static_cast<char>(sbuf->sbumpc());
+}
+
+static void
+scan_scheme_id_from_streambuf(std::streambuf* sbuf, SchemeId& id)
+{
+    consume_scheme_whitespace(sbuf);
+    if (!sbuf->in_avail())
+        return;
+    auto c{sbuf->sgetc()};
+    switch(c)
+    {
+        case ';':
+            consume_scheme_comment(sbuf);
+            break;
+        case '"':
+            id.m_type = IdentType::STRING;
+            id.m_name = scan_scheme_string_from_streambuf(sbuf);
+            break;
+        case '\'':
+        {
+            std::string value{static_cast<char>(sbuf->sbumpc())};
+            if (sbuf->sgetc() == '(')
+            {
+                id.m_type == IdentType::LIST;
+                scan_scheme_list_from_streambuf(sbuf, value);
+                if (value.back() != ')')
+                    throw std::runtime_error("End of streambuf before end of form ");
+            }
+            else if (sbuf->sgetc() == '"')
+                throw std::runtime_error("Malformed scheme particle starts '\"");
+            else
+            {
+                id.m_type = IdentType::CONST;
+                value += scan_scheme_symbol_from_streambuf(sbuf);
+            }
+            id.m_name = std::move(value);
+            break;
+        }
+        case '(':
+            id.m_type = IdentType::FORM;
+            scan_scheme_form_from_streambuf(sbuf, id);
+            break;
+        default:
+            id.m_type = IdentType::NAME;
+            id.m_name = scan_scheme_symbol_from_streambuf(sbuf);
+            break;
+    }
+    return;
+}
+
+static inline std::string
+unquote_scheme_string(const std::string& str)
+{
+    if (str.front() == '"' && str.back() == '"')
+       return str.substr(1, str.size() - 2);
+
+    return str;
+}
+
+std::istream&
+GncOptionDB::load_option_scheme(std::istream& iss)
+{
+    auto sbuf{iss.rdbuf()};
+    SchemeId toplevel;
+    bool form_found = false;
+    while (sbuf->in_avail()  && !form_found)
+    {
+        scan_scheme_id_from_streambuf(sbuf, toplevel);
+        if (toplevel.m_type == IdentType::FORM &&
+            toplevel.m_name == "let" && toplevel.m_ids.size() == 2)
+            if (const auto& let_block{toplevel.m_ids[0]};
+                let_block.m_ids.size() == 1)
+                if (const auto& first_form{let_block.m_ids[0]};
+                    first_form.m_name == "option")
+                    form_found = true;
+    }
+    const auto& classifier = toplevel.m_ids[0].m_ids[0].m_ids[0].m_ids;
+    if (classifier.size() != 3)
+        throw std::runtime_error("Malformed option classifier.");
+    const auto& section = unquote_scheme_string(classifier[1].m_name);
+    const auto& name = unquote_scheme_string(classifier[2].m_name);
     auto option = find_option(section.c_str(), name.c_str());
+    std::string option_str{section};
+    option_str += ':';
+    option_str += name;
     if (!option)
     {
-        std::cerr << "Option " << section << ":" << name << " not found." << std::endl;
-        iss.ignore(stream_max, '\n'); // No option, discard the line
-        iss.ignore(stream_max, '\n'); // And the trailing newline
-        return iss;
+        std::string err{"Option not found: "};
+        err += option_str;
+        throw std::runtime_error(err);
     }
-    iss.ignore(strlen(scheme_tags[2]) +1, '\n');
-    iss.ignore(strlen(scheme_tags[3]));
-    option->get().from_scheme(iss);
-    iss.ignore(strlen(scheme_tags[4]) + 2, '\n'); //discard the noise at the end.
+    if (!(toplevel.m_type == IdentType::FORM && toplevel.m_ids.size() == 2 &&
+          toplevel.m_ids[1].m_type == IdentType::FORM &&
+          toplevel.m_ids[1].m_ids.size() == 2 &&
+          toplevel.m_ids[1].m_ids[0].m_type == IdentType::FORM &&
+          toplevel.m_ids[1].m_ids[0].m_ids.size() == 2 &&
+          toplevel.m_ids[1].m_ids[0].m_ids[1].m_type == IdentType::FORM &&
+          toplevel.m_ids[1].m_ids[0].m_ids[1].m_ids.size() == 2 &&
+          toplevel.m_ids[1].m_ids[0].m_ids[1].m_ids[1].m_type == IdentType::FORM &&
+          toplevel.m_ids[1].m_ids[0].m_ids[1].m_ids[1].m_ids.size() == 2))
+    {
+        std::string err{"Option "};
+        err += option_str;
+        throw std::runtime_error(err + " malformed value lambda form.");
+    }
+    auto value_id = toplevel.m_ids[1].m_ids[0].m_ids[1].m_ids[1].m_ids[1];
+    std::istringstream value_iss{value_id.m_name};
+    option->get().from_scheme(value_iss);
     return iss;
 }
 
diff --git a/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb.hpp b/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb.hpp
index 078224f6b0..042e78c46c 100644
--- a/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb.hpp
+++ b/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb.hpp
@@ -88,11 +88,18 @@ public:
         return static_cast<const GncOptionDB&>(*this).find_option(section, name);
     }
     std::optional<std::reference_wrapper<GncOption>> find_option(const std::string& section, const std::string& name) const;
+    std::ostream& save_to_scheme(std::ostream& oss,
+                                 const char* options_prolog) const noexcept;
+    std::istream& load_from_scheme(std::istream& iss) noexcept;
+    std::ostream& save_to_key_value(std::ostream& oss) const noexcept;
+    std::istream& load_from_key_value(std::istream& iss) noexcept;
+    void save_to_kvp() const noexcept;
+    void load_from_kvp() noexcept;
     std::ostream& save_option_scheme(std::ostream& oss,
                                      const char* option_prolog,
                                      const std::string& section,
                                      const std::string& name) const noexcept;
-    std::istream& load_option_scheme(std::istream& iss) noexcept;
+    std::istream& load_option_scheme(std::istream& iss);
     std::ostream& save_option_key_value(std::ostream& oss,
                                              const char* section,
                                              const char* name) const noexcept;