diff --git a/src/gnc-exp-parser.c b/src/gnc-exp-parser.c
index 8715174d39..490ababa26 100644
--- a/src/gnc-exp-parser.c
+++ b/src/gnc-exp-parser.c
@@ -21,9 +21,11 @@
 #include "config.h"
 
 #include <ctype.h>
+#include <guile/gh.h>
 
 #include "finproto.h"
 #include "fin_spl_protos.h"
+#include "global-options.h"
 #include "gnc-exp-parser.h"
 #include "messages.h"
 #include "util.h"
@@ -48,12 +50,37 @@ static gboolean    parser_inited = FALSE;
 void
 gnc_exp_parser_init (void)
 {
+  SCM alist;
+
   if (parser_inited)
     gnc_exp_parser_shutdown ();
 
   variable_bindings = g_hash_table_new (g_str_hash, g_str_equal);
 
+  /* This comes after the statics have been initialized. Not at the end! */
   parser_inited = TRUE;
+
+  alist = gnc_lookup_option ("__exp_parser", "defined_variables", SCM_EOL);
+
+  while (gh_list_p(alist) && !gh_null_p(alist))
+  {
+    char *name;
+    double value;
+    SCM assoc;
+
+    assoc = gh_car (alist);
+    alist = gh_cdr (alist);
+
+    name = gh_scm2newstr(gh_car (assoc), NULL);
+    if (name == NULL)
+      continue;
+
+    value = gh_scm2double(gh_cdr (assoc));
+
+    gnc_exp_parser_set_value (name, value);
+
+    free(name);
+  }
 }
 
 static gboolean
@@ -65,12 +92,31 @@ remove_binding (gpointer key, gpointer value, gpointer not_used)
   return TRUE;
 }
 
+static void
+binding_cons (gpointer key, gpointer value, gpointer data)
+{
+  char *name = key;
+  ParserNum *pnum = value;
+  SCM *alist_p = data;
+  SCM assoc;
+
+  assoc = gh_cons (gh_str02scm (name), gh_double2scm (pnum->value));
+
+  *alist_p = gh_cons (assoc, *alist_p);
+}
+
 void
 gnc_exp_parser_shutdown (void)
 {
+  SCM alist;
+
   if (!parser_inited)
     return;
 
+  alist = SCM_EOL;
+  g_hash_table_foreach (variable_bindings, binding_cons, &alist);
+  gnc_set_option ("__exp_parser", "defined_variables", alist);
+
   g_hash_table_foreach_remove (variable_bindings, remove_binding, NULL);
   g_hash_table_destroy (variable_bindings);
   variable_bindings = NULL;
diff --git a/src/gnome/top-level.c b/src/gnome/top-level.c
index 9bea66e1df..d4e7feefd0 100644
--- a/src/gnome/top-level.c
+++ b/src/gnome/top-level.c
@@ -164,8 +164,6 @@ gnucash_ui_init(void)
     
     app = gnome_app_new("GnuCash", "GnuCash");
 
-    gnc_options_init();
-
     gnc_configure_date_format();
     date_callback_id =
       gnc_register_option_change_callback(gnc_configure_date_format_cb, NULL,
@@ -294,7 +292,6 @@ gnc_ui_destroy (void)
     app = NULL;
   }
 
-  gnc_options_shutdown();
   gnc_extensions_shutdown();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/scm/main.scm b/src/scm/main.scm
index 46b869ce66..6739a83777 100644
--- a/src/scm/main.scm
+++ b/src/scm/main.scm
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@
 
   (gnc:hook-run-danglers gnc:*startup-hook*)
 
+  ;; Initialize the C side options code. Must come after the scheme
+  ;; options are loaded.
+  (gnc:c-options-init)
+
+  ;; Initialize the expresion parser. Must come after the C side
+  ;; options initialization.
   (gnc:exp-parser-init)
 
   (if (gnc:config-var-value-get gnc:*arg-show-version*)
@@ -94,7 +100,7 @@
 
   ;; Now the fun begins.
   (gnc:startup)
-  
+
   (if (not (= (gnc:lowlev-app-init) 0))
       (gnc:shutdown 0))
 
@@ -104,6 +110,9 @@
   ;; add a hook to save the user configs on shutdown
   (gnc:hook-add-dangler gnc:*shutdown-hook* gnc:save-global-options)
 
+  ;; add a hood to shut down the C side options code
+  (gnc:hook-add-dangler gnc:*shutdown-hook* gnc:c-options-shutdown)
+
   (if (null? gnc:*batch-mode-forms-to-evaluate*)
       ;; We're not in batch mode; we can go ahead and do the normal thing.
       (let ((ok (not (gnc:config-var-value-get gnc:*arg-no-file*)))
diff --git a/src/scm/prefs.scm b/src/scm/prefs.scm
index d007d48bce..5fe1c5d9da 100644
--- a/src/scm/prefs.scm
+++ b/src/scm/prefs.scm
@@ -579,6 +579,10 @@ the current value of the path."
  (gnc:make-internal-option
   "__gui" "reg_column_widths" '()))
 
+(gnc:register-configuration-option
+ (gnc:make-internal-option
+  "__exp_parser" "defined_variables" '()))
+
 
 ;; This needs to be after all the global options definitions
 (if (gnc:debugging?)