--- a/pvl/hosts.py	Mon Dec 16 21:10:30 2013 +0200
+++ b/pvl/hosts.py	Mon Dec 16 21:10:40 2013 +0200
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 import configobj
 import ipaddr
 import optparse
+import os.path
 
 def optparser (parser) :
     hosts = optparse.OptionGroup(parser, "Hosts input")
@@ -101,17 +102,45 @@
     def __str__ (self) :
         return str(self.host)
 
+def apply_hosts_config (options, config, name, defaults={}) :
+    """
+        Load hosts from a ConfigObj section.
+    """
+
+    scalars = dict((scalar, config[scalar]) for scalar in config.scalars)
+    params = dict(defaults, **scalars)
+
+    if config.sections :
+        # recurse; this is a domain meta-section
+        params.setdefault('domain', name)
+
+        for section in config.sections :
+            for host in apply_hosts_config(options, config[section], section, params) :
+                yield host
+
+    elif name :
+        # this is a host section
+        for host in Host.config(options, name, **config) :
+            yield host
+
+    else :
+        raise ValueError("No sections in config")
+
+
 def apply_hosts_file (options, file) :
     """
         Load Hosts from a file.
+
     """
+
     config = configobj.ConfigObj(file,
             encoding    = options.hosts_charset,
     )
-
-    for name in config.sections :
-        for host in Host.config(options, name, **config[name]) :
-            yield host
+    
+    # use file basename as default
+    name = os.path.basename(file.name)
+    
+    return apply_hosts_config(options, config, name)
 
 def apply_hosts (options, files) :
     """