diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2de1d57..a0de450 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile \
 		lodel/leapi/datahandlers/Makefile \
 	lodel/plugin/Makefile \
 	lodel/settings/Makefile \
+	lodel/validator/Makefile \
+	lodel/mlnamedobject/Makefile \
 	lodel/utils/Makefile \
 	progs/Makefile \
 	progs/slim/Makefile \
diff --git a/lodel/Makefile.am b/lodel/Makefile.am
index e94c9b7..bef02b3 100644
--- a/lodel/Makefile.am
+++ b/lodel/Makefile.am
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-SUBDIRS=auth editorial_model leapi plugin settings utils plugins
+SUBDIRS=auth editorial_model leapi plugin settings utils plugins validator mlnamedobject
 EXTRA_DIST = plugins
 lodel_PYTHON = *.py
 CLEANFILES = buildconf.py
diff --git a/lodel/leapi/datahandlers/base_classes.py b/lodel/leapi/datahandlers/base_classes.py
index 734722c..1bb6afa 100644
--- a/lodel/leapi/datahandlers/base_classes.py
+++ b/lodel/leapi/datahandlers/base_classes.py
@@ -254,17 +254,19 @@ class DataHandler(MlNamedObject):
         return all_handlers[name]
 
     # @brief List all datahandlers
-    # @return
+    # @return a dict with, display_name for keys, and a dict for value 
     @classmethod
     def list_data_handlers(cls):
         cls.load_base_handlers()
         all_handlers = dict(cls._base_handlers, **cls.__custom_handlers)
         list_dh = dict()
         for hdl in all_handlers:
-            list_dh[hdl] = (display_name=hdl.display_name, \
-                            help_text=hdl.help_text, nullable=hdl.nullable, \
-                            internal=hdl.internal, immutable=hdl.immutable, \
-                            primary_key=hdl.primary_key, options=self.options_spec)
+            list_dh[hdl.display_name] = {'help_text' : hdl.help_text,
+                            'nullable' : hdl.nullable, \
+                            'internal' : hdl.internal,
+                            'immutable' : hdl.immutable, \
+                            'primary_key' : hdl.primary_key, \
+                            'options' : self.options_spec}
 
         return list_dh
 
diff --git a/lodel/mlnamedobject/Makefile.am b/lodel/mlnamedobject/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8bc4c80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lodel/mlnamedobject/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+mlnamedobject_PYTHON= *.py
+mlnamedobjectdir=$(pkgpythondir)/mlnamedobject
diff --git a/lodel/settings/settings_loader.py b/lodel/settings/settings_loader.py
index 8303cfd..f854aad 100644
--- a/lodel/settings/settings_loader.py
+++ b/lodel/settings/settings_loader.py
@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@ from lodel.context import LodelContext
 
 LodelContext.expose_modules(globals(), {
     'lodel.logger': 'logger',
-    'lodel.settings.utils': ['SettingsError', 'SettingsErrors'],
-    'lodel.validator.validator': ['ValidationError']})
+    'lodel.settings.utils': ['SettingsError', 'SettingsErrors']})
 
 ##@brief Merges and loads configuration files
 class SettingsLoader(object):
@@ -104,7 +103,7 @@ class SettingsLoader(object):
                                     key_id=section+'.'+keyname)
                 self.__errors_list.append(expt)
             else:
-                expt = ValidationError("For %s.%s : %s" % (section, keyname, e))
+                #expt = ValidationError("For %s.%s : %s" % (section, keyname, e))
                 expt2 = SettingsError(msg=str(expt), \
                                         key_id=section+'.'+keyname, \
                                         filename=sec[keyname]['file'])
diff --git a/lodel/validator/Makefile.am b/lodel/validator/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3c832bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lodel/validator/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+validator_PYTHON=*.py
+validatordir=$(pkgpythondir)/validator