diff --git a/qse/cmd/http/httpd.c b/qse/cmd/http/httpd.c
index ce2b928d..37e43984 100644
--- a/qse/cmd/http/httpd.c
+++ b/qse/cmd/http/httpd.c
@@ -779,7 +779,7 @@ static int load_loccfg (qse_httpd_t* httpd, qse_xli_list_t* list, loccfg_t* cfg)
 	}
 
 	pair = qse_xli_findpairbyname (httpd_xtn->xli, list, QSE_T("index"));
-	if (!pair) pair = qse_xli_findpairbyname (httpd_xtn->xli, QSE_NULL, QSE_T("default.index"));
+	if (!pair) pair = qse_xli_findpairbyname (httpd_xtn->xli, QSE_NULL, QSE_T("server-default.index"));
 	if (pair && pair->val->type == QSE_XLI_STR)
 	{
 		const qse_char_t* tmpptr, * tmpend;
@@ -801,7 +801,7 @@ static int load_loccfg (qse_httpd_t* httpd, qse_xli_list_t* list, loccfg_t* cfg)
 	}
 
 	pair = qse_xli_findpairbyname (httpd_xtn->xli, list, QSE_T("cgi"));
-	if (!pair) pair = qse_xli_findpairbyname (httpd_xtn->xli, QSE_NULL, QSE_T("default.cgi"));
+	if (!pair) pair = qse_xli_findpairbyname (httpd_xtn->xli, QSE_NULL, QSE_T("server-default.cgi"));
 	if (pair && pair->val->type == QSE_XLI_LIST)
 	{
 		/* TODO: more sanity check... this can be done with xli schema... if supported */
@@ -879,7 +879,7 @@ static int load_loccfg (qse_httpd_t* httpd, qse_xli_list_t* list, loccfg_t* cfg)
 	}
 
 	pair = qse_xli_findpairbyname (httpd_xtn->xli, list, QSE_T("mime"));
-	if (!pair) pair = qse_xli_findpairbyname (httpd_xtn->xli, QSE_NULL, QSE_T("default.mime"));
+	if (!pair) pair = qse_xli_findpairbyname (httpd_xtn->xli, QSE_NULL, QSE_T("server-default.mime"));
 	if (pair && pair->val->type == QSE_XLI_LIST)
 	{
 		qse_xli_list_t* mimelist = (qse_xli_list_t*)pair->val;
@@ -1214,7 +1214,7 @@ static qse_httpd_server_t* attach_server (qse_httpd_t* httpd, int num, qse_xli_l
 	}
 
 	pair = qse_xli_findpairbyname (httpd_xtn->xli, list, QSE_T("ssl"));
-	if (!pair) pair = qse_xli_findpairbyname (httpd_xtn->xli, QSE_NULL, QSE_T("default.ssl"));
+	if (!pair) pair = qse_xli_findpairbyname (httpd_xtn->xli, QSE_NULL, QSE_T("server-default.ssl"));
 	if (pair && pair->val->type == QSE_XLI_STR) dope.flags |= QSE_HTTPD_SERVER_SECURE;	
 
 	dope.detach = free_server_config;
@@ -1348,7 +1348,7 @@ static int load_config (qse_httpd_t* httpd)
 	}
 
 	/* load the global default */
-	pair = qse_xli_findpairbyname (httpd_xtn->xli, QSE_NULL, QSE_T("default"));
+	pair = qse_xli_findpairbyname (httpd_xtn->xli, QSE_NULL, QSE_T("server-default"));
 	if (pair && pair->val->type == QSE_XLI_LIST)
 	{
 		if (load_loccfg (httpd, (qse_xli_list_t*)pair->val, &httpd_xtn->dflcfg) <=  -1)
diff --git a/qse/cmd/http/httpd.conf b/qse/cmd/http/httpd.conf
index 626ac392..8921ce4b 100644
--- a/qse/cmd/http/httpd.conf
+++ b/qse/cmd/http/httpd.conf
@@ -5,14 +5,19 @@
 # string to be used as a httpd name 
 name = "QSEHTTPD v1";
 
+################################################
+# default server configuration
+################################################
 server-default {
 	# default ssl certificate file
 	#ssl-cert-file = "/etc/qse/cert.pem";
 	# default ssl private key file
 	#ssl-key-file =  "/etc/qse/key.pem";
 
+	####################################################################
 	# document root
-	root = "/";
+	####################################################################
+	root = "/var/www";
 
 	realm = "default realm";
 	auth = "username:password";	
@@ -33,7 +38,9 @@ server-default {
 		@include "httpd-mime.conf";
 	}
 
+	####################################################################
 	# control access to directories
+	####################################################################
 	dir-access {
 		#prefix ".xxxx" = ok;
 		#suffix ".xxxx" = ok;
@@ -41,8 +48,10 @@ server-default {
 		#other = noent;
 	}
 
+	####################################################################
 	# control access to normal files.
 	# cgi scripts are not control by these.
+	####################################################################
 	file-access {
 		#prefix "index.html." = ok;
 		suffix ".html" = ok;
@@ -53,16 +62,28 @@ server-default {
 		#other = noent;
 	}
 
-	dir-head = "<style type='text/css'>body { background-color:#d0e4fe; font-size: 0.9em; } div.header { font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 5px; } div.footer { border-top: 1px solid #99AABB; text-align: right; } table { font-size: 0.9em; } td { white-space: nowrap; } td.size { text-align: right; }</style>";
-	
-	# the directory listing shows the httpd name in the footer. 
-	# you can override it with dir-foot.
+	####################################################################
+	# directory listing includes this string in the <head> tag of the
+	# generated html page.
+	####################################################################
+	#dir-head = "<style type='text/css'>body { background-color:#d0e4fe; font-size: 0.9em; } div.header { font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 5px; } div.footer { border-top: 1px solid #99AABB; text-align: right; } table { font-size: 0.9em; } td { white-space: nowrap; } td.size { text-align: right; }</style>";
+
+	####################################################################
+	# directory listing shows the httpd name in the footer. you can 
+	# override it with dir-foot.
+	####################################################################
 	#dir-foot = "QSEHTTPD v1";
 
-	error-head = "<style type='text/css'>body { background-color:#d0e4fe; font-size: 0.9em; } div.header { font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 5px; } div.footer { border-top: 1px solid #99AABB; text-align: right; }</style>";
+	####################################################################
+	# the error page includes this string in the <head> tag of the 
+	# generated html page.
+	####################################################################
+	#error-head = "<style type='text/css'>body { background-color:#d0e4fe; font-size: 0.9em; } div.header { font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 5px; } div.footer { border-top: 1px solid #99AABB; text-align: right; }</style>";
 
-	# an error page shows the httpd name in the footer. 
-	# you can override it with error-foot.
+	####################################################################
+	# the error page shows the httpd name in the footer. you can
+	# override it with error-foot.
+	####################################################################
 	#error-foot = "QSEHTTPD v1";
 }
 
diff --git a/qse/lib/http/httpd-dir.c b/qse/lib/http/httpd-dir.c
index 36a0102d..cc3d6aa5 100644
--- a/qse/lib/http/httpd-dir.c
+++ b/qse/lib/http/httpd-dir.c
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ qse_httpd_task_t* qse_httpd_entaskdir (
 				data.path.len = qse_mbslen(data.path.ptr);
 				data.qpath.ptr = qse_htre_getqpath(req);
 				data.qpath.len = qse_mbslen(data.qpath.ptr);
-				data.head.ptr = dir->head? dir->head: QSE_MT("");
+				data.head.ptr = dir->head? dir->head: QSE_MT("<style type='text/css'>body { background-color:#d0e4fe; font-size: 0.9em; } div.header { font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 5px; } div.footer { border-top: 1px solid #99AABB; text-align: right; } table { font-size: 0.9em; } td { white-space: nowrap; } td.size { text-align: right; }</style>");
 				data.head.len = qse_mbslen(data.head.ptr);
 				data.foot.ptr = dir->foot? dir->foot: qse_httpd_getname(httpd);
 				data.foot.len = qse_mbslen(data.foot.ptr);
diff --git a/qse/lib/http/httpd-std.c b/qse/lib/http/httpd-std.c
index 46504a13..88a8705f 100644
--- a/qse/lib/http/httpd-std.c
+++ b/qse/lib/http/httpd-std.c
@@ -2115,7 +2115,7 @@ static int format_error (
 	server_xtn = qse_httpd_getserverxtn (httpd, client->server);
 
 	if (server_xtn->query (httpd, client->server, QSE_NULL, QSE_NULL, QSE_HTTPD_SERVERSTD_ERRHEAD, &head) <= -1) head = QSE_NULL;
-	if (head == QSE_NULL) head = QSE_MT("");
+	if (head == QSE_NULL) head = QSE_MT("<style type='text/css'>body { background-color:#d0e4fe; font-size: 0.9em; } div.header { font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 5px; } div.footer { border-top: 1px solid #99AABB; text-align: right; }</style>");
 
 	if (server_xtn->query (httpd, client->server, QSE_NULL, QSE_NULL, QSE_HTTPD_SERVERSTD_ERRFOOT, &foot) <= -1) foot = QSE_NULL;
 	if (foot == QSE_NULL) foot = qse_httpd_getname(httpd);