diff --git a/qse/cmd/http/httpd.c b/qse/cmd/http/httpd.c
index 23c5df3f..4a9253cf 100644
--- a/qse/cmd/http/httpd.c
+++ b/qse/cmd/http/httpd.c
@@ -1478,7 +1478,7 @@ static int open_config_file (qse_httpd_t* httpd)
 	}
  
 	qse_xli_getopt (httpd_xtn->xli, QSE_XLI_TRAIT, &trait);
-	trait |= QSE_XLI_VALIDATE;
+	trait |= QSE_XLI_MULSEGSTR | QSE_XLI_VALIDATE;
 	qse_xli_setopt (httpd_xtn->xli, QSE_XLI_TRAIT, &trait);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < QSE_COUNTOF(defs); i++)
diff --git a/qse/cmd/xli/xli.c b/qse/cmd/xli/xli.c
index b4842052..325f2109 100644
--- a/qse/cmd/xli/xli.c
+++ b/qse/cmd/xli/xli.c
@@ -134,6 +134,8 @@ static void print_usage (QSE_FILE* out, int argc, qse_char_t* argv[])
 	qse_fprintf (out, QSE_T(" -a                        allow a key alias\n"));
 	qse_fprintf (out, QSE_T(" -f                        keep file inclusion info\n"));
 	qse_fprintf (out, QSE_T(" -t                        keep comment text\n"));
+	qse_fprintf (out, QSE_T(" -s                        allow multi-segmented strings\n"));
+	qse_fprintf (out, QSE_T(" -v                        perform validation\n"));
 	qse_fprintf (out, QSE_T(" -m                 number specify the maximum amount of memory to use in bytes\n"));
 #if defined(QSE_BUILD_DEBUG)
 	qse_fprintf (out, QSE_T(" -X                 number fail the number'th memory allocation\n"));
@@ -160,9 +162,9 @@ static int handle_args (int argc, qse_char_t* argv[])
 	static qse_opt_t opt = 
 	{
 #if defined(QSE_BUILD_DEBUG)
-		QSE_T("hi:o:uaftvm:X:"),
+		QSE_T("hi:o:uaftsvm:X:"),
 #else
-		QSE_T("hi:o:uaftvm:"),
+		QSE_T("hi:o:uaftsvm:"),
 #endif
 		lng
 	};
@@ -220,6 +222,10 @@ static int handle_args (int argc, qse_char_t* argv[])
 				g_trait |= QSE_XLI_KEEPTEXT;
 				break;
 
+			case QSE_T('s'):
+				g_trait |= QSE_XLI_MULSEGSTR;
+				break;
+
 			case QSE_T('v'):
 				g_trait |= QSE_XLI_VALIDATE;
 				break;
diff --git a/qse/include/qse/xli/xli.h b/qse/include/qse/xli/xli.h
index 823b96b8..ce2e9333 100644
--- a/qse/include/qse/xli/xli.h
+++ b/qse/include/qse/xli/xli.h
@@ -79,13 +79,14 @@ typedef enum qse_xli_opt_t qse_xli_opt_t;
 
 enum qse_xli_trait_t
 {
-	QSE_XLI_KEYNODUP = (1 << 1),
-	QSE_XLI_KEYALIAS = (1 << 2),
+	QSE_XLI_KEYNODUP  = (1 << 1),
+	QSE_XLI_KEYALIAS  = (1 << 2),
 
-	QSE_XLI_KEEPTEXT = (1 << 3), /**< keep comment text */
-	QSE_XLI_KEEPFILE = (1 << 4), /**< keep inclusion file info */
+	QSE_XLI_KEEPTEXT  = (1 << 3), /**< keep comment text */
+	QSE_XLI_KEEPFILE  = (1 << 4), /**< keep inclusion file info */
 
-	QSE_XLI_VALIDATE = (1 << 5)
+	QSE_XLI_MULSEGSTR = (1 << 5), /**< support multi-segmented string */
+	QSE_XLI_VALIDATE  = (1 << 6)
 };
 typedef enum qse_xli_trait_t qse_xli_trait_t;
 
diff --git a/qse/lib/xli/read.c b/qse/lib/xli/read.c
index c9540e6b..ef4b1b18 100644
--- a/qse/lib/xli/read.c
+++ b/qse/lib/xli/read.c
@@ -734,7 +734,7 @@ static int read_pair (qse_xli_t* xli)
 			curstrseg = (qse_xli_str_t*)pair->val;
 
 			if (get_token (xli) <= -1) goto oops;
-			if (MATCH(xli, TOK_COMMA))
+			if ((xli->opt.trait & QSE_XLI_MULSEGSTR) && MATCH(xli, TOK_COMMA))
 			{
 				/* multi-segmented string */
 				do