diff --git a/calmwm.c b/calmwm.c
index 71ee1f6..5ea0ac6 100644
--- a/calmwm.c
+++ b/calmwm.c
@@ -108,8 +108,11 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	conf_init(&Conf);
-	if (conf_path && (parse_config(conf_path, &Conf) == -1))
+	if (conf_path && (parse_config(conf_path, &Conf) == -1)) {
 		warnx("config file %s has errors, not loading", conf_path);
+		conf_clear(&Conf);
+		conf_init(&Conf);
+	}
 	free(conf_path);
 
 	x_init(display_name);
diff --git a/calmwm.h b/calmwm.h
index e8042c1..b81b32c 100644
--- a/calmwm.h
+++ b/calmwm.h
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ void			 conf_cursor(struct conf *);
 void			 conf_grab_kbd(Window);
 void			 conf_grab_mouse(Window);
 void			 conf_init(struct conf *);
-void			 conf_ignore(struct conf *, const char *);
+int			 conf_ignore(struct conf *, const char *);
 void			 conf_screen(struct screen_ctx *);
 
 void			 xev_process(void);
diff --git a/client.c b/client.c
index 270a289..456fe60 100644
--- a/client.c
+++ b/client.c
@@ -119,7 +119,6 @@ client_init(Window win, struct screen_ctx *sc, int mapped)
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&Clientq, cc, entry);
 
 	xu_ewmh_net_client_list(sc);
-
 	xu_ewmh_restore_net_wm_state(cc);
 
 	if (mapped)
diff --git a/conf.c b/conf.c
index 16faf30..66e29e9 100644
--- a/conf.c
+++ b/conf.c
@@ -73,16 +73,18 @@ conf_autogroup(struct conf *c, int no, const char *val)
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&c->autogroupq, aw, entry);
 }
 
-void
+int
 conf_ignore(struct conf *c, const char *val)
 {
 	struct winmatch	*wm;
 
 	wm = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*wm));
 
-	(void)strlcpy(wm->title, val, sizeof(wm->title));
+	if (strlcpy(wm->title, val, sizeof(wm->title)) >= sizeof(wm->title))
+		return (0);
 
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&c->ignoreq, wm, entry);
+	return (1);
 }
 
 static const char *color_binds[] = {
diff --git a/parse.y b/parse.y
index 6fbeb8d..861dfb9 100644
--- a/parse.y
+++ b/parse.y
@@ -153,7 +153,11 @@ main		: FONTNAME STRING		{
 			free($3);
 		}
 		| IGNORE STRING {
-			conf_ignore(conf, $2);
+			if (!conf_ignore(conf, $2)) {
+				yyerror("ignore windowname too long");
+				free($2);
+				YYERROR;
+			}
 			free($2);
 		}
 		| BIND STRING string		{
@@ -547,78 +551,18 @@ popfile(void)
 int
 parse_config(const char *filename, struct conf *xconf)
 {
-	int			 errors = 0;
+	int		 errors = 0;
 
-	conf = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*conf));
+	conf = xconf;
 
 	if ((file = pushfile(filename)) == NULL) {
-		free(conf);
 		return (-1);
 	}
 	topfile = file;
 
-	conf_init(conf);
-
 	yyparse();
 	errors = file->errors;
 	popfile();
 
-	if (errors) {
-		conf_clear(conf);
-	}
-	else {
-		struct autogroupwin	*ag;
-		struct keybinding	*kb;
-		struct winmatch		*wm;
-		struct cmd		*cmd;
-		struct mousebinding	*mb;
-		int			 i;
-
-		conf_clear(xconf);
-
-		xconf->flags = conf->flags;
-		xconf->bwidth = conf->bwidth;
-		xconf->mamount = conf->mamount;
-		xconf->snapdist = conf->snapdist;
-		xconf->gap = conf->gap;
-
-		while ((cmd = TAILQ_FIRST(&conf->cmdq)) != NULL) {
-			TAILQ_REMOVE(&conf->cmdq, cmd, entry);
-			TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&xconf->cmdq, cmd, entry);
-		}
-
-		while ((kb = TAILQ_FIRST(&conf->keybindingq)) != NULL) {
-			TAILQ_REMOVE(&conf->keybindingq, kb, entry);
-			TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&xconf->keybindingq, kb, entry);
-		}
-
-		while ((ag = TAILQ_FIRST(&conf->autogroupq)) != NULL) {
-			TAILQ_REMOVE(&conf->autogroupq, ag, entry);
-			TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&xconf->autogroupq, ag, entry);
-		}
-
-		while ((wm = TAILQ_FIRST(&conf->ignoreq)) != NULL) {
-			TAILQ_REMOVE(&conf->ignoreq, wm, entry);
-			TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&xconf->ignoreq, wm, entry);
-		}
-
-		while ((mb = TAILQ_FIRST(&conf->mousebindingq)) != NULL) {
-			TAILQ_REMOVE(&conf->mousebindingq, mb, entry);
-			TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&xconf->mousebindingq, mb, entry);
-		}
-
-		(void)strlcpy(xconf->termpath, conf->termpath,
-		    sizeof(xconf->termpath));
-		(void)strlcpy(xconf->lockpath, conf->lockpath,
-		    sizeof(xconf->lockpath));
-
-		for (i = 0; i < CWM_COLOR_NITEMS; i++)
-			xconf->color[i] = conf->color[i];
-
-		xconf->font = conf->font;
-	}
-
-	free(conf);
-
 	return (errors ? -1 : 0);
 }
diff --git a/screen.c b/screen.c
index 6dfc0d4..910f353 100644
--- a/screen.c
+++ b/screen.c
@@ -41,20 +41,18 @@ screen_init(int which)
 
 	sc = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*sc));
 
+	TAILQ_INIT(&sc->mruq);
+
 	sc->which = which;
 	sc->visual = DefaultVisual(X_Dpy, sc->which);
 	sc->colormap = DefaultColormap(X_Dpy, sc->which);
 	sc->rootwin = RootWindow(X_Dpy, sc->which);
+	conf_screen(sc);
 
 	xu_ewmh_net_supported(sc);
 	xu_ewmh_net_supported_wm_check(sc);
 
-	conf_screen(sc);
-
 	screen_update_geometry(sc);
-
-	TAILQ_INIT(&sc->mruq);
-
 	group_init(sc);
 
 	rootattr.cursor = Conf.cursor[CF_NORMAL];
diff --git a/xevents.c b/xevents.c
index 6844f98..df5169c 100644
--- a/xevents.c
+++ b/xevents.c
@@ -346,8 +346,17 @@ xev_handle_clientmessage(XEvent *ee)
 		client_ptrwarp(cc);
 	}
 
-	if (e->message_type == ewmh[_NET_WM_DESKTOP] && e->format == 32)
-		group_movetogroup(cc, e->data.l[0]);
+	if (e->message_type == ewmh[_NET_WM_DESKTOP] && e->format == 32) {
+		/*
+		 * The EWMH spec states that if the cardinal returned is
+		 * 0xFFFFFFFF (-1) then the window should appear on all
+		 * desktops, which in our case is assigned to group 0.
+		 */
+		if (e->data.l[0] == (unsigned long)-1)
+			group_movetogroup(cc, 0);
+		else
+			group_movetogroup(cc, e->data.l[0]);
+	}
 
 	if (e->message_type == ewmh[_NET_WM_STATE] && e->format == 32)
 		xu_ewmh_handle_net_wm_state_msg(cc,