diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index a690b21..6191048 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -13,9 +13,12 @@ addons:
 
 before_install:
   - cp config/database.example.yml config/database.yml
-  - cp config/chexpire.test.yml config/chexpire.yml
   - cp config/secrets.example.yml config/secrets.yml
 
+  # Test configuration loaded from chexpire.defaults.yml,
+  # but chexpire.yml file is required
+  - touch config/chexpire.yml
+
 install:
   - bundle install
   - yarn install
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index e3665cb..14530c2 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ gem 'bcrypt', '~> 3.1.7'
 
 gem 'open4'
 gem 'naught'
+gem 'hashie'
 gem 'whenever', require: false
 
 
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index 5e091d7..ff2fd77 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ GEM
     has_scope (0.7.2)
       actionpack (>= 4.1)
       activesupport (>= 4.1)
+    hashie (3.5.7)
     i18n (1.0.1)
       concurrent-ruby (~> 1.0)
     io-like (0.3.0)
@@ -354,6 +355,7 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   guard
   guard-minitest
   has_scope
+  hashie
   jbuilder (~> 2.5)
   kaminari
   launchy
diff --git a/INSTALL.md b/INSTALL.md
index 7c6cf3d..afe5a26 100644
--- a/INSTALL.md
+++ b/INSTALL.md
@@ -45,11 +45,13 @@ To use elliptic curve SSH keys, we need to have `libsodium` and its headers.
 
 ## Rails configuration
 
-After cloning this repository, you have to create and edit a few files from example files, for your local development configuration :
+After cloning this repository, you have to create and edit a few files from example or defaults files, for your local development configuration :
 
 - `config/database.yml`
-- `config/chexpire.yml`
 - `config/secrets.yml`
+- `config/chexpire.yml` : set at least the `mailer_default_from` and `host` variables. See other configuration overridable in `config/chexpire.defaults.yml`.
+
+Theses files will be ignored by git.
 
 ## Database
 
diff --git a/config/application.rb b/config/application.rb
index 5adecf8..9f5c3df 100644
--- a/config/application.rb
+++ b/config/application.rb
@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@ module Chexpire
 
     config.time_zone = "Europe/Paris"
 
-    config.chexpire = config_for(:chexpire)
+    unless Rails.root.join("config", "chexpire.yml").readable?
+      fail "Missing Chexpire configuration file.
+            You have to create the config/chexpire.yml file and set at least the required values.
+            Look at config/chexpire.defaults.yml and INSTALL.md for more information"
+    end
+
+    config.chexpire = Hashie::Mash.new(config_for(:"chexpire.defaults").deep_merge(config_for(:chexpire)))
   end
 end
diff --git a/config/chexpire.defaults.yml b/config/chexpire.defaults.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3080d0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/chexpire.defaults.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
+#
+# If you want override a value for any environment,
+# create a `config/chexpire.yml` file,
+# write your overrided keys under your environment namespace.
+#
+# Some keys are required to be overidden for your environment.
+#
+# Example:
+#
+# production:
+#   mailer_default_from: "contact@yourdomain.org"
+#   host: mychexpire.instance.org
+
+default: &default
+  mailer_default_from: "from@example.org"      # REQUIRED: Email will be sent with this address as From header
+  host: chexpire.local                         # REQUIRED: Host of the website.
+
+  interface:
+    consecutive_failures_as_error: 2           # number of consecutive failures before display a check as "in error" (value for interface only)
+  notifier:
+    interval: 0.00                             # pause in second between each notification sent
+    consecutive_failures: 4                    # number of consecutive failures before sending a notification for recurrent failures
+  checks_domain:
+    interval: 0.5                              # pause in second between each whois call
+    long_term_interval: 300                    # when last known expiry date exceeds this interval in days, whois verification won't happen every day
+    long_term_frequency: 4                     # when last known expiry exceeds $long_term, perform whois verification each $long_term_frequency days instead of every day
+  checks_ssl:
+    check_http_path:                           # defaults to check_http in $PATH
+    check_http_args:                           # array of arguments appended to defaults arguments (-C 0 -H $HOSTNAME).
+
+development:
+  <<: *default
+  host: "chexpire.local"
+
+production:
+  <<: *default
+  action_mailer_config:
+    delivery_method: :sendmail
+
+staging:
+  <<: *default
+  action_mailer_config:
+    delivery_method: :sendmail
+
+test:
+  <<: *default
+  mailer_default_from: "testcontact@example.org"
+  host: localhost
+  checks_dummy:
+    interval: 0.0
+    long_term_interval: 60
+    long_term_frequency: 10
diff --git a/config/chexpire.example.yml b/config/chexpire.example.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 324a5d7..0000000
--- a/config/chexpire.example.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-default: &default
-  mailer_default_from: "from@example.org"
-  notifier:
-    interval: 0.00
-    failure_days: 3
-  checks_domain:
-    interval: 0.5
-    long_term: 60
-    long_term_frequency: 10
-  checks_ssl:
-    check_http_path: # default to check_http in $PATH)
-    check_http_args: # array of arguments appended to defaults: -C 0 -H $HOSTNAME.
-
-development:
-  <<: *default
-  host: "chexpire.local"
-
-production:
-  action_mailer_config:
-    delivery_method: :sendmail
-
-staging:
-  action_mailer_config:
-    delivery_method: :sendmail
-
-# test configuration included in file used by CI services
-<%= IO.read Rails.root.join("config", "chexpire.test.yml") %>
diff --git a/config/chexpire.test.yml b/config/chexpire.test.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 6af09a8..0000000
--- a/config/chexpire.test.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-test:
-  mailer_default_from: "contact@chexpire.org"
-  host: "localhost"
-  notifier:
-    interval: 0.00
-    failure_days: 3
-  checks_domain:
-    interval: 0.00
-    long_term: 60
-    long_term_frequency: 10
-  checks_ssl:
-    check_http_path:
-    check_http_args: