diff --git a/agent/README.txt b/agent/README.txt
index 63c66cd..d1298de 100644
--- a/agent/README.txt
+++ b/agent/README.txt
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ the path to the configuration file.
   >>> configFile.close()
 
   >>> master.config
-  controller.name = 'base.sample'
+  controller.names = ['base.sample']
   logger.name = 'default'
   logger.standard = 30
   scheduler.name = 'sample'
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ the core package so that now everything is running under the control of
 the twisted reactor.
 
   >>> config = '''
-  ... controller(name='core.sample')
+  ... controller(names=['core.sample'])
   ... scheduler(name='core')
   ... logger(name='default', standard=30)
   ... '''
diff --git a/agent/agent.cfg b/agent/agent.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e7ffe7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/agent/agent.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#
+#   Standard configuration for agent application
+#
+#   $Id$
+#
+
+controller(names=['cmdline', 'telnet'])
+controller.telnet.port = 5001
+scheduler(name='core')
+logger(name='default', standard=30)
diff --git a/agent/app.py b/agent/app.py
index be4c253..4344df3 100755
--- a/agent/app.py
+++ b/agent/app.py
@@ -23,21 +23,32 @@ Agent application.
 $Id$
 """
 
+import os
 from twisted.internet import reactor
+
 from cybertools.agent.base.agent import Master
 
-config = '''
-controller(name='telnet')
-scheduler(name='core')
-logger(name='default', standard=30)
-'''
 
-master = Master(config)
-master.setup()
+def getConfig():
+    agentHome = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
+    configName = 'agent.cfg'
+    configFile = open(os.path.join(agentHome, configName))
+    config = configFile.read()
+    configFile.close()
+    return config
 
-print 'Starting agent application...'
-print 'Using controller %s.' % master.config.controller.name
 
-reactor.run()
+def start():
+    master = Master(getConfig())
+    master.setup()
 
-print 'Agent application has been stopped.'
+    print 'Starting agent application...'
+    print 'Using controllers %s.' % ', '.join(master.config.controller.names)
+
+    reactor.run()
+
+    print 'Agent application has been stopped.'
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    start()
diff --git a/agent/base/agent.py b/agent/base/agent.py
index 8b49d36..82c4837 100644
--- a/agent/base/agent.py
+++ b/agent/base/agent.py
@@ -61,16 +61,19 @@ class Master(Agent):
     name = 'master'
     scheduler = None
 
-    def __init__(self, configuration=None):
-        config = self.config = Configurator()
+    def __init__(self, configuration):
+        if isinstance(configuration, Configurator):
+            config = configuration
+        else:   # configuration is path to config file
+            config = self.config = Configurator()
+            config.load(configuration)
         self.master = self
         self.controllers = []
         self.children = {}
-        if configuration is not None:
-            config.load(configuration)
-            self.logger = loggers(self, name=config.logger.name)
-            self.controllers.append(controllers(self, name=config.controller.name))
-            self.scheduler = schedulers(self, name=config.scheduler.name)
+        self.logger = loggers(self, name=config.logger.name)
+        for n in config.controller.names:
+            self.controllers.append(controllers(self, n))
+        self.scheduler = schedulers(self, name=config.scheduler.name)
 
     def setup(self):
         for cont in self.controllers:
diff --git a/agent/base/sample.cfg b/agent/base/sample.cfg
index e74d3ef..21c6689 100644
--- a/agent/base/sample.cfg
+++ b/agent/base/sample.cfg
@@ -4,6 +4,6 @@
 #   $Id$
 #
 
-controller(name='base.sample')
+controller(names=['base.sample'])
 scheduler(name='sample')
 logger(name='default', standard=30)
diff --git a/agent/control/cmdline.py b/agent/control/cmdline.py
index 3e0c520..e139b57 100644
--- a/agent/control/cmdline.py
+++ b/agent/control/cmdline.py
@@ -35,7 +35,9 @@ class CmdlineController(SampleController):
 
     def setup(self):
         super(CmdlineController, self).setup()
-        stdio.StandardIO(CmdlineProtocol())
+        prot = CmdlineProtocol()
+        prot.controller = self
+        stdio.StandardIO(prot)
 
 controllers.register(CmdlineController, Master, name='cmdline')
 
@@ -46,7 +48,8 @@ class TelnetController(CmdlineController):
 
     def setup(self):
         super(CmdlineController, self).setup()
-        reactor.listenTCP(5001, TelnetServerFactory())
+        port = self.agent.config.controller.telnet.port
+        reactor.listenTCP(port, TelnetServerFactory(self))
 
 controllers.register(TelnetController, Master, name='telnet')
 
@@ -54,6 +57,7 @@ controllers.register(TelnetController, Master, name='telnet')
 class CmdlineProtocol(basic.LineReceiver):
 
     delimiter = '\n'
+    controller = None
 
     def connectionMade(self):
         self.sendLine("Agent console. Type 'help' for help.")
@@ -97,4 +101,11 @@ class TelnetProtocol(CmdlineProtocol):
 
 class TelnetServerFactory(protocol.ServerFactory):
 
-    protocol = TelnetProtocol
+    def __init__(self, controller):
+        self.controller = controller
+
+    def protocol(self, *args, **kw):
+        prot = TelnetProtocol(*args, **kw)
+        prot.controller = self.controller
+        return prot
+
diff --git a/agent/crawl/README.txt b/agent/crawl/README.txt
index 6b194bd..04641e2 100644
--- a/agent/crawl/README.txt
+++ b/agent/crawl/README.txt
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ Agents for Job Execution and Communication Tasks
   >>> from cybertools.agent.base.agent import Master
 
   >>> config = '''
-  ... controller(name='core.sample')
+  ... controller(names=['core.sample'])
   ... scheduler(name='core')
   ... logger(name='default', standard=30)
   ... '''