diff --git a/direct/src/gui/DirectGuiBase.py b/direct/src/gui/DirectGuiBase.py
index 11af7ec844..bb959a1601 100644
--- a/direct/src/gui/DirectGuiBase.py
+++ b/direct/src/gui/DirectGuiBase.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ __all__ = ['DirectGuiBase', 'DirectGuiWidget']
 
 
 from panda3d.core import *
+from panda3d.direct import get_config_showbase
 import DirectGuiGlobals as DGG
 from OnscreenText import *
 from OnscreenGeom import *
@@ -630,7 +631,7 @@ class DirectGuiBase(DirectObject.DirectObject):
         """
         # Need to tack on gui item specific id
         gEvent = event + self.guiId
-        if base.config.GetBool('debug-directgui-msgs', False):
+        if get_config_showbase().GetBool('debug-directgui-msgs', False):
             from direct.showbase.PythonUtil import StackTrace
             print gEvent
             print StackTrace()
@@ -653,7 +654,7 @@ def setGuiGridSpacing(spacing):
 # this should trigger off of __dev__, but it's not available at this point.
 # __debug__ works because the production client is not __debug__ and the
 # production AI doesn't create any GUI.
-if config.GetBool('record-gui-creation-stack', __debug__):
+if get_config_showbase().GetBool('record-gui-creation-stack', __debug__):
     # this will help track down the code that created DirectGui objects
     # call obj.printCreationStackTrace() to figure out what code created it
     DirectGuiBase = recordCreationStackStr(DirectGuiBase)
@@ -666,8 +667,7 @@ class DirectGuiWidget(DirectGuiBase, NodePath):
     # Determine the default initial state for inactive (or
     # unclickable) components.  If we are in edit mode, these are
     # actually clickable by default.
-    #guiEdit = base.config.GetBool('direct-gui-edit', 0)
-    guiEdit = config.GetBool('direct-gui-edit', 0)
+    guiEdit = get_config_showbase().GetBool('direct-gui-edit', 0)
     if guiEdit:
         inactiveInitState = DGG.NORMAL
     else:
diff --git a/direct/src/showbase/ShowBase.py b/direct/src/showbase/ShowBase.py
index 057b049fd9..2ab17b9ae4 100644
--- a/direct/src/showbase/ShowBase.py
+++ b/direct/src/showbase/ShowBase.py
@@ -57,15 +57,16 @@ def exitfunc():
 # *seem* to cause anyone any problems.
 class ShowBase(DirectObject.DirectObject):
 
+    config = get_config_showbase()
     notify = directNotify.newCategory("ShowBase")
 
     def __init__(self, fStartDirect = True, windowType = None):
-        self.__dev__ = config.GetBool('want-dev', __debug__)
+        self.__dev__ = self.config.GetBool('want-dev', __debug__)
         builtins.__dev__ = self.__dev__
 
-        logStackDump = (config.GetBool('log-stack-dump', False) or
-                        config.GetBool('client-log-stack-dump', False))
-        uploadStackDump = config.GetBool('upload-stack-dump', False)
+        logStackDump = (self.config.GetBool('log-stack-dump', False) or
+                        self.config.GetBool('client-log-stack-dump', False))
+        uploadStackDump = self.config.GetBool('upload-stack-dump', False)
         if logStackDump or uploadStackDump:
             ExceptionVarDump.install(logStackDump, uploadStackDump)
 
@@ -80,8 +81,6 @@ class ShowBase(DirectObject.DirectObject):
         #debug running multiplier
         self.debugRunningMultiplier = 4
 
-        # Get the dconfig object
-        self.config = config
         # Setup wantVerifyPdb as soon as reasonable:
         Verify.wantVerifyPdb = self.config.GetBool('want-verify-pdb', 0)