diff --git a/terminatorlib/config.py b/terminatorlib/config.py
index 41db77c7..10b321ab 100755
--- a/terminatorlib/config.py
+++ b/terminatorlib/config.py
@@ -45,20 +45,7 @@ except ImportError:
   gconf = None
 
 from terminatorlib import translation
-
-# set this to true to enable debugging output
-# These should be moved somewhere better.
-debug = False
-
-def dbg (log = ""):
-  """Print a message if debugging is enabled"""
-  if debug:
-    print >> sys.stderr, log
-
-def err (log = ""):
-  """Print an error message"""
-  print >> sys.stderr, log
-
+from terminatorlib.util import dbg, err
 from terminatorlib.configfile import ConfigFile, ParsedWithErrors
 
 DEFAULTS = {
diff --git a/terminatorlib/configfile.py b/terminatorlib/configfile.py
index f71f39f0..f40b9587 100644
--- a/terminatorlib/configfile.py
+++ b/terminatorlib/configfile.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python
 
 import re
-from terminatorlib.config import dbg, debug
+from terminatorlib.util import dbg
 from terminatorlib import translation
 
 def group(*choices): return '(' + '|'.join(choices) + ')'
diff --git a/terminatorlib/debugserver.py b/terminatorlib/debugserver.py
index bcb13d85..2621331a 100644
--- a/terminatorlib/debugserver.py
+++ b/terminatorlib/debugserver.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 # Use of this file is unrestricted provided this notice is retained.
 # If you use it, it'd be nice if you dropped me a note.  Also beer.
 
-from terminatorlib.config import dbg, err
+from terminatorlib.util import dbg, err
 from terminatorlib.version import APP_NAME, APP_VERSION
 
 import socket
diff --git a/terminatorlib/prefs_profile.py b/terminatorlib/prefs_profile.py
index bd045e5b..bb991d02 100644
--- a/terminatorlib/prefs_profile.py
+++ b/terminatorlib/prefs_profile.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python
 
-from terminatorlib.config import dbg,err,DEFAULTS,TerminatorConfValuestoreRC
+from terminatorlib.util import dbg,err
+from terminatorlib.config import DEFAULTS,TerminatorConfValuestoreRC
 from terminatorlib.keybindings import TerminatorKeybindings
 from terminatorlib.version import APP_NAME, APP_VERSION
 from terminatorlib import translation
diff --git a/terminatorlib/terminator.py b/terminatorlib/terminator.py
index ef0632e1..33a1bb73 100755
--- a/terminatorlib/terminator.py
+++ b/terminatorlib/terminator.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import gobject, gtk, pango
 from terminatorlib.version import APP_NAME, APP_VERSION
 
 from terminatorlib import config
-from config import dbg, err, debug
+from util import dbg, err, debug
 
 from terminatorlib.keybindings import TerminatorKeybindings
 from terminatorlib.terminatorterm import TerminatorTerm
diff --git a/terminatorlib/terminatorterm.py b/terminatorlib/terminatorterm.py
index c5d604ad..2f544a6f 100755
--- a/terminatorlib/terminatorterm.py
+++ b/terminatorlib/terminatorterm.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ from terminatorlib.version import *
 
 # import our configuration loader
 from terminatorlib import config
-from terminatorlib.config import dbg, err, debug
+from terminatorlib.util import dbg, err, debug
 
 #import encoding list
 from terminatorlib.encoding import TerminatorEncoding