diff --git a/datajoint/__init__.py b/datajoint/__init__.py
index 9e0142e2b..95b6a3dd1 100644
--- a/datajoint/__init__.py
+++ b/datajoint/__init__.py
@@ -16,14 +16,14 @@ class DataJointError(Exception):
 
 
 # ----------- loads local configuration from file ----------------
-from .settings import Config, logger
+from .settings import Config, logger, CONFIGVAR, LOCALCONFIG
 config = Config()
-local_config_file = os.environ.get(config['config.varname'], None)
+local_config_file = os.environ.get(CONFIGVAR, None)
 if local_config_file is None:
-    local_config_file = os.path.expanduser(config['config.file'])
+    local_config_file = os.path.expanduser(LOCALCONFIG)
 else:
     local_config_file = os.path.expanduser(local_config_file)
-    config['config.file'] = local_config_file
+
 try:
     logger.log(logging.INFO, "Loading local settings from {0:s}".format(local_config_file))
     config.load(local_config_file)
diff --git a/datajoint/connection.py b/datajoint/connection.py
index ca6551cea..4655866f7 100644
--- a/datajoint/connection.py
+++ b/datajoint/connection.py
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ def conn_function(host=None, user=None, passwd=None, init_fun=None, reset=False)
             host = host if host is not None else config['database.host']
             user = user if user is not None else config['database.user']
             passwd = passwd if passwd is not None else config['database.password']
+
+            if passwd is None: passwd = input("Please enter database password: ")
+
             init_fun = init_fun if init_fun is not None else config['connection.init_function']
             _connObj = Connection(host, user, passwd, init_fun)
         return _connObj
diff --git a/datajoint/settings.py b/datajoint/settings.py
index 22afcadb6..d6ad20b72 100644
--- a/datajoint/settings.py
+++ b/datajoint/settings.py
@@ -4,12 +4,15 @@
 from . import DataJointError
 import json
 import pprint
+from collections import OrderedDict
 
 __author__ = 'eywalker'
 import logging
 import collections
 from enum import Enum
 
+LOCALCONFIG = 'dj_local_conf.json'
+CONFIGVAR = 'DJ_LOCAL_CONF'
 
 validators = collections.defaultdict(lambda: lambda value: True)
 
@@ -23,8 +26,7 @@
 }
 prefix_to_role = dict(zip(role_to_prefix.values(), role_to_prefix.keys()))
 
-
-default = {
+default = OrderedDict({
     'database.host': 'localhost',
     'database.password': 'datajoint',
     'database.user': 'datajoint',
@@ -32,9 +34,7 @@
     #
     'connection.init_function': None,
     #
-    'config.file': 'dj_local_conf.json',
-    'config.varname': 'DJ_LOCAL_CONF'
-}
+})
 
 
 class Config(collections.MutableMapping):
@@ -102,4 +102,4 @@ def load(self, filename):
 
 #############################################################################
 logger = logging.getLogger()
-logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG) #set package wide logger level TODO:make this respond to environmental variable
\ No newline at end of file
+logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG) #set package wide logger level TODO:make this respond to environmental variable
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index fa72134a9..5c56b483c 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -10,6 +10,6 @@
     description='An object-relational mapping and relational algebra to facilitate data definition and data manipulation in MySQL databases.',
     url='https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python',
     packages=['datajoint'],
-    requires=['numpy', 'pymysql', 'networkx', 'matplotlib', 'sphinx_rtd_theme', 'mock', 'json']
-    # todo: add license (check license of used packages)
+    requires=['numpy', 'pymysql', 'networkx', 'matplotlib', 'sphinx_rtd_theme', 'mock', 'json'],
+    license = "MIT",
 )
diff --git a/tests/test_settings.py b/tests/test_settings.py
index 9dadcb43a..aff05b9c9 100644
--- a/tests/test_settings.py
+++ b/tests/test_settings.py
@@ -7,13 +7,10 @@
 
 
 def test_load_save():
-    old = dj.config['config.file']
-    dj.config['config.file'] = 'tmp.json'
-    dj.config.save()
+    dj.config.save('tmp.json')
     conf = dj.Config()
     conf.load('tmp.json')
     assert_true(conf == dj.config, 'Two config files do not match.')
-    dj.config['config.file'] = old
     os.remove('tmp.json')
 
 @raises(ValueError)