diff --git a/src/backend/configParser.go b/src/backend/configParser.go
index 2cc03f7..9492ccd 100644
--- a/src/backend/configParser.go
+++ b/src/backend/configParser.go
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@ package backend
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"gopkg.in/ini.v1"
 	"os"
+
+	"gopkg.in/ini.v1"
 )
 
 // loadConfig loads the libmutton.ini file and returns the configuration
@@ -18,22 +19,22 @@ func loadConfig() *ini.File {
 }
 
 // ParseConfig reads the libmutton.ini file and returns a slice of values for the specified keys
-// requires readKeys: a slice of key names (indicates requested values)
-// requires missingValueError: an error message to display if a key is missing a value, set to "" for auto-generated or "0" to exit silently with status 0
+// requires requestedValues: a slice of arrays (length 2) each containing a section and a key name
+// requires missingValueError: an error message to display if a key is missing a value, set to "" for auto-generated or "0" to exit/return silently with code 0
 // returns config: a slice of values for the specified keys
-func ParseConfig(readKeys []string, missingValueError string) []string {
+func ParseConfig(requestedValues [][2]string, missingValueError string) []string {
 	cfg := loadConfig()
 
 	var config []string
 
-	for _, key := range readKeys {
-		keyConfig := cfg.Section("LIBMUTTON").Key(key).String()
+	for _, pair := range requestedValues {
+		value := cfg.Section(pair[0]).Key(pair[1]).String()
 
 		// ensure specified key has a value
-		if keyConfig == "" {
+		if value == "" {
 			switch missingValueError {
 			case "":
-				fmt.Println(AnsiError + "Failed to find value for key \"" + key + "\" in section \"[LIBMUTTON]\" in libmutton.ini" + AnsiReset)
+				fmt.Println(AnsiError + "Failed to find value for key \"" + pair[1] + "\" in section \"[" + pair[0] + "]\" in libmutton.ini" + AnsiReset)
 			case "0":
 				Exit(0)
 			default:
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ func ParseConfig(readKeys []string, missingValueError string) []string {
 			os.Exit(1)
 		}
 
-		config = append(config, keyConfig)
+		config = append(config, value)
 	}
 
 	return config
diff --git a/src/backend/gpg.go b/src/backend/gpg.go
index ef11d79..2d22aeb 100644
--- a/src/backend/gpg.go
+++ b/src/backend/gpg.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ func DecryptGPG(targetLocation string) []string {
 
 // EncryptGPG encrypts a slice of strings using GPG and returns the encrypted data as a byte slice
 func EncryptGPG(input []string) []byte {
-	cmd := exec.Command("gpg", "-q", "-r", ParseConfig([]string{"gpgID"}, "")[0], "-e")
+	cmd := exec.Command("gpg", "-q", "-r", ParseConfig([][2]string{{"LIBMUTTON", "gpgID"}}, "")[0], "-e")
 	writeToStdin(cmd, strings.Join(input, "\n"))
 	encryptedBytes, err := cmd.Output()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/src/cli/edit.go b/src/cli/edit.go
index f149b6e..9fa3730 100644
--- a/src/cli/edit.go
+++ b/src/cli/edit.go
@@ -3,12 +3,13 @@ package cli
 import (
 	"bufio"
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/rwinkhart/MUTN/src/backend"
-	"github.com/rwinkhart/MUTN/src/sync"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/rwinkhart/MUTN/src/backend"
+	"github.com/rwinkhart/MUTN/src/sync"
 )
 
 // RenameCli renames an entry at oldLocationIncomplete to a new location (user input) on both the client and the server
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ func editNote(baseNote []string) ([]string, bool) {
 	}(tempFile.Name())
 
 	// fetch the user's text editor
-	editor := backend.ParseConfig([]string{"textEditor"}, "")[0]
+	editor := backend.ParseConfig([][2]string{{"LIBMUTTON", "textEditor"}}, "")[0]
 
 	// write baseNote to tempFile (if it is not empty)
 	if len(baseNote) > 0 {
diff --git a/src/sync/client.go b/src/sync/client.go
index 836ce7b..9e37c53 100644
--- a/src/sync/client.go
+++ b/src/sync/client.go
@@ -2,14 +2,15 @@ package sync
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/pkg/sftp"
-	"github.com/rwinkhart/MUTN/src/backend"
-	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh"
-	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh/knownhosts"
 	"os"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
+
+	"github.com/pkg/sftp"
+	"github.com/rwinkhart/MUTN/src/backend"
+	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh"
+	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh/knownhosts"
 )
 
 // global constants used only in this file
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ func getSSHClient(manualSync bool) (*ssh.Client, string, bool) {
 	} else {
 		missingValueError = "0"
 	}
-	sshUserConfig = backend.ParseConfig([]string{"sshUser", "sshIP", "sshPort", "sshKey", "sshKeyProtected", "sshEntryRoot", "sshIsWindows"}, missingValueError)
+	sshUserConfig = backend.ParseConfig([][2]string{{"LIBMUTTON", "sshUser"}, {"LIBMUTTON", "sshIP"}, {"LIBMUTTON", "sshPort"}, {"LIBMUTTON", "sshKey"}, {"LIBMUTTON", "sshKeyProtected"}, {"LIBMUTTON", "sshEntryRoot"}, {"LIBMUTTON", "sshIsWindows"}}, missingValueError)
 
 	var user, ip, port, keyFile, keyFileProtected, entryRoot string
 	var isWindows bool
diff --git a/wiki/libmutton/developers.md b/wiki/libmutton/developers.md
index 40336e9..ebb0135 100644
--- a/wiki/libmutton/developers.md
+++ b/wiki/libmutton/developers.md
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ libmutton was designed to be usable as a library for building other compatible p
 
 All functionality in the `backend` and `sync` packages are designed to be used in other implementations.
 
+If any functionality in these two packages proves to be difficult to implement in a third-party client, please open an issue so that it can be addressed.
+
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