diff --git a/oxrlib/config.py b/oxrlib/config.py
index af712addd2b5a4253abf39d473ac6bac713b3141..a0e5ea6ce765519fbb5265c0e492ab8928e40749 100644
--- a/oxrlib/config.py
+++ b/oxrlib/config.py
@@ -8,16 +8,15 @@ import pathlib
 from . import cache, loaders
 
 HOME_PATH = pathlib.Path(os.path.expanduser('~'))
-CONFFILE_SEED = """
-[Historical]
-base=USD
-"""
 
 def currency_code(s):
     if not ((len(s) == 3) and s.isalpha()):
         raise ValueError("bad currency code: {!r}".format(s))
     return s.upper()
 
+def currency_list(s):
+    return [currency_code(code.strip()) for code in s.split(',')]
+
 def date_from(fmt_s):
     def date_from_fmt(s):
         return datetime.datetime.strptime(s, fmt_s).date()
@@ -66,12 +65,29 @@ class Configuration:
             command='historical',
             amount=None,
             from_currency=None,
+            ledger=None,
         )
         hist_parser.add_argument(
             '--base',
             type=currency_code,
             help="Base currency (default USD)",
         )
+        hist_parser.add_argument(
+            '--ledger', '-L',
+            action='store_true',
+            help="Output the rate or conversion in Ledger format",
+        )
+        hist_parser.add_argument(
+            '--no-ledger',
+            action='store_false', dest='ledger',
+            help="Turn off an earlier --ledger setting",
+        )
+        hist_parser.add_argument(
+            '--signed-currency', '--sign-currency',
+            type=currency_code, action='append', dest='signed_currencies',
+            help="In Ledger output, use a sign for this currency if known. "
+            "Can be specified multiple times.",
+        )
         hist_parser.add_argument(
             'date',
             type=date_from('%Y-%m-%d'),
@@ -96,9 +112,19 @@ class Configuration:
         return prog_parser
 
     def _build_conffile(self):
-        conffile = configparser.ConfigParser()
-        conffile.read_string(CONFFILE_SEED)
-        return conffile
+        return configparser.ConfigParser()
+
+    def _read_from_conffile(self, argname, sectionname, fallback, convert_to=None,
+                            confname=None, getter='get', unset=None):
+        if getattr(self.args, argname) is not unset:
+            return
+        elif confname is None:
+            confname = argname
+        get_method = getattr(self.conffile, getter)
+        value = get_method(sectionname, confname, fallback=fallback)
+        if convert_to is not None:
+            value = self._convert_or_error(convert_to, value, confname)
+        setattr(self.args, argname, value)
 
     def _convert_or_error(self, argtype, s_value, argname=None, typename=None):
         try:
@@ -114,8 +140,9 @@ class Configuration:
             self.error(': '.join(errmsg))
 
     def _post_hook_historical(self):
-        if self.args.base is None:
-            self.args.base = self.conffile.get('Historical', 'base')
+        self._read_from_conffile('base', 'Historical', 'USD', currency_code)
+        self._read_from_conffile('signed_currencies', 'Historical', self.args.base, currency_list)
+        self._read_from_conffile('ledger', 'Historical', False, getter='getboolean')
         self.args.to_currency = self.args.base
         if self.args.word4 and (self.args.word3.lower() in self.PREPOSITIONS):
             self.args.word3 = self.args.word4