diff --git a/secop/server.py b/secop/server.py
index 4233f4a..5db2059 100644
--- a/secop/server.py
+++ b/secop/server.py
@@ -119,6 +119,13 @@ class Server(object):
                     raise ConfigError(
                         'cfgfile %r: Module %s needs a class option!' %
                         (self._cfgfile, devname))
+                # MAGIC: transform \n.\n into \n\n which are normally stripped
+                # by the ini parser
+                for k in devopts:
+                    v = devopts[k]
+                    while '\n.\n' in v:
+                        v = v.replace('\n.\n', '\n\n')
+                    devopts[k] = v
                 # try to import the class, raise if this fails
                 devopts['class'] = get_class(devopts['class'])
                 # all went well so far
diff --git a/secop/simulation.py b/secop/simulation.py
index 881c9f7..dcb3834 100644
--- a/secop/simulation.py
+++ b/secop/simulation.py
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ class SimBase(object):
             # make a copy of self.PARAMS
             self.PARAMS=dict((k,v.copy()) for k,v in self.PARAMS.items())
             for k in extra_params.split(','):
+                k = k.strip()
                 self.PARAMS[k] = PARAM('extra_param: %s' % k.strip(),
                                        datatype=FloatRange(),
                                        default=0.0)