diff --git a/config/Compiler.d/Compiler.conf b/config/Compiler.d/Compiler.conf
deleted file mode 120000
index 78de1d9..0000000
--- a/config/Compiler.d/Compiler.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../Compiler.conf
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config/Compiler.d/compiler.conf b/config/Compiler.d/compiler.conf
deleted file mode 120000
index 1262fcf..0000000
--- a/config/Compiler.d/compiler.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../gcc-4.7.3
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config/Compiler.d/mpi.conf b/config/Compiler.d/mpi.conf
deleted file mode 120000
index 4cb2200..0000000
--- a/config/Compiler.d/mpi.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../openmpi-1.6.5
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config/HDF5.d/Compiler.conf b/config/HDF5.d/Compiler.conf
deleted file mode 120000
index 78de1d9..0000000
--- a/config/HDF5.d/Compiler.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../Compiler.conf
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config/HDF5.d/HDF5.conf b/config/HDF5.d/HDF5.conf
deleted file mode 120000
index 32f1dae..0000000
--- a/config/HDF5.d/HDF5.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../HDF5.conf
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config/HDF5.d/MPI.conf b/config/HDF5.d/MPI.conf
deleted file mode 120000
index e3cfc7a..0000000
--- a/config/HDF5.d/MPI.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../MPI.conf
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config/HDF5_serial.d/compiler.conf b/config/HDF5_serial.d/compiler.conf
deleted file mode 120000
index 1262fcf..0000000
--- a/config/HDF5_serial.d/compiler.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../gcc-4.7.3
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config/HDF5_serial.d/hdf5.conf b/config/HDF5_serial.d/hdf5.conf
deleted file mode 120000
index 925c62e..0000000
--- a/config/HDF5_serial.d/hdf5.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../hdf5_serial-1.8.12
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config/Libraries.d/Compiler.conf b/config/Libraries.d/Compiler.conf
deleted file mode 120000
index 78de1d9..0000000
--- a/config/Libraries.d/Compiler.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../Compiler.conf
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config/MPI.d/Compiler.conf b/config/MPI.d/Compiler.conf
deleted file mode 120000
index 78de1d9..0000000
--- a/config/MPI.d/Compiler.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../Compiler.conf
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config/MPI.d/HDF5.conf b/config/MPI.d/HDF5.conf
deleted file mode 120000
index 32f1dae..0000000
--- a/config/MPI.d/HDF5.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../HDF5.conf
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config/MPI.d/MPI.conf b/config/MPI.d/MPI.conf
deleted file mode 120000
index e3cfc7a..0000000
--- a/config/MPI.d/MPI.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../MPI.conf
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config/Programming.d/Compiler.conf b/config/Programming.d/Compiler.conf
deleted file mode 120000
index 1262fcf..0000000
--- a/config/Programming.d/Compiler.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../gcc-4.7.3
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config/Tools.d/Compiler.conf b/config/Tools.d/Compiler.conf
deleted file mode 120000
index 78de1d9..0000000
--- a/config/Tools.d/Compiler.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../Compiler.conf
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config/Compiler.conf b/config/families.d/Compiler.conf
similarity index 100%
rename from config/Compiler.conf
rename to config/families.d/Compiler.conf
diff --git a/config/HDF5.conf b/config/families.d/HDF5.conf
similarity index 100%
rename from config/HDF5.conf
rename to config/families.d/HDF5.conf
diff --git a/config/families.d/HDF5_serial.conf b/config/families.d/HDF5_serial.conf
new file mode 120000
index 0000000..e4f6ceb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/families.d/HDF5_serial.conf
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+hdf5_serial-1.8.12
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config/MPI.conf b/config/families.d/MPI.conf
similarity index 100%
rename from config/MPI.conf
rename to config/families.d/MPI.conf
diff --git a/config/gcc-4.7.3 b/config/families.d/gcc-4.7.3
similarity index 100%
rename from config/gcc-4.7.3
rename to config/families.d/gcc-4.7.3
diff --git a/config/gcc-4.8.2 b/config/families.d/gcc-4.8.2
similarity index 100%
rename from config/gcc-4.8.2
rename to config/families.d/gcc-4.8.2
diff --git a/config/hdf5-1.8.12 b/config/families.d/hdf5-1.8.12
similarity index 100%
rename from config/hdf5-1.8.12
rename to config/families.d/hdf5-1.8.12
diff --git a/config/hdf5_serial-1.8.12 b/config/families.d/hdf5_serial-1.8.12
similarity index 100%
rename from config/hdf5_serial-1.8.12
rename to config/families.d/hdf5_serial-1.8.12
diff --git a/config/openmpi-1.6.5 b/config/families.d/openmpi-1.6.5
similarity index 100%
rename from config/openmpi-1.6.5
rename to config/families.d/openmpi-1.6.5
diff --git a/config/openmpi-1.8.0 b/config/families.d/openmpi-1.8.0
similarity index 100%
rename from config/openmpi-1.8.0
rename to config/families.d/openmpi-1.8.0
diff --git a/lib/libem.bash b/lib/libem.bash
index 495ea36..0dde4d2 100644
--- a/lib/libem.bash
+++ b/lib/libem.bash
@@ -195,28 +195,22 @@ function _load_build_dependencies() {
 	done
 }
 
-function em.load_family() {
+
+function em.add_to_family() {
 	if [[ -z ${1} ]]; then
-		printf "${FUNCNAME}: Missing family argument"
-		exit 42
+		die 42 "${FUNCNAME}: Missing family argument."
 	fi
 	if [[ ! -d ${EM_ETCDIR}/${1} ]]; then
-		printf "${FUNCNAME}: ${1}: family does not exist."
-		exit 42
+		dir 43 "${1}: family does not exist."
 	fi
-
-	for f in "${CONFIG_DIR}/${1}.d/"*.conf; do
+	EM_FAMILY=$1
+	source "${CONFIG_DIR}/versions.conf"
+	for f in "${CONFIG_DIR}/families.d/"*.conf; do
 		source "${f}"
 	done
 	eval ${ENVIRONMENT_ARGS}
 }
 
-function em.add_to_family() {
-	EM_FAMILY=$1
-	source "${CONFIG_DIR}/versions.conf"
-	em.load_family "$1"
-}
-
 function em.set_runtime_dependencies() {
 	EM_DEPENDENCIES=("$@")
 }
diff --git a/scripts/H5root.build b/scripts/H5root.build
index 8f7e24e..f6e99c4 100755
--- a/scripts/H5root.build
+++ b/scripts/H5root.build
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ function em.configure() {
 }
 
 em.add_to_family 'Tools'
-em.load_family 'Programming'
 em.set_runtime_dependencies "${COMPILER}" 'root'
 em.set_build_dependencies 'autoconf' 'automake' 'libtool' "${COMPILER}" 'hdf5_serial' 'H5hut_serial' 'root'
 em.make_all
diff --git a/scripts/OPAL.build b/scripts/OPAL.build
index 327a801..d8c7526 100755
--- a/scripts/OPAL.build
+++ b/scripts/OPAL.build
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ function em.configure() {
 }
 
 em.add_to_family 'Tools'
-em.load_family 'HDF5'
 em.set_runtime_dependencies "${COMPILER}" "${MPI}"
 em.set_build_dependencies 'cmake' "${COMPILER}" "${MPI}" 'hdf5' 'H5hut' 'trilinos' 'ippl' 'gsl'
 em.make_all