diff --git a/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchIngestModule.java b/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchIngestModule.java
index 884edb85a2..34911ec088 100644
--- a/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchIngestModule.java
+++ b/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchIngestModule.java
@@ -338,16 +338,21 @@ public final class KeywordSearchIngestModule implements IngestModuleAbstractFile
 
         ingester = Server.getIngester();
 
+        //use the settings files to set values
+        
+    
+
+
 
         //initialize extractors
         stringExtractor = new AbstractFileStringExtract();
-        stringExtractor.setScripts(KeywordSearchSettings.stringExtractScripts);
-        stringExtractor.setOptions(KeywordSearchSettings.stringExtractOptions);
+        stringExtractor.setScripts(KeywordSearchSettings.getStringExtractScripts());
+        stringExtractor.setOptions(KeywordSearchSettings.getStringExtractOptions());
         
         
         //log the scripts used for debugging
         final StringBuilder sbScripts = new StringBuilder();
-        for (SCRIPT s : KeywordSearchSettings.stringExtractScripts) {
+        for (SCRIPT s : KeywordSearchSettings.getStringExtractScripts()) {
             sbScripts.append(s.name()).append(" ");
         }
         logger.log(Level.INFO, "Using string extract scripts: " + sbScripts.toString());
diff --git a/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchSettings.java b/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchSettings.java
index 36b8de0fc6..1802b19329 100644
--- a/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchSettings.java
+++ b/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchSettings.java
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ public class KeywordSearchSettings {
     private static boolean skipKnown = true;
     private static final Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(KeywordSearchSettings.class.getName());
     private static UpdateFrequency UpdateFreq = UpdateFrequency.AVG;
-    static List<StringExtract.StringExtractUnicodeTable.SCRIPT> stringExtractScripts = new ArrayList<StringExtract.StringExtractUnicodeTable.SCRIPT>();
-    static Map<String,String> stringExtractOptions = new HashMap<String,String>();
+    private static List<StringExtract.StringExtractUnicodeTable.SCRIPT> stringExtractScripts = new ArrayList<StringExtract.StringExtractUnicodeTable.SCRIPT>();
+    private static Map<String,String> stringExtractOptions = new HashMap<String,String>();
     
 
            
@@ -101,11 +101,13 @@ public class KeywordSearchSettings {
         stringExtractScripts.clear();
         stringExtractScripts.addAll(scripts);
         
+        //Disabling scripts that weren't selected
         for(String s : ModuleSettings.getConfigSettings(PROPERTIES_SCRIPTS).keySet()){
             if (! scripts.contains(StringExtract.StringExtractUnicodeTable.SCRIPT.valueOf(s))){
                 ModuleSettings.setConfigSetting(PROPERTIES_SCRIPTS, s, "false");
             }
         }
+        //Writing and enabling selected scripts
         for(StringExtract.StringExtractUnicodeTable.SCRIPT s : stringExtractScripts){
             ModuleSettings.setConfigSetting(PROPERTIES_SCRIPTS, s.name(), "true");
         }
@@ -158,6 +160,20 @@ public class KeywordSearchSettings {
             return stringExtractOptions.get(key);
         }
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * get the map of string extract options.
+     * @return Map<String,String> of extract options.
+     */
+    static Map<String,String> getStringExtractOptions(){
+        Map<String,String> settings = ModuleSettings.getConfigSettings(PROPERTIES_OPTIONS);
+        if(settings == null){
+            logger.log(Level.WARNING, "Could not read properties for " + PROPERTIES_OPTIONS + ".properties, returning backup values");
+            settings.clear();
+            settings.putAll(stringExtractOptions);
+        }
+        return settings;
+    }
     /**
      * Sets the default values of the KeywordSearch properties files if none already exist.
      */