diff --git a/ssl_mgmt/ssl_mgmt b/ssl_mgmt/ssl_mgmt
index dcf1089..c22819e 100755
--- a/ssl_mgmt/ssl_mgmt
+++ b/ssl_mgmt/ssl_mgmt
@@ -21,7 +21,22 @@
 
 set -u
 
-confFile=openssl.cnf
+cnfFilePath=${cnfFilePath:-/etc/${0##*/}.conf}
+
+. $cnfFilePath
+
+workDir=${workDir:-/usr/lib/ssl/CA}
+csrSubdir=${csrSubdir:-csr}
+certSubdir=${certSubdir:-newcerts}
+keySubdir=${keySubdir:-newkeys}
+certDestDir=${certDestDir:-/etc/ssl/certs}
+keyDestDir=${keyDestDir:-/etc/ssl/private}
+CACertPath=${CACertPath:-$certDestDir/ca-cert.pem}
+CAKeyPath=${CAKeyPath:-$keyDestDir/ca-key.pem}
+opensslCnfFile=openssl.cnf
+rootCAPwdPath=${rootCAPwdPath:-/root/passwords/root_ca}
+managedCerts=${managedCerts:-$(xargs </root/homemade-certs)}
+
 
 # Display usage.
 usage ()
@@ -122,7 +137,9 @@ try_sudo ()
 	ret=$?
 	if [ ! $ret -eq 0 ]
 	then
-		echo "Error! You must be root or being able to become root by sudo without password to create an email account or add an email alias." >&2
+		echo -n "Error! You must be root or being able to become root"
+		echo -n " by sudo without password to\ncreate an email account"
+		echo -n " or add an email alias." >&2
 	fi
 	exit $ret
 }
@@ -211,18 +228,18 @@ generate_config ()
 	replaceCmd="$(add_to_replace_cmd "$replaceCmd" "@COMMONNAME@" "${commonName:-}")"
 	replaceCmd="$(add_to_replace_cmd "$replaceCmd" "@ALTNAME@" "${altName:-}")"
 	replaceCmd="$replaceCmd${replaceCmd:+;}s/\(.*=[[:blank:]]*\$\)/#\\1/"
-	cnfTmpFile="$(mktemp --tmpdir=. openssl.cnf.XXXXXXXXXX)"
-	sed "$replaceCmd" $confFile.in > $cnfTmpFile
+	opensslCnfTmpFile="$(mktemp --tmpdir=. openssl.cnf.XXXXXXXXXX)"
+	sed "$replaceCmd" $opensslCnfFile.in > $opensslCnfTmpFile
 	if ask_user_default_no "Do you want to edit the openssl configuration file?"
 	then
 		if [ -n "${EDITOR:-}" ]
 		then
-			$EDITOR $cnfTmpFile
+			$EDITOR $opensslCnfTmpFile
 		else
-			editor $cnfTmpFile
+			editor $opensslCnfTmpFile
 		fi
 	fi
-	mv $cnfTmpFile $confFile
+	mv $opensslCnfTmpFile $opensslCnfFile
 }
 
 # @param service the name of the service associated with the certificate to
@@ -244,36 +261,36 @@ generate_cert ()
 	certFile=${certPath##*/}
 	keyFile=${keyPath##*/}
 	keycertFile=${service}-keycert.pem
-	openssl req -new -nodes -out csr/$reqFile -keyout newkeys/$keyFile -config $confFile
-	openssl req -in csr/$reqFile -text -verify -noout
+	openssl req -new -nodes -out $csrSubdir/$reqFile -keyout $keySubdir/$keyFile -config $opensslCnfFile
+	openssl req -in $csrSubdir/$reqFile -text -verify -noout
 	if ! ask_user_default_no "Is the Certificate Signing Request correct?"
 	then
 		return 1
 	fi
-	getfacl "$keyPath" | setfacl --set-file=- newkeys/$keyFile
+	getfacl "$keyPath" | setfacl --set-file=- $keySubdir/$keyFile
 	if [ -z "$no_overwrite" ]
 	then
-		if [ ! -f "private/$keyFile" ]
+		if [ ! -f "$keyDestDir/$keyFile" ]
 		then
-			echo -n "Error! No file named $keyFile in directory" >&2
-			echo " $(readlink -f private):" >&2
-			echo "there might be a problem" >&2
+			echo "Error! No file named $keyFile in directory $keyDestDir:" >&2
+			echo "there might be a problem." >&2
 		fi
-		mv newkeys/$keyFile private
+		mv $keySubdir/$keyFile $keyDestDir
 	fi
-	openssl ca -batch -out newcerts/$certFile -config $confFile -passin file:/root/passwords/root_ca -infiles csr/$reqFile
-	getfacl "$certPath" | setfacl --set-file=- newcerts/$certFile
+	openssl ca -batch -config $opensslCnfFile -cert $CACertPath \
+		-keyfile $CAKeyPath -passin file:$rootCAPwdPath \
+		-out $certSubdir/$certFile -infiles $csrSubdir/$reqFile
+	getfacl "$certPath" | setfacl --set-file=- $certSubdir/$certFile
 	if [ -z "$no_overwrite" ]
 	then
-		if [ ! -f "certs/$certFile" ]
+		if [ ! -f "$certDestDir/$certFile" ]
 		then
-			echo "No file named $certFile in directory" >&2
-			echo " $(readlink -f certs):" >&2
+			echo "No file named $certFile in directory $certDestDir:" >&2
 			echo "there might be a problem" >&2
 		fi
-		mv newcerts/$certFile certs
+		mv $certSubdir/$certFile $certDestDir
 	fi
-	cat private/$keyFile certs/$certFile > private/$keycertFile
+	cat $keyDestDir/$keyFile $certDestDir/$certFile > $keyDestDir/$keycertFile
 	return 0
 }
 
@@ -288,14 +305,14 @@ main ()
 	then
 		try_sudo "$@"
 	fi
-	cd /usr/lib/ssl/CA/
+	cd $workDir
 	if [ "${service}" = "all" ]
 	then
 		services=""
-		while read service
+		for service in $managedCerts
 		do
 			services="$services $service"
-		done </root/homemade-certs
+		done
 	else
 		services=${service}
 	fi
@@ -307,10 +324,10 @@ main ()
 		then
 			service="${service##*/}"
 			service="${service%.*}"
-			keyPath="/etc/ssl/private/${service}.key"
+			keyPath="$keyDestDir/${service}.key"
 		else
-			certPath="/etc/ssl/certs/${service}-cert.pem"
-			keyPath="/etc/ssl/private/${service}-key.pem"
+			certPath="$certDestDir/${service}-cert.pem"
+			keyPath="$keyDestDir/${service}-key.pem"
 		fi
 		if [ ! -f "$certPath" ]
 		then