diff --git a/skimage/io/inherited_config.py b/skimage/io/inherited_config.py
new file mode 100644
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+++ b/skimage/io/inherited_config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,159 @@
+class InheritedConfig(dict):
+    """Configuration dictionary where non-existent keys can inherit values.
+
+    This class allows you to define parameter names that can match exactly, but
+    if it doesn't, parameter names will be searched based on key inheritance.
+    For example, the key 'size.text' will default to 'size'.
+
+    Note that indexing into the dictionary will raise an error if it doesn't
+    match exactly, while `InheritedConfig.get` will look up values based on
+    inheritance.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    config_values : dict or list of (key, value) pairs
+        Default values for a configuration, where keys are the parameter names
+        and values are the associated value.
+    cascade_map : dict
+        Dictionary defining cascading defaults. If a parameter name is not
+        found, indexing `cascade_map` with the parameter name will return
+        the parameter to look for.
+    kwargs : dict
+        Keyword arguments for initializing dict.
+    """
+
+    _separator = '.'
+
+    def __init__(self, config_values=None, **kwargs):
+        assert 'config_values' not in kwargs
+
+        if config_values is None:
+            config_values = {}
+
+        super(InheritedConfig, self).__init__(config_values, **kwargs)
+
+    def get(self, key, default=None, _prev=None):
+        """Return best matching config value for `key`.
+
+        Get value from configuration. The search for `key` is in the following
+        order:
+
+            - `self` (Value in global configuration)
+            - `default`
+            - Alternate key specified by `self.cascade_map`
+
+        This method supports the pattern commonly used for optional keyword
+        arguments to a function. For example::
+
+            >>> def print_value(key, **kwargs):
+            ...     print kwargs.get(key, 0)
+            >>> print_value('size')
+            0
+            >>> print_value('size', size=1)
+            1
+
+        Instead, you would create a config class and write::
+
+            >>> config = InheritedConfig(size=0)
+            >>> def print_value(key, **kwargs):
+            ...     print kwargs.get(key, config.get(key))
+            >>> print_value('size')
+            0
+            >>> print_value('size', size=1)
+            1
+            >>> print_value('non-existent')
+            None
+            >>> print_value('size.text')
+            0
+
+        See examples below for a demonstration of the cascading of
+        configuration names.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        key : str
+            Name of config value you want.
+        default : object
+            Default value if `key` doesn't exist in instance.
+
+        Examples
+        --------
+        >>> config = InheritedConfig(size=0)
+        >>> config.get('size')
+        0
+        >>> top_choice={'size': 1}
+        >>> top_choice.get('size', config.get('size'))
+        1
+        >>> config.get('non-existent', 'unknown')
+        'unknown'
+        >>> config.get('size.text')
+        0
+        >>> config.get('size.text', 2)
+        2
+        >>> top_choice.get('size', config.get('size.text'))
+        1
+        """
+        if key in self.keys():
+            return self[key]
+        elif default is not None:
+            return default
+        elif self._separator in key:
+            return self.get(self._parent(key))
+        else:
+            return None
+
+    def _parent(self, key):
+        """Return parent key."""
+        parts = key.split(self._separator)
+        return self._separator.join(parts[:-1])
+
+    def __contains__(self, key):
+        if key in self.keys():
+            return True
+        elif self._separator in key:
+            return self.__contains__(self._parent(key))
+        else:
+            return False
+
+
+def test_get_non_existent():
+    config = InheritedConfig()
+    assert config.get('size') is None
+
+
+def test_get_simple():
+    config = InheritedConfig({'imread': 'matplotlib'})
+    assert config.get('imread') == 'matplotlib'
+
+
+def test_get_default():
+    config = InheritedConfig()
+    assert config.get('size', 10) == 10
+
+
+def test_get_best():
+    config = InheritedConfig({'size': 0, 'size.text': 1})
+    assert config.get('size.text') == 1
+
+
+def test_get_multi_level():
+    config = InheritedConfig({'size': 0})
+    assert config.get('size.text.title') == 0
+    config['size.text'] = 1
+    assert config.get('size.text.title') == 1
+    config['size.text.title'] = 2
+    assert config.get('size.text.title') == 2
+
+
+def test_contains():
+    config = InheritedConfig({'imread': 'matplotlib'})
+    assert 'imread' in config
+    assert 'imread.jpg' in config
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    import doctest
+    from numpy import testing
+
+    doctest.testmod()
+    testing.run_module_suite()