--- ConfigParser_71564.py	2009-10-12 13:28:54.000000000 +0200
+++ ConfigParser.py	2009-10-12 13:42:02.000000000 +0200
@@ -447,10 +447,11 @@
         leading whitespace.  Blank lines, lines beginning with a '#',
         and just about everything else are ignored.
         """
-        cursect = None                            # None, or a dictionary
+        loaded_sections = self._dict()          # sections loaded in this call
+        cursect = None                          # None, or a dictionary
         optname = None
         lineno = 0
-        e = None                                  # None, or an exception
+        e = None                                # None, or an exception
         while True:
             line = fp.readline()
             if not line:
@@ -466,21 +467,18 @@
             if line[0].isspace() and cursect is not None and optname:
                 value = line.strip()
                 if value:
-                    cursect[optname] = "%s\n%s" % (cursect[optname], value)
+                    cursect[optname].append(value)
             # a section header or option header?
             else:
                 # is it a section header?
                 mo = self.SECTCRE.match(line)
                 if mo:
                     sectname = mo.group('header')
-                    if sectname in self._sections:
-                        cursect = self._sections[sectname]
-                    elif sectname == DEFAULTSECT:
-                        cursect = self._defaults
+                    if sectname in loaded_sections:
+                        cursect = loaded_sections[sectname]
                     else:
                         cursect = self._dict()
-                        cursect['__name__'] = sectname
-                        self._sections[sectname] = cursect
+                        loaded_sections[sectname] = cursect
                     # So sections can't start with a continuation line
                     optname = None
                 # no section header in the file?
@@ -491,6 +489,7 @@
                     mo = self.OPTCRE.match(line)
                     if mo:
                         optname, vi, optval = mo.group('option', 'vi', 'value')
+                        optname = self.optionxform(optname.rstrip())
                         if vi in ('=', ':') and ';' in optval:
                             # ';' is a comment delimiter only if it follows
                             # a spacing character
@@ -498,11 +497,13 @@
                             if pos != -1 and optval[pos-1].isspace():
                                 optval = optval[:pos]
                         optval = optval.strip()
-                        # allow empty values
-                        if optval == '""':
-                            optval = ''
-                        optname = self.optionxform(optname.rstrip())
-                        cursect[optname] = optval
+                        if optval == '':
+                            cursect[optname] = []
+                        elif optval == '""':
+                            # allow empty values
+                            cursect[optname] = ['']
+                        else:
+                            cursect[optname] = [optval]
                     else:
                         # a non-fatal parsing error occurred.  set up the
                         # exception but keep going. the exception will be
@@ -515,6 +516,22 @@
         if e:
             raise e
 
+        # Merge loaded_sections into self._sections
+        for sectname, options in loaded_sections.iteritems():
+            if sectname in self._sections:
+                cursect = self._sections[sectname]
+            elif sectname == DEFAULTSECT:
+                cursect = self._defaults
+            else:
+                cursect = self._dict()
+                cursect['__name__'] = sectname
+                self._sections[sectname] = cursect
+            for optname, loaded_optval in options.iteritems():
+                optval = cursect.get(optname)
+                if optval is None:
+                    cursect[optname] = "\n".join(loaded_optval)
+                else:
+                    cursect[optname] = "\n".join([optval] + loaded_optval)
 
 class ConfigParser(RawConfigParser):