diff --git a/lib/compass/commands/installer_command.rb b/lib/compass/commands/installer_command.rb
index f63f5acc..7385c7f8 100644
--- a/lib/compass/commands/installer_command.rb
+++ b/lib/compass/commands/installer_command.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ module Compass
 
       def configure!
         Compass.add_configuration(installer.default_configuration)
-        read_project_configuration
+        Compass.add_project_configuration
         Compass.add_configuration(options)
         Compass.add_configuration(installer.completed_configuration)
         if File.exists?(Compass.configuration.extensions_path)
diff --git a/lib/compass/commands/project_base.rb b/lib/compass/commands/project_base.rb
index 21776373..335c403a 100644
--- a/lib/compass/commands/project_base.rb
+++ b/lib/compass/commands/project_base.rb
@@ -22,14 +22,18 @@ module Compass
       protected
 
       def configure!
-        read_project_configuration
+        add_project_configuration
         if File.exists?(Compass.configuration.extensions_path)
           Compass::Frameworks.discover(Compass.configuration.extensions_path)
         end
       end
 
+      def add_project_configuration
+        Compass.add_project_configuration(options[:configuration_file])
+      end
+
       def projectize(path)
-        File.join(project_directory, separate(path))
+        Compass.projectize(path)
       end
 
       def project_directory
@@ -48,31 +52,6 @@ module Compass
         Compass.configuration.images_dir
       end
 
-      # Read the configuration file for this project
-      def read_project_configuration
-        if (file = detect_configuration_file) && File.readable?(file)
-          Compass.add_configuration(file)
-        end
-      end
-
-      def explicit_config_file_must_be_readable?
-        true
-      end
-
-      # TODO: Deprecate the src/config.rb location.
-      KNOWN_CONFIG_LOCATIONS = [".compass/config.rb", "config/compass.config", "config.rb", "src/config.rb"]
-
-      # Finds the configuration file, if it exists in a known location.
-      def detect_configuration_file
-        if options[:configuration_file]
-          if explicit_config_file_must_be_readable? && !File.readable?(options[:configuration_file])
-            raise Compass::Error, "Configuration file, #{file}, not found or not readable."
-          end
-          return options[:configuration_file]
-        end
-        KNOWN_CONFIG_LOCATIONS.map{|f| projectize(f)}.detect{|f| File.exists?(f)}
-      end
-
       def assert_project_directory_exists!
         if File.exists?(project_directory) && !File.directory?(project_directory)
           raise Compass::FilesystemConflict.new("#{project_directory} is not a directory.")
diff --git a/lib/compass/commands/write_configuration.rb b/lib/compass/commands/write_configuration.rb
index 1c8c28fc..7d9604aa 100644
--- a/lib/compass/commands/write_configuration.rb
+++ b/lib/compass/commands/write_configuration.rb
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ module Compass
         assert_project_directory_exists!
       end
 
+      def add_project_configuration
+        Compass.add_project_configuration
+      end
+
       def perform
         installer.write_configuration_files(options[:configuration_file])
       end
diff --git a/lib/compass/configuration/helpers.rb b/lib/compass/configuration/helpers.rb
index ea8ad504..f779a973 100644
--- a/lib/compass/configuration/helpers.rb
+++ b/lib/compass/configuration/helpers.rb
@@ -53,6 +53,28 @@ module Compass
       def sass_engine_options
         configuration.to_sass_engine_options
       end
+
+      # Read the configuration file for this project
+      def add_project_configuration(configuration_file_path = nil)
+        configuration_file_path ||= detect_configuration_file
+        Compass.add_configuration(configuration_file_path) if configuration_file_path
+      end
+
+      # Returns a full path to the relative path to the project directory
+      def projectize(path, project_path = nil)
+        project_path ||= configuration.project_path
+        File.join(project_path, *path.split('/'))
+      end
+
+      # TODO: Deprecate the src/config.rb location.
+      KNOWN_CONFIG_LOCATIONS = [".compass/config.rb", "config/compass.config", "config.rb", "src/config.rb"]
+
+      # Finds the configuration file, if it exists in a known location.
+      def detect_configuration_file(project_path = nil)
+        possible_files = KNOWN_CONFIG_LOCATIONS.map{|f| projectize(f, project_path) }
+        possible_files.detect{|f| File.exists?(f)}
+      end
+
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/lib/compass/configuration/serialization.rb b/lib/compass/configuration/serialization.rb
index 4a0e1c0d..4d8af6c0 100644
--- a/lib/compass/configuration/serialization.rb
+++ b/lib/compass/configuration/serialization.rb
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ module Compass
           data.parse(config_file)
           data
         end
+
         def new_from_string(contents, filename)
           data = Data.new
           data.parse_string(contents, filename)
@@ -23,6 +24,9 @@ module Compass
       module InstanceMethods
         # parses a configuration file which is a ruby script
         def parse(config_file)
+          unless File.readable?(config_file)
+            raise Compass::Error, "Configuration file, #{config_file}, not found or not readable."
+          end
           open(config_file) do |f|
             parse_string(f.read, config_file)
           end