diff --git a/ChangeLog.txt b/ChangeLog.txt
index ef0e1a10..abb98349 100644
--- a/ChangeLog.txt
+++ b/ChangeLog.txt
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ Broker:
 - queue_qos0_messages was not observing max_queued_** limits
 - Add support bridges to be configured to only send notifications to the local
   broker.
+- When using the include_dir configuration option sort the files
+  alphabetically before loading them.  Closes #17.
 
 Client library:
 - Outgoing messages with QoS>1 are no longer retried after a timeout period.
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index e1916077..4173eabc 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ include_directories(${mosquitto_SOURCE_DIR} ${mosquitto_SOURCE_DIR}/src
 
 set (MOSQ_SRCS
 	conf.c
+	conf_includedir.c
 	context.c
 	database.c
 	handle_connack.c
diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index 8be0277f..af8e4661 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ endif
 OBJS=	mosquitto.o \
 		bridge.o \
 		conf.o \
+		conf_includedir.o \
 		context.o \
 		database.o \
 		handle_connack.o \
@@ -62,10 +63,13 @@ mosquitto.o : mosquitto.c mosquitto_broker_internal.h
 
 bridge.o : bridge.c mosquitto_broker_internal.h
 	${CROSS_COMPILE}${CC} $(BROKER_CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
-	
+
 conf.o : conf.c mosquitto_broker_internal.h
 	${CROSS_COMPILE}${CC} $(BROKER_CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
-	
+
+conf_includedir.o : conf_includedir.c mosquitto_broker_internal.h
+	${CROSS_COMPILE}${CC} $(BROKER_CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
+
 context.o : context.c mosquitto_broker_internal.h
 	${CROSS_COMPILE}${CC} $(BROKER_CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
@@ -119,10 +123,10 @@ net.o : net.c mosquitto_broker_internal.h
 
 net_mosq.o : ../lib/net_mosq.c ../lib/net_mosq.h
 	${CROSS_COMPILE}${CC} $(BROKER_CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
-	
+
 persist.o : persist.c persist.h mosquitto_broker_internal.h
 	${CROSS_COMPILE}${CC} $(BROKER_CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
-	
+
 packet_mosq.o : ../lib/packet_mosq.c ../lib/packet_mosq.h
 	${CROSS_COMPILE}${CC} $(BROKER_CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
diff --git a/src/conf_includedir.c b/src/conf_includedir.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..73614f79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/conf_includedir.c
@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+/*
+Copyright (c) 2009-2016 Roger Light <roger@atchoo.org>
+
+All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials
+are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0
+and Eclipse Distribution License v1.0 which accompany this distribution.
+ 
+The Eclipse Public License is available at
+   http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html
+and the Eclipse Distribution License is available at
+  http://www.eclipse.org/org/documents/edl-v10.php.
+ 
+Contributors:
+   Roger Light - initial implementation and documentation.
+*/
+
+#include <config.h>
+
+#include <limits.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+
+#ifdef WIN32
+#else
+#  include <dirent.h>
+#endif
+
+#ifndef WIN32
+#  include <netdb.h>
+#  include <sys/socket.h>
+#else
+#  include <winsock2.h>
+#  include <ws2tcpip.h>
+#endif
+
+#if !defined(WIN32) && !defined(__CYGWIN__)
+#  include <sys/syslog.h>
+#endif
+
+#include "mosquitto_broker_internal.h"
+#include "memory_mosq.h"
+#include "tls_mosq.h"
+#include "util_mosq.h"
+#include "mqtt3_protocol.h"
+
+int strcasecmp_p(const void *p1, const void *p2)
+{
+	return strcasecmp(*(const char **)p1, *(const char **)p2);
+}
+
+
+#ifdef WIN32
+int config__get_dir_files(const char *include_dir, char ***files, int *file_count)
+{
+	char **l_files = NULL;
+	int l_file_count = 0;
+	char **files_tmp;
+
+	HANDLE fh;
+	char dirpath[MAX_PATH];
+	WIN32_FIND_DATA find_data;
+
+	snprintf(dirpath, MAX_PATH, "%s\\*.conf", include_dir);
+	fh = FindFirstFile(dirpath, &find_data);
+	if(fh == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE){
+		log__printf(NULL, MOSQ_LOG_ERR, "Error: Unable to open include_dir '%s'.", include_dir);
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	do{
+		len = strlen(include_dir)+1+strlen(find_data.cFileName)+1;
+
+		l_file_count++;
+		files_tmp = mosquitto__realloc(l_files, l_file_count*sizeof(char *));
+		if(!files_tmp){
+			for(i=0; i<l_file_count-1; i++){
+				mosquitto__free(l_files[i]);
+			}
+			mosquitto__free(l_files);
+			closedir(dh);
+			return MOSQ_ERR_NOMEM;
+		}
+		l_files = files_tmp;
+
+		l_files[l_file_count-1] = mosquitto__malloc(len+1);
+		if(!l_files[l_file_count-1]){
+			for(i=0; i<l_file_count-1; i++){
+				mosquitto__free(l_files[i]);
+			}
+			mosquitto__free(l_files);
+			closedir(dh);
+			return MOSQ_ERR_NOMEM;
+		}
+		snprintf(l_files[l_file_count-1], len, "%s/%s", include_dir, find_data.cFileName);
+		l_files[l_file_count-1][len] = '\0';
+	}while(FindNextFile(fh, &find_data));
+
+	FindClose(fh);
+
+	*files = l_files;
+	*file_count = l_file_count;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+#endif
+
+
+#ifndef WIN32
+int config__get_dir_files(const char *include_dir, char ***files, int *file_count)
+{
+	char **l_files = NULL;
+	int l_file_count = 0;
+	char **files_tmp;
+	int len;
+	int i;
+
+	DIR *dh;
+	struct dirent *de;
+
+	dh = opendir(include_dir);
+	if(!dh){
+		log__printf(NULL, MOSQ_LOG_ERR, "Error: Unable to open include_dir '%s'.", include_dir);
+		return 1;
+	}
+	while((de = readdir(dh)) != NULL){
+		if(strlen(de->d_name) > 5){
+			if(!strcmp(&de->d_name[strlen(de->d_name)-5], ".conf")){
+				len = strlen(include_dir)+1+strlen(de->d_name)+1;
+
+				l_file_count++;
+				files_tmp = mosquitto__realloc(l_files, l_file_count*sizeof(char *));
+				if(!files_tmp){
+					for(i=0; i<l_file_count-1; i++){
+						mosquitto__free(l_files[i]);
+					}
+					mosquitto__free(l_files);
+					closedir(dh);
+					return MOSQ_ERR_NOMEM;
+				}
+				l_files = files_tmp;
+
+				l_files[l_file_count-1] = mosquitto__malloc(len+1);
+				if(!l_files[l_file_count-1]){
+					for(i=0; i<l_file_count-1; i++){
+						mosquitto__free(l_files[i]);
+					}
+					mosquitto__free(l_files);
+					closedir(dh);
+					return MOSQ_ERR_NOMEM;
+				}
+				snprintf(l_files[l_file_count-1], len, "%s/%s", include_dir, de->d_name);
+				l_files[l_file_count-1][len] = '\0';
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	closedir(dh);
+
+	*files = l_files;
+	*file_count = l_file_count;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+#endif
+
+
diff --git a/src/mosquitto_broker_internal.h b/src/mosquitto_broker_internal.h
index 32563425..3256e89e 100644
--- a/src/mosquitto_broker_internal.h
+++ b/src/mosquitto_broker_internal.h
@@ -477,6 +477,7 @@ int config__parse_args(struct mosquitto__config *config, int argc, char *argv[])
 int config__read(struct mosquitto__config *config, bool reload);
 /* Free all config data. */
 void config__cleanup(struct mosquitto__config *config);
+int config__get_dir_files(const char *include_dir, char ***files, int *file_count);
 
 int drop_privileges(struct mosquitto__config *config, bool temporary);
 int restore_privileges(void);