diff --git a/src/conf.c b/src/conf.c
index 73990d45d..116a4ea5f 100644
--- a/src/conf.c
+++ b/src/conf.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 
 #define MAX_STRING_SIZE	MPD_PATH_MAX+80
@@ -457,6 +458,27 @@ config_get_block_string(struct config_param *param, const char *name,
 	return bp->value;
 }
 
+unsigned
+config_get_block_unsigned(struct config_param *param, const char *name,
+			  unsigned default_value)
+{
+	struct block_param *bp = getBlockParam(param, name);
+	long value;
+	char *endptr;
+
+	if (bp == NULL)
+		return default_value;
+
+	value = strtol(bp->value, &endptr, 0);
+	if (*endptr != 0)
+		g_error("Not a valid number in line %i", bp->line);
+
+	if (value < 0)
+		g_error("Not a positive number in line %i", bp->line);
+
+	return (unsigned)value;
+}
+
 bool
 config_get_block_bool(struct config_param *param, const char *name,
 		      bool default_value)
diff --git a/src/conf.h b/src/conf.h
index 3026c9579..2aed9af9a 100644
--- a/src/conf.h
+++ b/src/conf.h
@@ -125,6 +125,10 @@ config_dup_block_string(struct config_param *param, const char *name,
 	return g_strdup(config_get_block_string(param, name, default_value));
 }
 
+unsigned
+config_get_block_unsigned(struct config_param *param, const char *name,
+			  unsigned default_value);
+
 bool
 config_get_block_bool(struct config_param *param, const char *name,
 		      bool default_value);
diff --git a/src/output/alsa_plugin.c b/src/output/alsa_plugin.c
index 0dc357ff5..b3520191e 100644
--- a/src/output/alsa_plugin.c
+++ b/src/output/alsa_plugin.c
@@ -90,16 +90,12 @@ static void freeAlsaData(AlsaData * ad)
 static void
 alsa_configure(AlsaData *ad, struct config_param *param)
 {
-	struct block_param *bp;
-
 	ad->device = config_dup_block_string(param, "device", NULL);
 
 	ad->useMmap = config_get_block_bool(param, "use_mmap", false);
 
-	if ((bp = getBlockParam(param, "buffer_time")))
-		ad->buffer_time = atoi(bp->value);
-	if ((bp = getBlockParam(param, "period_time")))
-		ad->period_time = atoi(bp->value);
+	ad->buffer_time = config_get_block_unsigned(param, "buffer_time", 0);
+	ad->period_time = config_get_block_unsigned(param, "period_time", 0);
 
 #ifdef SND_PCM_NO_AUTO_RESAMPLE
 	if (!config_get_block_bool(param, "auto_resample", true))
diff --git a/src/output/ao_plugin.c b/src/output/ao_plugin.c
index d20496e2c..f24805de0 100644
--- a/src/output/ao_plugin.c
+++ b/src/output/ao_plugin.c
@@ -80,19 +80,10 @@ audioOutputAo_initDriver(struct audio_output *ao,
 			 struct config_param *param)
 {
 	ao_info *ai;
-	char *test;
 	AoData *ad = newAoData();
-	struct block_param *blockParam;
 	const char *value;
 
-	if ((blockParam = getBlockParam(param, "write_size"))) {
-		ad->writeSize = strtol(blockParam->value, &test, 10);
-		if (*test != '\0') {
-			g_error("\"%s\" is not a valid write size at line %i\n",
-				blockParam->value, blockParam->line);
-		}
-	} else
-		ad->writeSize = 1024;
+	ad->writeSize = config_get_block_unsigned(param, "write_size", 1024);
 
 	if (driverInitCount == 0) {
 		ao_initialize();
diff --git a/src/output/jack_plugin.c b/src/output/jack_plugin.c
index 224fcd341..185f73860 100644
--- a/src/output/jack_plugin.c
+++ b/src/output/jack_plugin.c
@@ -187,9 +187,6 @@ mpd_jack_init(struct audio_output *ao,
 {
 	struct jack_data *jd;
 	const char *value;
-	struct block_param *bp;
-	char *endptr;
-	int val;
 
 	jd = mpd_jack_new();
 	jd->ao = ao;
@@ -212,18 +209,8 @@ mpd_jack_init(struct audio_output *ao,
 		g_free(ports);
 	}
 
-	if ( (bp = getBlockParam(param, "ringbuffer_size")) ) {
-		errno = 0;
-		val = strtol(bp->value, &endptr, 10);
-
-		if ( errno == 0 && endptr != bp->value) {
-			jd->ringbuffer_size = val < 32768 ? 32768 : val;
-			g_debug("ringbuffer_size=%d", jd->ringbuffer_size);
-		} else {
-			g_error("%s is not a number; ringbuf_size=%d",
-				bp->value, jd->ringbuffer_size);
-		}
-	}
+	jd->ringbuffer_size =
+		config_get_block_unsigned(param, "ringbuffer_size", 32768);
 
 	return jd;
 }
diff --git a/src/output/shout_plugin.c b/src/output/shout_plugin.c
index 069a0b307..7d3e4aaf0 100644
--- a/src/output/shout_plugin.c
+++ b/src/output/shout_plugin.c
@@ -221,14 +221,8 @@ static void *my_shout_init_driver(struct audio_output *audio_output,
 	}
 
 	/* optional paramters */
-	block_param = getBlockParam(param, "timeout");
-	if (block_param) {
-		sd->timeout = (int)strtol(block_param->value, &test, 10);
-		if (*test != '\0' || sd->timeout <= 0) {
-			g_error("shout timeout is not a positive integer, "
-				"line %i\n", block_param->line);
-		}
-	}
+	sd->timeout = config_get_block_unsigned(param, "timeout",
+						DEFAULT_CONN_TIMEOUT);
 
 	value = config_get_block_string(param, "genre", NULL);
 	if (value != NULL && shout_set_genre(sd->shout_conn, value)) {