diff --git a/lib/nconf/stores/file.js b/lib/nconf/stores/file.js
index 2af56c8..d3de098 100644
--- a/lib/nconf/stores/file.js
+++ b/lib/nconf/stores/file.js
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
  *
  */
 
-var fs = require('fs'),
+var crypto = require('crypto'),
+    fs = require('fs'),
     path = require('path'),
     util = require('util'),
     formats = require('../formats'),
@@ -71,10 +72,7 @@ File.prototype.save = function (value, callback) {
     value = null;
   }
 
-  var contents = this.format.stringify(this.store, null, this.spacing),
-      bytes = this.tryEncrypt(contents);
-
-  fs.writeFile(this.file, bytes, callback);
+  fs.writeFile(this.file, this.stringify(), callback);
 };
 
 //
@@ -85,10 +83,7 @@ File.prototype.save = function (value, callback) {
 // using the format specified by `this.format` synchronously.
 //
 File.prototype.saveSync = function (value) {
-  var contents = this.format.stringify(this.store, null, this.spacing),
-      bytes = this.tryEncrypt(contents);
-
-  fs.writeFileSync(this.file, bytes);
+  fs.writeFileSync(this.file, this.stringify());
   return this.store;
 };
 
@@ -120,8 +115,7 @@ File.prototype.load = function (callback) {
           stringData = stringData.substr(1);
         }
 
-        var contents = self.tryDecrypt(stringData);
-        self.store = self.format.parse(contents);
+        self.store = self.parse(stringData);
       }
       catch (ex) {
         return callback(new Error("Error parsing your configuration file: [" + self.file + ']: ' + ex.message));
@@ -138,66 +132,78 @@ File.prototype.load = function (callback) {
 // and responds appropriately.
 //
 File.prototype.loadSync = function () {
-  var data, self = this;
-
-  if (!existsSync(self.file)) {
-    self.store = {};
-    data = {};
-  }
-  else {
-    //
-    // Else, the path exists, read it from disk
-    //
-    try {
-      // Deals with file that include BOM
-      var fileData = fs.readFileSync(this.file, 'utf8');
-      if (fileData.charAt(0) === '\uFEFF') {
-        fileData = fileData.substr(1);
-      }
-
-      data = this.format.parse(fileData);
-      this.store = data;
-    }
-    catch (ex) {
-      throw new Error("Error parsing your configuration file: [" + self.file + ']: ' + ex.message);
-    }
+  if (!existsSync(this.file)) {
+    this.store = {};
+    return this.store;
   }
 
-  return data;
+  //
+  // Else, the path exists, read it from disk
+  //
+  try {
+    // Deals with file that include BOM
+    var fileData = fs.readFileSync(this.file, 'utf8');
+    if (fileData.charAt(0) === '\uFEFF') {
+      fileData = fileData.substr(1);
+    }
+
+    this.store = this.parse(fileData);
+  }
+  catch (ex) {
+    throw new Error("Error parsing your configuration file: [" + this.file + ']: ' + ex.message);
+  }
+
+  return this.store;
 };
 
 //
-// ### function tryEncrypt ()
+// ### function stringify ()
 // Returns an encrypted version of the contents IIF
 // `this.secure` is enabled
 //
-File.prototype.tryEncrypt = function (contents) {
-  if (!this.secure) { return contents; }
+File.prototype.stringify = function () {
+  var data = this.store,
+      self = this;
 
-  //
-  // Contents have already been stringified by the format
-  // so no need to re-stringify here.
-  //
-  return cipherConvert(contents, {
-    alg: this.secure.alg,
-    secret: this.secure.secret,
-    encs: { input: 'utf8', output: 'hex' }
-  });
+  if (this.secure) {
+    data = Object.keys(data).reduce(function (acc, key) {
+      var value = self.format.stringify(data[key]);
+      acc[key] = cipherConvert(value, {
+        alg: self.secure.alg,
+        secret: self.secure.secret,
+        encs: { input: 'utf8', output: 'hex' }
+      });
+
+      return acc;
+    }, {});
+  }
+
+  return this.format.stringify(data, null, this.spacing);
 };
 
 //
-// ### function tryDecrypt (contents)
+// ### function parse (contents)
 // Returns a decrypted version of the contents IFF
 // `this.secure` is enabled.
 //
-File.prototype.tryDecrypt = function (contents) {
-  if (!this.secure) { return contents; }
+File.prototype.parse = function (contents) {
+  var parsed = this.format.parse(contents),
+      self = this;
 
-  return cipherConvert(contents, {
-    alg: this.secure.alg,
-    secret: this.secure.secret,
-    encs: { input: 'hex', output: 'utf8' }
-  });
+  if (!this.secure) {
+    return parsed;
+  }
+
+  return Object.keys(parsed).reduce(function (acc, key) {
+    var decrypted = cipherConvert(parsed[key], {
+      alg: self.secure.alg,
+      secret: self.secure.secret,
+      encs: { input: 'hex', output: 'utf8' }
+    });
+
+    acc[key] = self.format.parse(decrypted);
+    return acc;
+  }, {});
 };
 
 //
diff --git a/test/stores/file-store-test.js b/test/stores/file-store-test.js
index 6a17290..6ce9818 100644
--- a/test/stores/file-store-test.js
+++ b/test/stores/file-store-test.js
@@ -222,5 +222,28 @@ vows.describe('nconf/stores/file').addBatch({
       }
     }
   }
+}).addBatch({
+  "When using the nconf file store": {
+    topic: function () {
+      var secureStore = new nconf.File({
+        file: 'mock-file-path.json',
+        secure: 'super-secretzzz'
+      });
+
+      secureStore.store = data;
+      return secureStore;
+    },
+    "the stringify() method should encrypt properly": function (store) {
+      var contents = JSON.parse(store.stringify());
+      Object.keys(data).forEach(function (key) {
+        assert.isString(contents[key]);
+      });
+    },
+    "the parse() method should decrypt properly": function (store) {
+      var contents = store.stringify();
+      var parsed = store.parse(contents);
+      assert.deepEqual(parsed, data);
+    }
+  }
 }).export(module);