diff --git a/lib/nconf.js b/lib/nconf.js
index bc9646c..299a0b2 100644
--- a/lib/nconf.js
+++ b/lib/nconf.js
@@ -16,6 +16,18 @@ var fs = require('fs'),
 //
 require('pkginfo')(module, 'version');
 
+//
+// Setup all stores as lazy-loaded getters.
+//
+fs.readdirSync(__dirname + '/nconf/stores').forEach(function (file) {
+  var store = file.replace('.js', ''),
+      name  = common.capitalize(store);
+      
+  nconf.__defineGetter__(name, function () {
+    return require('./nconf/stores/' + store)[name];
+  });
+});
+
 //
 // Expose the various components included with nconf
 //
@@ -24,5 +36,4 @@ nconf.path          = common.path;
 nconf.loadFiles     = common.loadFiles;
 nconf.loadFilesSync = common.loadFilesSync;
 nconf.formats       = require('./nconf/formats');
-nconf.stores        = require('./nconf/stores');
-nconf.Provider      = Provider;
\ No newline at end of file
+nconf.Provider      = Provider;
diff --git a/lib/nconf/provider.js b/lib/nconf/provider.js
index b0ec3f3..b830b0e 100644
--- a/lib/nconf/provider.js
+++ b/lib/nconf/provider.js
@@ -6,10 +6,7 @@
  */
 
 var async = require('async'),
-    common = require('./common'),
-    stores = require('./stores');
-
-
+    common = require('./common');
 
 //
 // ### function Provider (options)
@@ -25,38 +22,9 @@ var Provider = exports.Provider = function (options) {
   // `overrides`, `process.env` and `process.argv`.
   //
   options       = options || {};
-  this._stores  = {};
-  this._sources = [];
-    
-  //
-  // Add any stores passed in through the options
-  // to this instance.
-  //
-  if (options.type) {
-    this.add(options.type, options);
-  }
-  else if (options.store) {
-    this.add(options.store.name || options.store.type, options.store);
-  }
-  else if (options.stores) {
-    Object.keys(options.stores).forEach(function (name) {
-      var store = options.stores[name];
-      self.add(store.name || name || store.type, store);
-    });
-  }
-  
-  //
-  // Add any read-only sources to this instance
-  //
-  if (options.source) {
-    this._sources.push(this.create(options.source.type || options.source.name, options.source));
-  }
-  else if (options.sources) {
-    Object.keys(options.sources).forEach(function (name) {
-      var source = options.sources[name];
-      self._sources.push(self.create(source.type || source.name || name, source));
-    });
-  }
+  this.stores  = {};
+  this.sources = [];
+  this.init(options);
 };
 
 //
@@ -100,7 +68,7 @@ Provider.prototype.use = function (name, options) {
     });
   }
   
-  var store = this._stores[name],
+  var store = this.stores[name],
       update = store && !sameOptions(store);
   
   if (!store || update) {
@@ -128,14 +96,14 @@ Provider.prototype.add = function (name, options) {
   options  = options      || {};
   var type = options.type || name;
   
-  if (Object.keys(stores).indexOf(common.capitalize(type)) === -1) {
+  if (!require('../nconf')[common.capitalize(type)]) {
     throw new Error('Cannot add store with unknown type: ' + type);
   }
   
-  this._stores[name] = this.create(type, options);
+  this.stores[name] = this.create(type, options);
   
-  if (this._stores[name].loadSync) {
-    this._stores[name].loadSync();
+  if (this.stores[name].loadSync) {
+    this.stores[name].loadSync();
   }
   
   return this;
@@ -149,7 +117,7 @@ Provider.prototype.add = function (name, options) {
 // this was used in the call to `.add()`.
 //
 Provider.prototype.remove = function (name) {
-  delete this._stores[name];
+  delete this.stores[name];
   return this;
 };
 
@@ -161,7 +129,39 @@ Provider.prototype.remove = function (name) {
 // specified `options`.
 //
 Provider.prototype.create = function (type, options) {
-  return new stores[common.capitalize(type.toLowerCase())](options);
+  return new (require('../nconf')[common.capitalize(type.toLowerCase())])(options);
+};
+
+Provider.prototype.init = function (options) {
+  //
+  // Add any stores passed in through the options
+  // to this instance.
+  //
+  if (options.type) {
+    this.add(options.type, options);
+  }
+  else if (options.store) {
+    this.add(options.store.name || options.store.type, options.store);
+  }
+  else if (options.stores) {
+    Object.keys(options.stores).forEach(function (name) {
+      var store = options.stores[name];
+      self.add(store.name || name || store.type, store);
+    });
+  }
+  
+  //
+  // Add any read-only sources to this instance
+  //
+  if (options.source) {
+    this.sources.push(this.create(options.source.type || options.source.name, options.source));
+  }
+  else if (options.sources) {
+    Object.keys(options.sources).forEach(function (name) {
+      var source = options.sources[name];
+      self.sources.push(self.create(source.type || source.name || name, source));
+    });
+  }
 };
 
 //
@@ -185,14 +185,14 @@ Provider.prototype.get = function (key, callback) {
   // the entire set of stores, but up until there is a defined value.
   //
   var current = 0,
-      names = Object.keys(this._stores),
+      names = Object.keys(this.stores),
       self = this,
       response;
       
   async.whilst(function () {
     return typeof response === 'undefined' && current < names.length;
   }, function (next) {
-    var store = self._stores[names[current]];
+    var store = self.stores[names[current]];
     current++;
     
     if (store.get.length >= 2) {
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ Provider.prototype.merge = function () {
 //
 Provider.prototype.load = function (callback) {
   var self = this,
-      stores = Object.keys(this._stores).map(function (name) { return self._stores[name] });
+      stores = Object.keys(this.stores).map(function (name) { return self.stores[name] });
   
   function loadStoreSync(store) {
     if (!store.loadSync) {
@@ -331,11 +331,11 @@ Provider.prototype.load = function (callback) {
     // then do so.
     //
     if (!callback) {
-      mergeSources(loadBatch(self._sources));
+      mergeSources(loadBatch(self.sources));
       return loadBatch(stores);
     }
     
-    loadBatch(self._sources, function (err, data) {
+    loadBatch(self.sources, function (err, data) {
       if (err) {
         return callback(err);
       }
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ Provider.prototype.load = function (callback) {
     });
   }
   
-  return self._sources.length 
+  return self.sources.length 
     ? loadSources()
     : loadBatch(stores, callback);
 };
@@ -364,10 +364,10 @@ Provider.prototype.save = function (value, callback) {
   }
   
   var self = this,
-      names = Object.keys(this._stores);
+      names = Object.keys(this.stores);
   
   function saveStoreSync(name) {
-    var store = self._stores[name];
+    var store = self.stores[name];
     
     if (!store.saveSync) {
       throw new Error('nconf store ' + store.type + ' has no saveSync() method');
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ Provider.prototype.save = function (value, callback) {
   }
   
   function saveStore(name, next) {
-    var store = self._stores[name];
+    var store = self.stores[name];
     
     if (!store.save && !store.saveSync) {
       return next(new Error('nconf store ' + store.type + ' has no save() method'));
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ Provider.prototype._execute = function (action, syncLength /* [arguments] */) {
       response;
   
   function runAction (name, next) {
-    var store = self._stores[name];
+    var store = self.stores[name];
 
     if (destructive && store.readOnly) {
       return next();
@@ -430,15 +430,15 @@ Provider.prototype._execute = function (action, syncLength /* [arguments] */) {
   }
   
   if (callback) {
-    return async.forEach(Object.keys(this._stores), runAction, function (err) {
+    return async.forEach(Object.keys(this.stores), runAction, function (err) {
       return err ? callback(err) : callback();
     });
   }
 
 
-  Object.keys(this._stores).forEach(function (name) {
+  Object.keys(this.stores).forEach(function (name) {
     if (typeof response === 'undefined') {
-      var store = self._stores[name];
+      var store = self.stores[name];
 
       if (destructive && store.readOnly) {
         return;
diff --git a/lib/nconf/stores.js b/lib/nconf/stores.js
deleted file mode 100644
index b44b3b6..0000000
--- a/lib/nconf/stores.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * stores.js: Top-level include for all nconf stores
- *
- * (C) 2011, Charlie Robbins
- *
- */
- 
-var fs = require('fs'),
-    common = require('./common'),
-    stores = exports;
-
-//
-// Setup all stores as lazy-loaded getters.
-//
-fs.readdirSync(__dirname + '/stores').forEach(function (file) {
-  var store = file.replace('.js', ''),
-      name  = common.capitalize(store);
-      
-  stores.__defineGetter__(name, function () {
-    return require('./stores/' + store)[name];
-  });
-});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/nconf/stores/argv.js b/lib/nconf/stores/argv.js
index 1e2d4a0..3e7124b 100644
--- a/lib/nconf/stores/argv.js
+++ b/lib/nconf/stores/argv.js
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
  */
  
 var util = require('util'),
-    optimist = require('optimist'),
     Memory = require('./memory').Memory;
  
 //
@@ -45,8 +44,8 @@ Argv.prototype.loadArgv = function () {
       argv;
   
   argv = typeof this.options === 'object'
-    ? optimist(process.argv.slice(2)).options(this.options).argv
-    : optimist(process.argv.slice(2)).argv;
+    ? require('optimist')(process.argv.slice(2)).options(this.options).argv
+    : require('optimist')(process.argv.slice(2)).argv;
   
   if (!argv) {
     return;
diff --git a/test/fixtures/scripts/nconf-change-argv.js b/test/fixtures/scripts/nconf-change-argv.js
index 1aaed1a..032274b 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/scripts/nconf-change-argv.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/scripts/nconf-change-argv.js
@@ -11,6 +11,6 @@ var nconf = require('../../../lib/nconf').argv();
 // Remove 'badValue', 'evenWorse' and 'OHNOEZ'
 //
 process.argv.splice(3, 3);
-nconf._stores['argv'].loadArgv();
+nconf.stores['argv'].loadArgv();
 process.stdout.write(nconf.get('something'));
 
diff --git a/test/nconf-test.js b/test/nconf-test.js
index 2cb8a39..44f613e 100644
--- a/test/nconf-test.js
+++ b/test/nconf-test.js
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ vows.describe('nconf').addBatch({
     "the use() method": {
       "should instaniate the correct store": function () {
         nconf.use('memory');
-        assert.instanceOf(nconf._stores['memory'], nconf.stores.Memory);
+        assert.instanceOf(nconf.stores['memory'], nconf.Memory);
       }
     },
     "it should": {
diff --git a/test/provider-test.js b/test/provider-test.js
index f2440da..e3d7286 100644
--- a/test/provider-test.js
+++ b/test/provider-test.js
@@ -24,13 +24,13 @@ vows.describe('nconf/provider').addBatch({
       "calling the use() method with the same store type and different options": {
         topic: new nconf.Provider().use('file', { file: files[0] }),
         "should use a new instance of the store type": function (provider) {
-          var old = provider._stores['file'];
+          var old = provider.stores['file'];
 
-          assert.equal(provider._stores.file.file, files[0]);
+          assert.equal(provider.stores.file.file, files[0]);
           provider.use('file', { file: files[1] });
 
-          assert.notStrictEqual(old, provider._stores.file);
-          assert.equal(provider._stores.file.file, files[1]);
+          assert.notStrictEqual(old, provider.stores.file);
+          assert.equal(provider.stores.file.file, files[1]);
         }
       },
       "when 'argv' is true": helpers.assertSystemConf({
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ vows.describe('nconf/provider').addBatch({
         "should have the result merged in": function (provider) {
           provider.load();
           provider.merge(override);
-          helpers.assertMerged(null, provider._stores.file.store);
+          helpers.assertMerged(null, provider.stores.file.store);
         }
       }
     }
diff --git a/test/stores/argv-test.js b/test/stores/argv-test.js
index 33014d1..764daab 100644
--- a/test/stores/argv-test.js
+++ b/test/stores/argv-test.js
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ var vows = require('vows'),
     nconf = require('../../lib/nconf');
 
 vows.describe('nconf/stores/argv').addBatch({
-  "An instance of nconf.stores.Argv": {
-    topic: new nconf.stores.Argv(),
+  "An instance of nconf.Argv": {
+    topic: new nconf.Argv(),
     "should have the correct methods defined": function (argv) {
       assert.isFunction(argv.loadSync);
       assert.isFunction(argv.loadArgv);
diff --git a/test/stores/env-test.js b/test/stores/env-test.js
index f9ce5d8..e3c2bca 100644
--- a/test/stores/env-test.js
+++ b/test/stores/env-test.js
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ var vows = require('vows'),
     nconf = require('../../lib/nconf');
 
 vows.describe('nconf/stores/env').addBatch({
-  "An instance of nconf.stores.Env": {
-    topic: new nconf.stores.Env(),
+  "An instance of nconf.Env": {
+    topic: new nconf.Env(),
     "should have the correct methods defined": function (env) {
       assert.isFunction(env.loadSync);
       assert.isFunction(env.loadEnv);
diff --git a/test/stores/file-store-test.js b/test/stores/file-store-test.js
index e4481bb..3149d02 100644
--- a/test/stores/file-store-test.js
+++ b/test/stores/file-store-test.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ vows.describe('nconf/stores/file').addBatch({
     topic: function () {
       var filePath = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'fixtures', 'store.json');
       fs.writeFileSync(filePath, JSON.stringify(data, null, 2));
-      store = new nconf.stores.File({ file: filePath });
+      store = new nconf.File({ file: filePath });
       return null;
     },
     "the load() method": {
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ vows.describe('nconf/stores/file').addBatch({
   "When using the nconf file store": {
     topic: function () {
       var filePath = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'fixtures', 'malformed.json');
-      store = new nconf.stores.File({ file: filePath });
+      store = new nconf.File({ file: filePath });
       return null;
     },
     "the load() method with a malformed JSON config file": {
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ vows.describe('nconf/stores/file').addBatch({
   "When using the nconf file store": {
     topic: function () {
       var tmpPath = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'fixtures', 'tmp.json'),
-          tmpStore = new nconf.stores.File({ file: tmpPath });
+          tmpStore = new nconf.File({ file: tmpPath });
       return tmpStore;
     },
     "the save() method": {
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ vows.describe('nconf/stores/file').addBatch({
         topic: function () {
           var filePath = this.filePath = path.join(process.env.HOME, '.nconf');
           fs.writeFileSync(filePath, JSON.stringify(data, null, 2));
-          return new (nconf.stores.File)({
+          return new (nconf.File)({
             file: '.nconf'
           })
         },
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ vows.describe('nconf/stores/file').addBatch({
       "when the target file doesn't exist higher in the directory tree": {
         topic: function () {
           var filePath = this.filePath = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'fixtures', 'search-store.json');
-          return new (nconf.stores.File)({
+          return new (nconf.File)({
             dir: path.dirname(filePath),
             file: 'search-store.json'
           })
diff --git a/test/stores/literal-test.js b/test/stores/literal-test.js
index 3944bab..9876c3d 100644
--- a/test/stores/literal-test.js
+++ b/test/stores/literal-test.js
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ var vows = require('vows'),
     nconf = require('../../lib/nconf');
 
 vows.describe('nconf/stores/literal').addBatch({
-  "An instance of nconf.stores.Literal": {
-    topic: new nconf.stores.Literal({
+  "An instance of nconf.Literal": {
+    topic: new nconf.Literal({
       foo: 'bar',
       one: 2
     }),
diff --git a/test/stores/memory-store-test.js b/test/stores/memory-store-test.js
index 1512262..aa3f095 100644
--- a/test/stores/memory-store-test.js
+++ b/test/stores/memory-store-test.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ var vows = require('vows'),
 
 vows.describe('nconf/stores/memory').addBatch({
   "When using the nconf memory store": {
-    topic: new nconf.stores.Memory(),
+    topic: new nconf.Memory(),
     "the set() method": {
       "should respond with true": function (store) {
         assert.isTrue(store.set('foo:bar:bazz', 'buzz'));