diff --git a/src/array.h b/src/array.h
index c780ed9c..e2603f3c 100644
--- a/src/array.h
+++ b/src/array.h
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ typedef enum {
 	CONFIG_COND_EQ,      /** == */
 	CONFIG_COND_MATCH,   /** =~ */
 	CONFIG_COND_NE,      /** != */
-	CONFIG_COND_NOMATCH  /** !~ */
+	CONFIG_COND_NOMATCH, /** !~ */
+	CONFIG_COND_ELSE     /** (always true if reached) */
 } config_cond_t;
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/configfile-glue.c b/src/configfile-glue.c
index 1e62b626..ded98387 100644
--- a/src/configfile-glue.c
+++ b/src/configfile-glue.c
@@ -408,6 +408,8 @@ static cond_result_t config_check_cond_nocache(server *srv, connection *con, dat
 		break;
 	}
 
+	if (CONFIG_COND_ELSE == dc->cond) return COND_RESULT_TRUE;
+
 	/* pass the rules */
 
 	switch (dc->comp) {
diff --git a/src/configparser.y b/src/configparser.y
index f5ba0321..9d2ab190 100644
--- a/src/configparser.y
+++ b/src/configparser.y
@@ -398,6 +398,10 @@ condlines(A) ::= condlines(B) eols ELSE condline(C). {
       fprintf(stderr, "unreachable else condition\n");
       ctx->ok = 0;
     }
+    if (B->cond == CONFIG_COND_ELSE) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "unreachable condition following else catch-all\n");
+      ctx->ok = 0;
+    }
     C->prev = B;
     B->next = C;
     A = C;
@@ -636,6 +640,24 @@ context ::= DOLLAR SRVVARNAME(B) LBRACKET stringop(C) RBRACKET cond(E) expressio
     D = NULL;
   }
 }
+
+context ::= . {
+  if (ctx->ok) {
+    data_config *dc = data_config_init();
+    buffer_copy_buffer(dc->key, ctx->current->key);
+    buffer_append_string_len(dc->key, CONST_STR_LEN("/"));
+    buffer_append_string_len(dc->key, CONST_STR_LEN("else"));
+    dc->cond = CONFIG_COND_ELSE;
+    if (NULL == array_get_element(ctx->all_configs, dc->key->ptr)) {
+      configparser_push(ctx, dc, 1);
+    } else {
+      fprintf(stderr, "repeated else condition\n");
+      ctx->ok = 0;
+      dc->free((data_unset *)dc);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 cond(A) ::= EQ. {
   A = CONFIG_COND_EQ;
 }
diff --git a/src/data_config.c b/src/data_config.c
index ae7aa1dc..30c32bd2 100644
--- a/src/data_config.c
+++ b/src/data_config.c
@@ -63,8 +63,12 @@ static void data_config_print(const data_unset *d, int depth) {
 		fprintf(stdout, "config {\n");
 	}
 	else {
-		fprintf(stdout, "$%s %s \"%s\" {\n",
-				ds->comp_key->ptr, ds->op->ptr, ds->string->ptr);
+		if (ds->cond != CONFIG_COND_ELSE) {
+			fprintf(stdout, "$%s %s \"%s\" {\n",
+					ds->comp_key->ptr, ds->op->ptr, ds->string->ptr);
+		} else {
+			fprintf(stdout, "{\n");
+		}
 		array_print_indent(depth + 1);
 		fprintf(stdout, "# block %d\n", ds->context_ndx);
 	}
@@ -103,8 +107,12 @@ static void data_config_print(const data_unset *d, int depth) {
 	array_print_indent(depth);
 	fprintf(stdout, "}");
 	if (0 != ds->context_ndx) {
-		fprintf(stdout, " # end of $%s %s \"%s\"",
-				ds->comp_key->ptr, ds->op->ptr, ds->string->ptr);
+		if (ds->cond != CONFIG_COND_ELSE) {
+			fprintf(stdout, " # end of $%s %s \"%s\"",
+					ds->comp_key->ptr, ds->op->ptr, ds->string->ptr);
+		} else {
+			fprintf(stdout, " # end of else");
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (ds->next) {