diff --git a/src/Settings.php b/src/Settings.php
index c1cd56a..be1c780 100644
--- a/src/Settings.php
+++ b/src/Settings.php
@@ -142,6 +142,10 @@ class Settings implements \Iterator
 				throw new \Exception( "No settingsfile: $defaultConf" );
 	//			throw new FileNotFoundException();
 			}
+			
+			if (isset($this->settings['modes'])) {
+				$this->addModes($this->settings['modes']);
+			}
 	
 			// load local config without merging - we need it here for the mode
 			$conf = $this->buildFileName();
@@ -167,9 +171,9 @@ class Settings implements \Iterator
 			}
 	
 			// load and merge Prefix.mode.conf.php
-			if ( isset( $modes[ $this->mode ] ) )
+			if ( isset( $this->modes[ $this->mode ] ) )
 			{
-				$modeConf = $this->buildFileName( $modes[ $this->mode ] );
+				$modeConf = $this->buildFileName( $this->modes[ $this->mode ] );
 	
 				if ( file_exists($modeConf) )
 				{
@@ -183,6 +187,7 @@ class Settings implements \Iterator
 			else
 			{
 				// log invalid mode
+				throw new \Exception( "The mode '{$this->mode}' is not valid" );
 			}
 	
 			// merge Prefix.conf.php (localConf)