diff --git a/included.cfg b/included.cfg
index 2f89d87..26a373a 100644
--- a/included.cfg
+++ b/included.cfg
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 script=included_script.sh
 
 [sysctl]
+type=sysctl
 net.core.rmem_max = 8388609
 
 [my_included_plugin]
diff --git a/test.cfg b/test.cfg
index 327f2e0..91a76ce 100644
--- a/test.cfg
+++ b/test.cfg
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ include=included.cfg
 script=script.sh
 elevator=deadline
 
-[sysctl]
+[my_sysctl]
+merge=1
+type=sysctl
 # ktune sysctl settings for EL 5 servers
 
 # 256 KB default performs well experimentally, and is often recommended by ISVs.
diff --git a/tuned/plugins/plugin_sysctl.py b/tuned/plugins/plugin_sysctl.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c83001c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tuned/plugins/plugin_sysctl.py
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+import tuned.plugins
+import tuned.logs
+import tuned.monitors
+import os
+import struct
+from subprocess import *
+
+log = tuned.logs.get()
+
+class SysctlPlugin(tuned.plugins.Plugin):
+	"""
+	"""
+
+	def __init__(self, devices, options):
+		"""
+		"""
+		super(self.__class__, self).__init__(None, options)
+		self._options = options
+		self._latency = None
+		self._updated = False
+		self._sysctl_original = {}
+
+	def _exec_sysctl(self, data, write = False):
+		if write:
+			log.debug("Setting sysctl: %s" % (data))
+			proc = Popen(["/sbin/sysctl", "-q", "-w", data], stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE)
+		else:
+			proc = Popen(["/sbin/sysctl", "-e", data], stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE)
+		out, err = proc.communicate()
+
+		if proc.returncode:
+			log.error("sysctl error: %s" % (err[:-1]))
+		return (proc.returncode, out, err)
+
+	def _apply_sysctl(self):
+		for key, value in self._options.iteritems():
+			returncode, out, err = self._exec_sysctl(key)
+			if not returncode and len(out.split('=')) == 2:
+				k = out.split('=')[0].strip()
+				v = out.split('=')[1].strip()
+				self._sysctl_original[k] = v
+
+			self._exec_sysctl(key + "=" + value, True)
+		return True
+
+	def _revert_sysctl(self):
+		for key, value in self._sysctl_original.iteritems():
+			self._exec_sysctl(key + "=" + value, True)
+
+	def cleanup(self):
+		self._revert_sysctl()
+		os.close(self._cpu_latency_fd)
+
+	def update_tuning(self):
+		if self._updated:
+			return
+
+		self._updated = True
+		self._apply_sysctl()
+
+
diff --git a/tuned/profile.py b/tuned/profile.py
index d3df859..496e937 100644
--- a/tuned/profile.py
+++ b/tuned/profile.py
@@ -34,18 +34,12 @@ class Profile(object):
 	def __init__(self, manager, config_file):
 		self._manager = manager
 		self._config_file = config_file
-		self._sysctl = {}
-		self._sysctl_original = {}
 		self._scripts = []
 		self._elevator = ""
 		# TODO: match cciss* somehow
 		self._elevator_devs = "/sys/block/sd*/queue/scheduler"
 		self._plugin_configs = {}
 
-	def _load_sysctl(self, cfg):
-		if cfg.has_section("sysctl"):
-			self._sysctl.update(cfg.items("sysctl"))
-
 	def _load_ktuned(self):
 		for cfg in glob.glob("/etc/ktune.d/*.conf"):
 			f = open(os.path.join("/etc/ktune.d/", cfg))
@@ -61,39 +55,6 @@ class Profile(object):
 				self._scripts.append(script)
 		return True
 
-	def _exec_sysctl(self, data, write = False):
-		if write:
-			log.debug("Setting sysctl: %s" % (data))
-			proc = Popen(["/sbin/sysctl", "-q", "-w", data], stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE)
-		else:
-			proc = Popen(["/sbin/sysctl", "-e", data], stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE)
-		out, err = proc.communicate()
-
-		if proc.returncode:
-			log.error("sysctl error: %s" % (err[:-1]))
-		return (proc.returncode, out, err)
-
-	def _apply_sysctl(self):
-		if len(self._elevator) == 0:
-			return
-
-		for key, value in self._sysctl.iteritems():
-			returncode, out, err = self._exec_sysctl(key)
-			if not returncode:
-				k = out.split('=')[0].strip()
-				v = out.split('=')[1].strip()
-				self._sysctl_original[k] = v
-
-			self._exec_sysctl(key + "=" + value, True)
-		return True
-
-	def _revert_sysctl(self):
-		if len(self._elevator) == 0:
-			return
-
-		for key, value in self._sysctl_original.iteritems():
-			self._exec_sysctl(key + "=" + value, True)
-
 	def _apply_elevator(self):
 		for dev in glob.glob(self._elevator_devs):
 			log.debug("Applying elevator: %s < %s" % (dev, self._elevator))
@@ -193,6 +154,7 @@ class Profile(object):
 
 		if plugin_cfg.has_key("merge"):
 			self._merge_plugin(name, plugin_cfg)
+			del plugin_cfg["merge"]
 		else:
 			self._replace_plugin(name, plugin_cfg)
 		self._plugin_configs[name] = plugin_cfg
@@ -225,12 +187,7 @@ class Profile(object):
 		if cfg.has_option("main", "elevator_tune_devs"):
 			self._elevator_devs = cfg.get("main", "elevator_tune_devs")
 
-		self._load_sysctl(cfg)
-
 		for section in cfg.sections():
-			if section in ["main", "sysctl"]:
-				continue
-
 			if not cfg.has_option(section, "type"):
 				log.error("No 'type' option for %s plugin" % (section))
 				continue
@@ -241,10 +198,9 @@ class Profile(object):
 
 	def load(self):
 		return (self._load_config(self._manager, self._config_file) and
-			self._apply_config() and self._load_ktuned() and self._apply_sysctl() and
+			self._apply_config() and self._load_ktuned() and
 			self._apply_elevator() and self._call_scripts())
 
 	def cleanup(self):
-		self._revert_sysctl()
 		self._revert_elevator()
 		self._call_scripts("stop")