diff --git a/option.py b/option.py
index e680389..3493200 100644
--- a/option.py
+++ b/option.py
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ class Option(HiddenBaseType, DisabledBaseType, ModeBaseType):
         return self.callback_params
 
     def setowner(self, config, owner):
+        # config *must* be only the **parent** config (not the toplevel config) 
         # owner is a **real* owner, a list is actually allowable here
         name = self._name
         if self._frozen:
@@ -118,6 +119,10 @@ class Option(HiddenBaseType, DisabledBaseType, ModeBaseType):
                     "option: {0}".format(self._name))
         config._cfgimpl_value_owners[name] = owner
 
+    def getowner(self, config):
+        # config *must* be only the **parent** config (not the toplevel config) 
+        return config._cfgimpl_owner[self._name]
+
     def setoption(self, config, value, who):
         "who is **not necessarily** a owner because it cannot be a list"
         name = self._name
diff --git a/test/test_option_setting.py b/test/test_option_setting.py
index de01f74..3c6d2d1 100644
--- a/test/test_option_setting.py
+++ b/test/test_option_setting.py
@@ -37,14 +37,13 @@ def test_attribute_access():
     assert config.string == "foo"
 
 def test_setitem():
-    s = StrOption("string", "", default=["string", None, "sdfsdf"], default_multi="prout", multi=True)
+    s = StrOption("string", "", default=["string", "sdfsdf"], default_multi="prout", multi=True)
     descr = OptionDescription("options", "", [s])
     config = Config(descr)
-    config._cfgimpl_values['string'].append("eggs")
-#    config.string = ["string"].append("eggs")
-    print config.string
-#    config.string[1] = "titi"
-
+    print config.string[1]
+    config.string[1] = "titi"
+    print config.string[1]
+    
 def test_reset():
     "if value is None, resets to default owner"
     s = StrOption("string", "", default="string")