diff --git a/i3pystatus/batterychecker.py b/i3pystatus/batterychecker.py
index 38ae486..3f05190 100644
--- a/i3pystatus/batterychecker.py
+++ b/i3pystatus/batterychecker.py
@@ -42,8 +42,10 @@ class BatteryChecker(IntervalModule):
     battery status
     """
     
-    def __init__(self, battery_ident="BAT0"):
-        self.battery_ident = battery_ident
+    settings = ("battery_ident",)
+    battery_ident = "BAT0"
+
+    def init(self):
         self.base_path = "/sys/class/power_supply/{0}/uevent".format(self.battery_ident)
 
     def run(self):
diff --git a/i3pystatus/clock.py b/i3pystatus/clock.py
index 13a3263..40a1e06 100644
--- a/i3pystatus/clock.py
+++ b/i3pystatus/clock.py
@@ -9,23 +9,25 @@ class Clock(IntervalModule):
     """ 
     This class shows a clock
     """
-    
-    def __init__(self, format_string=None):
+
+    settings = ("format",)
+    format = None
+
+    def init(self):
         lang = os.environ.get('LANG', None)
         if lang:
             locale.setlocale(locale.LC_ALL, lang)
-        if not format_string:
+        if self.format is not None:
             lang = locale.getlocale()[0]
             if lang == 'en_US':
                 # MDY format - United States of America
-                format_string = "%a %b %-d %X"
+                self.format = "%a %b %-d %X"
             else:
                 # DMY format - almost all other countries
-                format_string = "%a %-d %b %X"
-        self.format_string = format_string
+                self.format = "%a %-d %b %X"
 
     def run(self):
-        full_text = datetime.datetime.now().strftime(self.format_string)
+        full_text = datetime.datetime.now().strftime(self.format)
         self.output = {
             "full_text": full_text,
             "name": "pyclock",
diff --git a/i3pystatus/mailchecker.py b/i3pystatus/mailchecker.py
index 8b12d57..2f52b77 100644
--- a/i3pystatus/mailchecker.py
+++ b/i3pystatus/mailchecker.py
@@ -15,25 +15,22 @@ class MailChecker(IntervalModule):
     functionality is implemented in the subclass MailChecker.MailServer
     """
     
-    settings =  {
-        "color": "#ff0000",
-        "servers": []
-    }
+    settings = ("color", "servers")
+    required = ("servers",)
+    color = "#ff0000"
 
-    def __init__(self, settings = None):
-        self.settings.update(settings)
-
-        self.servers = list(map(MailChecker.MailServer, settings["servers"]))
+    def init(self):
+        self.server_list = list(map(MailChecker.MailServer, self.servers))
 
     def run(self):
-        unread = sum(map(lambda server: server.get_unread_count(), self.servers))
+        unread = sum(map(lambda server: server.get_unread_count(), self.server_list))
 
         if unread:
             self.output = {
                 "full_text" : "%d new email%s" % (unread, ("s" if unread > 1 else "")), 
                 "name" : "newmail",
                 "urgent" : "true",
-                "color" : self.settings["color"]
+                "color" : self.color
             }
 
     class MailServer:
diff --git a/i3pystatus/modsde.py b/i3pystatus/modsde.py
index 5df718c..23fc3ad 100644
--- a/i3pystatus/modsde.py
+++ b/i3pystatus/modsde.py
@@ -17,20 +17,20 @@ class ModsDeChecker(IntervalModule):
     unread posts in any bookmark in the mods.de forums.
     """
 
+    settings = ("color", "offset", "format", "username", "password")
+    required = ("username", "password")
+
+    color = "#7181fe"
+    offset = 0
+    format = "%d new posts in bookmarks"
+
     login_url = "http://login.mods.de/"
     bookmark_url = "http://forum.mods.de/bb/xml/bookmarks.php"
     opener = None
     cj = None
     logged_in = False
-    
-    settings =  {
-        "color": "#7181fe",
-        "offset": 0,
-        "format": "%d new posts in bookmarks"
-    }
 
-    def __init__(self, settings = None):
-        self.settings.update(settings)
+    def init(self):
         self.cj = http.cookiejar.CookieJar()
         self.opener = urllib.request.build_opener(urllib.request.HTTPCookieProcessor(self.cj))
 
@@ -41,10 +41,10 @@ class ModsDeChecker(IntervalModule):
             self.output = None
         else:
             self.output = {
-                "full_text" : self.settings["format"] % unread, 
+                "full_text" : self.format % unread, 
                 "name" : "modsde",
                 "urgent" : "true",
-                "color" : self.settings["color"]
+                "color" : self.color
             }
 
     def get_unread_count(self):
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ class ModsDeChecker(IntervalModule):
         try:
             f = self.opener.open(self.bookmark_url)
             root = ET.fromstring(f.read())
-            return int(root.attrib["newposts"]) - self.settings["offset"]
+            return int(root.attrib["newposts"]) - self.offset
         except Exception:
             self.cj.clear()
             self.opener = urllib.request.build_opener(urllib.request.HTTPCookieProcessor(self.cj))
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ class ModsDeChecker(IntervalModule):
 
     def login(self):
         data = urllib.parse.urlencode({
-            "login_username": self.settings["username"],
-            "login_password": self.settings["password"],
+            "login_username": self.username,
+            "login_password": self.password,
             "login_lifetime": "31536000"
         })
 
diff --git a/i3pystatus/notmuchmail.py b/i3pystatus/notmuchmail.py
index ccf7032..18b13b8 100644
--- a/i3pystatus/notmuchmail.py
+++ b/i3pystatus/notmuchmail.py
@@ -15,10 +15,7 @@ class NotmuchMailChecker(IntervalModule):
     and "unread"
     """
 
-    db_path = ""
-
-    def __init__(self, db_path):
-        self.db_path = db_path
+    settings = required = ("db_path",)
 
     def run(self):
         db = notmuch.Database(self.db_path)
diff --git a/i3pystatus/regex.py b/i3pystatus/regex.py
index dd3e872..0f930c0 100644
--- a/i3pystatus/regex.py
+++ b/i3pystatus/regex.py
@@ -15,10 +15,10 @@ class Regex(IntervalModule):
 
     flags = 0
     format = "{0}"
+    settings = ("format", "regex", "file")
+    required = ("regex", "file")
 
-    def __init__(self, settings):
-        self.__dict__.update(settings)
-
+    def init(self):
         self.re = re.compile(self.regex, self.flags)
 
     def run(self):
diff --git a/i3pystatus/thunderbird.py b/i3pystatus/thunderbird.py
index 3336a5c..80ed27c 100644
--- a/i3pystatus/thunderbird.py
+++ b/i3pystatus/thunderbird.py
@@ -23,16 +23,13 @@ class ThunderbirdMailChecker(IntervalModule):
     the dbus-sender extension for thunderbird. 
     """
 
-    settings = {
-        "format": "%d new email"
-    }
+    settings = ("format",)
+
     unread = set()
     interval = 1
+    format = "%d new mail"
 
-    def __init__(self, settings=None):
-        if settings is not None:
-            self.settings.update(settings)
-
+    def init(self):
         dbus.mainloop.glib.DBusGMainLoop(set_as_default=True)
         bus = dbus.SessionBus()
         bus.add_signal_receiver(self.new_msg,