diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/SettingsController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/SettingsController.php
index c9076e0c..875f29b1 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/SettingsController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/Admin/SettingsController.php
@@ -35,10 +35,10 @@ class SettingsController extends BaseController
      */
     public function update(Setting $setting, Request $request)
     {
-        $/*this->validate($request, Setting::$rules, Setting::$messages);
+        /*$this->validate($request, Setting::$rules, Setting::$messages);
         $this->updateEntry($setting, $request->all());*/
 
-        return redirect("/admin/settings");
+        return redirect('/admin/settings');
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/app/Models/Migrations/Migration.php b/app/Models/Migrations/Migration.php
index cc7fe4b0..8b239496 100644
--- a/app/Models/Migrations/Migration.php
+++ b/app/Models/Migrations/Migration.php
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class Migration extends MigrationBase
             try {
                 DB::table($table)->insert($row);
             } catch (Exception $e) {
-                # setting already exists
+                # setting already exists, just ignore it
                 if ($e->getCode() === 23000) {
                     continue;
                 }
diff --git a/app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php b/app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php
index 7feb39e6..1fc113ab 100755
--- a/app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php
+++ b/app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ namespace App\Providers;
 
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
 use Illuminate\Support\ServiceProvider;
+use App\Repositories\SettingRepository;
 
 
 class AppServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
@@ -15,6 +16,8 @@ class AppServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
     {
         Schema::defaultStringLength(191);
 
+        $this->app->bind('setting', SettingRepository::class);
+
         //\VaCentral\VaCentral::setVaCentralUrl(config('phpvms.vacentral_api_url'));
         if(!empty(config('phpvms.vacentral_api_key'))) {
             \VaCentral\VaCentral::setApiKey(config('phpvms.vacentral_api_key'));
diff --git a/app/Repositories/SettingRepository.php b/app/Repositories/SettingRepository.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5164b5a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Repositories/SettingRepository.php
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace App\Repositories;
+
+use App\Models\Setting;
+use App\Repositories\Traits\CacheableRepository;
+use Prettus\Repository\Contracts\CacheableInterface;
+
+class SettingRepository extends BaseRepository implements CacheableInterface
+{
+    use CacheableRepository;
+
+    public function model()
+    {
+        return Setting::class;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get a setting, reading it from the cache
+     * @param array $key
+     * @return mixed|void
+     */
+    public function get($key)
+    {
+
+    }
+
+    public function set($key, $value)
+    {
+
+    }
+}
diff --git a/app/Support/helpers.php b/app/Support/helpers.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..33c47654
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Support/helpers.php
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * Shortcut for retrieving a setting value
+ */
+if (!function_exists('setting')) {
+    function setting($key, $value = null)
+    {
+        $settingRepo = app('setting');
+        if($value === null) {
+            return $settingRepo->get($key);
+        } else {
+            $settingRepo->set($key, $value);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index a5c49c52..2a97473d 100755
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@
         "bpocallaghan/generators": "5.0.1"
     },
     "autoload": {
+        "files": [
+            "app/Support/helpers.php"
+        ],
         "classmap": [
             "database"
         ],
diff --git a/database/migrations/2017_12_10_014930_create_settings_table.php b/database/migrations/2017_12_10_014930_create_settings_table.php
index b7de5d51..0cb46837 100644
--- a/database/migrations/2017_12_10_014930_create_settings_table.php
+++ b/database/migrations/2017_12_10_014930_create_settings_table.php
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@ class CreateSettingsTable extends Migration
         Schema::create('settings', function (Blueprint $table) {
             $table->increments('id');
             $table->integer('order')->default(1);
-            $table->string('name')->default('');
+            $table->string('name');
             $table->string('key');
             $table->string('value');
-            $table->string('group')->default('general');
-            $table->text('type')->default('text');
+            $table->string('group')->nullable();
+            $table->text('type')->nullable();
             $table->text('options')->nullable();
             $table->text('description')->nullable();
             $table->timestamps();