diff --git a/.hgignore b/.hgignore
index cef7c95b..0f5efdb8 100644
--- a/.hgignore
+++ b/.hgignore
@@ -5,3 +5,15 @@
 ^berlios-hg.state$
 ^berlios-hg.state.old$
 ^berlios-hg.state.journal$
+build/.*
+Makefile\.in
+aclocal\.m4
+autom4te.*
+compile
+config.*
+depcomp
+install-sh
+ltmain\.sh
+missing
+.*\.pyc
+.*~
diff --git a/moo/mooutils/mooprefs.c b/moo/mooutils/mooprefs.c
index 3712f1de..abe6fac5 100644
--- a/moo/mooutils/mooprefs.c
+++ b/moo/mooutils/mooprefs.c
@@ -1373,3 +1373,40 @@ moo_prefs_match_type_get_type (void)
 
     return type;
 }
+
+
+static void
+add_key (const char  *key,
+         G_GNUC_UNUSED PrefsItem *item,
+         GPtrArray   *array)
+{
+    g_ptr_array_add (array, g_strdup (key));
+}
+
+char**
+moo_prefs_list_keys (guint *n_keys)
+{
+    MooPrefs *prefs = instance ();
+    GPtrArray *array;
+
+    array = g_ptr_array_new ();
+
+    g_hash_table_foreach (prefs->priv->data,
+                          (GHFunc) add_key,
+                          array);
+
+    if (!array->len)
+    {
+        g_ptr_array_free (array, TRUE);
+        if (n_keys)
+            *n_keys = 0;
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        if (n_keys)
+            *n_keys = array->len;
+        g_ptr_array_add (array, NULL);
+        return (char**) g_ptr_array_free (array, FALSE);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/moo/mooutils/mooprefs.h b/moo/mooutils/mooprefs.h
index f9c1ac52..3c7e5303 100644
--- a/moo/mooutils/mooprefs.h
+++ b/moo/mooutils/mooprefs.h
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ void            moo_prefs_new_key       (const char     *key,
                                          const GValue   *default_value);
 void            moo_prefs_delete_key    (const char     *key);
 
+char          **moo_prefs_list_keys     (guint          *n_keys);
 GType           moo_prefs_get_key_type  (const char     *key);
 gboolean        moo_prefs_key_registered(const char     *key);