diff --git a/apps/converter/__init__.py b/apps/converter/__init__.py
index 50ff26850e..6f1785f4f6 100644
--- a/apps/converter/__init__.py
+++ b/apps/converter/__init__.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from project_tools.api import register_tool
 
 from .utils import load_backend
 from .links import formats_list
-from .conf.settings import GRAPHICS_BACKEND
+from .settings import GRAPHICS_BACKEND
 
 register_sidebar_template(['formats_list'], 'converter_file_formats_help.html')
 
diff --git a/apps/converter/api.py b/apps/converter/api.py
index 56555eff0c..79957d6f5b 100644
--- a/apps/converter/api.py
+++ b/apps/converter/api.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import logging
 
 from django.utils.encoding import smart_str
 
-from common.conf.settings import TEMPORARY_DIRECTORY
+from common.settings import TEMPORARY_DIRECTORY
 from common.textparser import TextParser, TEXT_PARSER_MIMETYPES
 from mimetype.api import get_mimetype
 
diff --git a/apps/converter/icons.py b/apps/converter/icons.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e4f83d67cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/converter/icons.py
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+
+from icons.literals import PICTURES
+from icons import Icon
+
+icon_format_list = Icon(PICTURES)
+
diff --git a/apps/converter/links.py b/apps/converter/links.py
index b1db5e4513..497871d667 100644
--- a/apps/converter/links.py
+++ b/apps/converter/links.py
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
 
 from navigation.api import Link
 
+from .icons import icon_format_list
 
 def is_superuser(context):
     return context['request'].user.is_staff or context['request'].user.is_superuser
 
-formats_list = Link(text=_('file formats'), view='formats_list', sprite='pictures', icon='pictures.png', condition=is_superuser, children_view_regex=[r'formats_list'])
+formats_list = Link(text=_('file formats'), view='formats_list', icon=icon_format_list, condition=is_superuser, children_view_regex=[r'formats_list'])
diff --git a/apps/converter/office_converter.py b/apps/converter/office_converter.py
index 46614839ac..8b13d54648 100644
--- a/apps/converter/office_converter.py
+++ b/apps/converter/office_converter.py
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ import subprocess
 import logging
 
 from mimetype.api import get_mimetype
-from common.conf.settings import TEMPORARY_DIRECTORY
+from common.settings import TEMPORARY_DIRECTORY
 
-from .conf.settings import LIBREOFFICE_PATH
+from .settings import LIBREOFFICE_PATH
 from .exceptions import OfficeBackendError, UnknownFileFormat
 
 CACHED_FILE_SUFFIX = u'_office_converter'
diff --git a/apps/converter/settings.py b/apps/converter/settings.py
index 7d3ba2aeac..dd78f96b45 100644
--- a/apps/converter/settings.py
+++ b/apps/converter/settings.py
@@ -2,60 +2,54 @@
 
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
 
-from smart_settings.api import Setting, SettingNamespace
+from smart_settings import SettingsNamespace, LocalScope
 
-namespace = SettingNamespace('converter', _(u'Converter'), module='converter.conf.settings')
+namespace = SettingsNamespace('converter', _(u'Converter'), module='converter.settings')
 
-Setting(
-    namespace=namespace,
+namespace.add_setting(
     name='IM_CONVERT_PATH',
-    global_name='CONVERTER_IM_CONVERT_PATH',
     default=u'/usr/bin/convert',
     description=_(u'File path to imagemagick\'s convert program.'),
     exists=True,
+    scopes=[LocalScope]
 )
 
-Setting(
-    namespace=namespace,
+namespace.add_setting(
     name='IM_IDENTIFY_PATH',
-    global_name='CONVERTER_IM_IDENTIFY_PATH',
     default=u'/usr/bin/identify',
     description=_(u'File path to imagemagick\'s identify program.'),
     exists=True,
+    scopes=[LocalScope]
 )
 
-Setting(
-    namespace=namespace,
+namespace.add_setting(
     name='GM_PATH',
-    global_name='CONVERTER_GM_PATH',
     default=u'/usr/bin/gm',
     description=_(u'File path to graphicsmagick\'s program.'),
     exists=True,
+    scopes=[LocalScope]
 )
 
-Setting(
-    namespace=namespace,
+namespace.add_setting(
     name='GM_SETTINGS',
-    global_name='CONVERTER_GM_SETTINGS',
     default=u'',
     description=_(u'Set of configuration options to pass to the GraphicsMagick executable to fine tune it\'s functionality as explained in the GraphicsMagick documentation.'),
+    scopes=[LocalScope]
 )
 
-Setting(
-    namespace=namespace,
+namespace.add_setting(
     name='GRAPHICS_BACKEND',
-    global_name='CONVERTER_GRAPHICS_BACKEND',
     default=u'converter.backends.python',
     description=_(u'Graphics conversion backend to use.  Options are: converter.backends.imagemagick, converter.backends.graphicsmagick and converter.backends.python.'),
+    scopes=[LocalScope]
 )
 
-Setting(
-    namespace=namespace,
+namespace.add_setting(
     name='LIBREOFFICE_PATH',
-    global_name='CONVERTER_LIBREOFFICE_PATH',
     default=u'/usr/bin/libreoffice',
     description=_(u'Path to the libreoffice program.'),
-    exists=True
+    exists=True,
+    scopes=[LocalScope]
 )
 
 #{'name': u'OCR_OPTIONS', 'global_name': u'CONVERTER_OCR_OPTIONS', 'default': u'-colorspace Gray -depth 8 -resample 200x200'},
diff --git a/apps/converter/utils.py b/apps/converter/utils.py
index d85157ff2b..ddcba2bda1 100644
--- a/apps/converter/utils.py
+++ b/apps/converter/utils.py
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+
 import os
 
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
 from django.utils.importlib import import_module
 
+from .settings import GRAPHICS_BACKEND
+
 
 def _lazy_load(fn):
     _cached = []
@@ -16,10 +20,9 @@ def _lazy_load(fn):
 
 @_lazy_load
 def load_backend():
-    from converter.conf.settings import GRAPHICS_BACKEND as backend_name
 
     try:
-        module = import_module('.base', 'converter.backends.%s' % backend_name)
+        module = import_module('.base', 'converter.backends.%s' % GRAPHICS_BACKEND)
         import warnings
         warnings.warn(
             "Short names for CONVERTER_BACKEND are deprecated; prepend with 'converter.backends.'",
@@ -29,7 +32,7 @@ def load_backend():
     except ImportError, e:
         # Look for a fully qualified converter backend name
         try:
-            return import_module('.base', backend_name)
+            return import_module('.base', GRAPHICS_BACKEND)
         except ImportError, e_user:
             # The converter backend wasn't found. Display a helpful error message
             # listing all possible (built-in) converter backends.
@@ -41,11 +44,11 @@ def load_backend():
             except EnvironmentError:
                 available_backends = []
             available_backends.sort()
-            if backend_name not in available_backends:
+            if GRAPHICS_BACKEND not in available_backends:
                 error_msg = ("%r isn't an available converter backend. \n" +
                     "Try using converter.backends.XXX, where XXX is one of:\n    %s\n" +
                     "Error was: %s") % \
-                    (backend_name, ", ".join(map(repr, available_backends)), e_user)
+                    (GRAPHICS_BACKEND, ", ".join(map(repr, available_backends)), e_user)
                 raise ImproperlyConfigured(error_msg)
             else:
                 # If there's some other error, this must be an error in Mayan itself.
diff --git a/apps/converter/views.py b/apps/converter/views.py
index 11bba36925..5e03bcfffd 100644
--- a/apps/converter/views.py
+++ b/apps/converter/views.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from django.core.exceptions import PermissionDenied
 from common.utils import encapsulate
 
 from .api import get_format_list
-from .conf.settings import GRAPHICS_BACKEND
+from .settings import GRAPHICS_BACKEND
 
 
 def formats_list(request):