diff --git a/backends/graphite.js b/backends/graphite.js
index bd73c84..420e548 100644
--- a/backends/graphite.js
+++ b/backends/graphite.js
@@ -19,11 +19,20 @@ var debug;
 var flushInterval;
 var graphiteHost;
 var graphitePort;
+
+// prefix configuration
+var globalPrefix;
 var prefixPersecond;
-var prefixCount;
+var prefixCounter;
 var prefixTimer;
 var prefixGauge;
 
+// set up namespaces
+var globalNamespace  = [];
+var counterNamespace = [];
+var timerNamespace   = [];
+var gaugesNamespace  = [];
+
 var graphiteStats = {};
 
 var post_stats = function graphite_post_stats(statString) {
@@ -39,8 +48,9 @@ var post_stats = function graphite_post_stats(statString) {
       });
       graphite.on('connect', function() {
         var ts = Math.round(new Date().getTime() / 1000);
-        statString += 'stats.statsd.graphiteStats.last_exception ' + last_exception + ' ' + ts + "\n";
-        statString += 'stats.statsd.graphiteStats.last_flush ' + last_flush + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+        var namespace = globalNamespace.concat('statsd');
+        statString += namespace.join(".") + '.graphiteStats.last_exception ' + last_exception + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+        statString += namespace.join(".") + '.graphiteStats.last_flush ' + last_flush + ' ' + ts + "\n";
         this.write(statString);
         this.end();
         graphiteStats.last_flush = Math.round(new Date().getTime() / 1000);
@@ -66,11 +76,13 @@ var flush_stats = function graphite_flush(ts, metrics) {
   var pctThreshold = metrics.pctThreshold;
 
   for (key in counters) {
+    var namespace = counterNamespace.concat(key);
+    var namespace_num = counterNamespace.concat('stats_counts', key);
     var value = counters[key];
     var valuePerSecond = value / (flushInterval / 1000); // calculate "per second" rate
 
-    statString += prefixPersecond + key + ' ' + valuePerSecond + ' ' + ts + "\n";
-    statString += prefixCount     + key + ' ' + value          + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+    statString += namespace.join(".") + ' ' + valuePerSecond + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+    statString += namespace_num.join(".") + ' ' + value          + ' ' + ts + "\n";
 
     numStats += 1;
   }
@@ -82,6 +94,9 @@ var flush_stats = function graphite_flush(ts, metrics) {
       var min = values[0];
       var max = values[count - 1];
 
+      var namespace = timerNamespace.concat(key);
+      var the_key = namespace.join(".");
+
       var cumulativeValues = [min];
       for (var i = 1; i < count; i++) {
           cumulativeValues.push(values[i] + cumulativeValues[i-1]);
@@ -108,9 +123,9 @@ var flush_stats = function graphite_flush(ts, metrics) {
 
         var clean_pct = '' + pct;
         clean_pct.replace('.', '_');
-        message += prefixTimer + key + '.mean_'  + clean_pct + ' ' + mean           + ' ' + ts + "\n";
-        message += prefixTimer + key + '.upper_' + clean_pct + ' ' + maxAtThreshold + ' ' + ts + "\n";
-        message += prefixTimer + key + '.sum_' + clean_pct + ' ' + sum + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+        message += the_key + '.mean_'  + clean_pct + ' ' + mean           + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+        message += the_key + '.upper_' + clean_pct + ' ' + maxAtThreshold + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+        message += the_key + '.sum_' + clean_pct + ' ' + sum + ' ' + ts + "\n";
       }
 
       sum = cumulativeValues[count-1];
@@ -122,12 +137,12 @@ var flush_stats = function graphite_flush(ts, metrics) {
       }
       var stddev = Math.sqrt(sumOfDiffs / count);
 
-      message += prefixTimer + key + '.std ' + stddev  + ' ' + ts + "\n";
-      message += prefixTimer + key + '.upper ' + max   + ' ' + ts + "\n";
-      message += prefixTimer + key + '.lower ' + min   + ' ' + ts + "\n";
-      message += prefixTimer + key + '.count ' + count + ' ' + ts + "\n";
-      message += prefixTimer + key + '.sum ' + sum  + ' ' + ts + "\n";
-      message += prefixTimer + key + '.mean ' + mean + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+      message += the_key + '.std ' + stddev  + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+      message += the_key + '.upper ' + max   + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+      message += the_key + '.lower ' + min   + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+      message += the_key + '.count ' + count + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+      message += the_key + '.sum ' + sum  + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+      message += the_key + '.mean ' + mean + ' ' + ts + "\n";
 
       statString += message;
 
@@ -136,12 +151,14 @@ var flush_stats = function graphite_flush(ts, metrics) {
   }
 
   for (key in gauges) {
-    statString += prefixGauge + key + ' ' + gauges[key] + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+    var namespace = gaugesNamespace.concat(key);
+    statString += namespace.join(".") + ' ' + gauges[key] + ' ' + ts + "\n";
     numStats += 1;
   }
 
-  statString += 'statsd.numStats ' + numStats + ' ' + ts + "\n";
-  statString += 'stats.statsd.graphiteStats.calculationtime ' + (Date.now() - starttime) + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+  var namespace = globalNamespace.concat('statsd');
+  statString += namespace.join(".") + '.numStats ' + numStats + ' ' + ts + "\n";
+  statString += namespace.join(".") + '.graphiteStats.calculationtime ' + (Date.now() - starttime) + ' ' + ts + "\n";
   post_stats(statString);
 };
 
@@ -155,10 +172,28 @@ exports.init = function graphite_init(startup_time, config, events) {
   debug = config.debug;
   graphiteHost = config.graphiteHost;
   graphitePort = config.graphitePort;
-  prefixPersecond = config.prefixPersecond || "statsd.";
-  prefixCount  = config.prefixCount || "stats_counts.";
-  prefixTimer  = config.prefixTimer || "stats.timers.";
-  prefixGauge  = config.prefixGauge || "stats.gauges.";
+  config.graphite = config.graphite || {};
+  globalPrefix    = config.graphite.globalPrefix  || "stats";
+  prefixCounter   = config.graphite.prefixCounter || "counters";
+  prefixTimer     = config.graphite.prefixTimer   || "timers";
+  prefixGauge     = config.graphite.prefixGauge   || "gauges";
+
+  if (globalPrefix !== "") {
+    globalNamespace.push(globalPrefix);
+    counterNamespace.push(globalPrefix);
+    timerNamespace.push(globalPrefix);
+    gaugesNamespace.push(globalPrefix);
+  }
+
+  if (prefixCounter !== "") {
+    counterNamespace.push(prefixCounter);
+  }
+  if (prefixTimer !== "") {
+    timerNamespace.push(prefixTimer);
+  }
+  if (prefixGauge !== "") {
+    gaugesNamespace.push(prefixGauge);
+  }
 
   graphiteStats.last_flush = startup_time;
   graphiteStats.last_exception = startup_time;
diff --git a/exampleConfig.js b/exampleConfig.js
index 41ec12a..871e9a0 100644
--- a/exampleConfig.js
+++ b/exampleConfig.js
@@ -44,10 +44,11 @@ Optional Variables:
     application:    name of the application for syslog [string, default: statsd]
     level:          log level for [node-]syslog [string, default: LOG_INFO]
 
-  prefixPersecond:  graphite prefix for counter per second metrics [default: "statsd."]
-  prefixCount:      graphite prefix for count metrics [default: "stats_counts."]
-  prefixTimer:      graphite prefix for timer metrics [default: "stats.timers."]
-  prefixGauge:      graphite prefix for gauge metrics [default: "stats.gauges."]
+  graphite:
+    globalPrefix:     global prefix to use for sending stats to graphite [default: "stats"]
+    prefixCounter:    graphite prefix for counter metrics [default: "counters"]
+    prefixTimer:      graphite prefix for timer metrics [default: "timers"]
+    prefixGauge:      graphite prefix for gauge metrics [default: "gauges"]
 */
 {
   graphitePort: 2003