diff --git a/setuptools/__init__.py b/setuptools/__init__.py
index 143c337..d19efae 100644
--- a/setuptools/__init__.py
+++ b/setuptools/__init__.py
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ def getSetting(section, setting, path = "config.cfg"):
  config.read(path)
  return config.get(section, setting)
 
+def getListSetting(section, setting, path = "config.cfg"):
+ return ast.literal_eval(getSetting(section, setting, path))
+
 def dbtype():
  try:
   return int(getSetting("Database", "type"))