diff --git a/django/template/__init__.py b/django/template/__init__.py
index d87653c21c..4f06f34e6b 100644
--- a/django/template/__init__.py
+++ b/django/template/__init__.py
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ times with multiple contexts)
 import re
 from inspect import getargspec
 from django.utils.functional import curry
-from django.conf.settings import DEFAULT_CHARSET
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.template.context import Context, RequestContext
 
@@ -714,7 +714,7 @@ class VariableNode(Node):
         if not isinstance(output, basestring):
             return str(output)
         elif isinstance(output, unicode):
-            return output.encode(DEFAULT_CHARSET)
+            return output.encode(settings.DEFAULT_CHARSET)
         else:
             return output
 
diff --git a/django/template/context.py b/django/template/context.py
index 1b91d8eb34..2571f35255 100644
--- a/django/template/context.py
+++ b/django/template/context.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from django.conf.settings import TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
 
 _standard_context_processors = None
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ def get_standard_processors():
     global _standard_context_processors
     if _standard_context_processors is None:
         processors = []
-        for path in TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS:
+        for path in settings.TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS:
             i = path.rfind('.')
             module, attr = path[:i], path[i+1:]
             try:
diff --git a/django/template/defaultfilters.py b/django/template/defaultfilters.py
index 34fffcb8a1..fa4975e643 100644
--- a/django/template/defaultfilters.py
+++ b/django/template/defaultfilters.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 "Default variable filters"
 
 from django.template import resolve_variable, Library
-from django.conf.settings import DATE_FORMAT, TIME_FORMAT
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.utils.translation import gettext
 import re
 import random as random_module
@@ -327,12 +327,12 @@ def get_digit(value, arg):
 # DATES           #
 ###################
 
-def date(value, arg=DATE_FORMAT):
+def date(value, arg=settings.DATE_FORMAT):
     "Formats a date according to the given format"
     from django.utils.dateformat import format
     return format(value, arg)
 
-def time(value, arg=TIME_FORMAT):
+def time(value, arg=settings.TIME_FORMAT):
     "Formats a time according to the given format"
     from django.utils.dateformat import time_format
     return time_format(value, arg)
diff --git a/django/template/defaulttags.py b/django/template/defaulttags.py
index a460c34e85..2d8cdd6d26 100644
--- a/django/template/defaulttags.py
+++ b/django/template/defaulttags.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 from django.template import Node, NodeList, Template, Context, resolve_variable
 from django.template import TemplateSyntaxError, VariableDoesNotExist, BLOCK_TAG_START, BLOCK_TAG_END, VARIABLE_TAG_START, VARIABLE_TAG_END
 from django.template import get_library, Library, InvalidTemplateLibrary
+from django.conf import settings
 import sys
 
 register = Library()
@@ -201,8 +202,7 @@ class RegroupNode(Node):
         return ''
 
 def include_is_allowed(filepath):
-    from django.conf.settings import ALLOWED_INCLUDE_ROOTS
-    for root in ALLOWED_INCLUDE_ROOTS:
+    for root in settings.ALLOWED_INCLUDE_ROOTS:
         if filepath.startswith(root):
             return True
     return False
@@ -212,9 +212,8 @@ class SsiNode(Node):
         self.filepath, self.parsed = filepath, parsed
 
     def render(self, context):
-        from django.conf.settings import DEBUG
         if not include_is_allowed(self.filepath):
-            if DEBUG:
+            if settings.DEBUG:
                 return "[Didn't have permission to include file]"
             else:
                 return '' # Fail silently for invalid includes.
@@ -229,7 +228,7 @@ class SsiNode(Node):
                 t = Template(output)
                 return t.render(context)
             except TemplateSyntaxError, e:
-                if DEBUG:
+                if settings.DEBUG:
                     return "[Included template had syntax error: %s]" % e
                 else:
                     return '' # Fail silently for invalid included templates.
diff --git a/django/template/loader.py b/django/template/loader.py
index 1172410557..631b3f255c 100644
--- a/django/template/loader.py
+++ b/django/template/loader.py
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@
 
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
 from django.template import Origin, StringOrigin, Template, Context, TemplateDoesNotExist, add_to_builtins
-from django.conf.settings import TEMPLATE_LOADERS
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.conf import settings
 
 template_source_loaders = []
-for path in TEMPLATE_LOADERS:
+for path in settings.TEMPLATE_LOADERS:
     i = path.rfind('.')
     module, attr = path[:i], path[i+1:]
     try:
diff --git a/django/template/loader_tags.py b/django/template/loader_tags.py
index eafe902b82..5aaef668c8 100644
--- a/django/template/loader_tags.py
+++ b/django/template/loader_tags.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from django.template import TemplateSyntaxError, TemplateDoesNotExist, resolve_variable
 from django.template import Library, Context, Node
 from django.template.loader import get_template, get_template_from_string, find_template_source
+from django.conf import settings
 
 register = Library()
 
@@ -82,8 +83,7 @@ class ConstantIncludeNode(Node):
             t = get_template(template_path)
             self.template = t
         except:
-            from django.conf.settings import TEMPLATE_DEBUG
-            if TEMPLATE_DEBUG:
+            if settings.TEMPLATE_DEBUG:
                  raise
             self.template = None
 
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ class IncludeNode(Node):
              t = get_template(template_name)
              return t.render(context)
          except TemplateSyntaxError, e:
-             if TEMPLATE_DEBUG:
+             if settings.TEMPLATE_DEBUG:
                 raise
              return ''
          except:
diff --git a/django/template/loaders/app_directories.py b/django/template/loaders/app_directories.py
index 1d4dc6bef7..46b736d464 100644
--- a/django/template/loaders/app_directories.py
+++ b/django/template/loaders/app_directories.py
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 # Wrapper for loading templates from "template" directories in installed app packages.
 
-from django.conf.settings import INSTALLED_APPS, TEMPLATE_FILE_EXTENSION
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
 from django.template import TemplateDoesNotExist
 import os
 
 # At compile time, cache the directories to search.
 app_template_dirs = []
-for app in INSTALLED_APPS:
+for app in settings.INSTALLED_APPS:
     i = app.rfind('.')
     if i == -1:
         m, a = app, None
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ app_template_dirs = tuple(app_template_dirs)
 
 def get_template_sources(template_name, template_dirs=None):
     for template_dir in app_template_dirs:
-        yield os.path.join(template_dir, template_name) + TEMPLATE_FILE_EXTENSION
+        yield os.path.join(template_dir, template_name) + settings.TEMPLATE_FILE_EXTENSION
 
 def load_template_source(template_name, template_dirs=None):
     for filepath in get_template_sources(template_name, template_dirs):
diff --git a/django/template/loaders/eggs.py b/django/template/loaders/eggs.py
index 62e4d4db33..2e47c985ad 100644
--- a/django/template/loaders/eggs.py
+++ b/django/template/loaders/eggs.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ except ImportError:
     resource_string = None
 
 from django.template import TemplateDoesNotExist
-from django.conf.settings import INSTALLED_APPS, TEMPLATE_FILE_EXTENSION
+from django.conf import settings
 
 def load_template_source(template_name, template_dirs=None):
     """
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ def load_template_source(template_name, template_dirs=None):
     For every installed app, it tries to get the resource (app, template_name).
     """
     if resource_string is not None:
-        pkg_name = 'templates/' + template_name + TEMPLATE_FILE_EXTENSION
-        for app in INSTALLED_APPS:
+        pkg_name = 'templates/' + template_name + settings.TEMPLATE_FILE_EXTENSION
+        for app in settings.INSTALLED_APPS:
             try:
                 return (resource_string(app, pkg_name), 'egg:%s:%s ' % (app, pkg_name))
             except:
diff --git a/django/template/loaders/filesystem.py b/django/template/loaders/filesystem.py
index 4abe50d764..ee34c6c715 100644
--- a/django/template/loaders/filesystem.py
+++ b/django/template/loaders/filesystem.py
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 # Wrapper for loading templates from the filesystem.
 
-from django.conf.settings import TEMPLATE_DIRS, TEMPLATE_FILE_EXTENSION
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.template import TemplateDoesNotExist
 import os
 
 def get_template_sources(template_name, template_dirs=None):
     if not template_dirs:
-        template_dirs = TEMPLATE_DIRS
+        template_dirs = settings.TEMPLATE_DIRS
     for template_dir in template_dirs:
-        yield os.path.join(template_dir, template_name) + TEMPLATE_FILE_EXTENSION
+        yield os.path.join(template_dir, template_name) + settings.TEMPLATE_FILE_EXTENSION
 
 def load_template_source(template_name, template_dirs=None):
     tried = []