diff --git a/lib/inifile.rb b/lib/inifile.rb
index fbcfb0e..202eba6 100644
--- a/lib/inifile.rb
+++ b/lib/inifile.rb
@@ -133,7 +133,10 @@ def read( opts = {} )
   # Returns this IniFile converted to a String.
   def to_s
     s = []
-    @ini.each do |section,hash|
+    hash = @ini.dup
+    default = hash.delete(@default)
+    default.each {|param,val| s << "#{param} #{@param} #{escape_value val}"}
+    hash.each do |section,hash|
       s << "[#{section}]"
       hash.each {|param,val| s << "#{param} #{@param} #{escape_value val}"}
       s << ""
@@ -188,14 +191,16 @@ def merge!( other )
     end
 
     (other_keys - my_keys).each do |key|
-      @ini[key] = case other[key]
-        when Hash
-          other[key].dup
-        when nil
-          {}
-        else
-          raise Error, "cannot merge section #{key.inspect} - unsupported type: #{other[key].class.name}"
-        end
+      case other[key]
+      when Hash
+        @ini[key] = other[key].dup
+      when nil
+        @ini[key] = {}
+      when String
+        @ini[@default].merge!({key => other[key]})
+      else
+        raise Error, "cannot merge section #{key.inspect} - unsupported type: #{other[key].class.name}"
+      end
     end
 
     self
diff --git a/test/test_inifile.rb b/test/test_inifile.rb
index 2026065..9d4f7d6 100644
--- a/test/test_inifile.rb
+++ b/test/test_inifile.rb
@@ -272,6 +272,7 @@ def test_initialize_from_string
 
   def test_initialize_from_hash
     hash = {
+      'value' => 'bat',
       'section one' => {
         'foo' => 'bar',
         'baz' => 'buz'
@@ -296,9 +297,25 @@ def test_initialize_from_hash
     assert_equal '7e6ff3', ini_file['colors']['perrywinkle']
     assert_equal '4682b4', ini_file['colors']['steelblue']
 
+    assert_equal 'bat', ini_file['global']['value']
+
     assert_empty ini_file['empty']
   end
 
+  def test_to_s
+    hash = {
+      'one' => 'bar',
+      'two' => 'bat',
+      'section one' => {
+        'foo' => 'baz',
+      }
+    }
+
+    ini_file = IniFile.new(:content => hash)
+
+    assert_equal "one = bar\ntwo = bat\n[section one]\nfoo = baz\n", ini_file.to_s
+  end
+
   def test_sections
     expected = [
       'section_one', 'section_two', 'section three',
@@ -460,9 +477,6 @@ def test_merge_invalid_hash
     bad_hash = { 'section_one' => [1, 2, 3, 4] }
     assert_raise(IniFile::Error) { @ini_file.merge(bad_hash) }
 
-    bad_hash = { 'foo' => 'bar' }
-    assert_raise(IniFile::Error) { @ini_file.merge(bad_hash) }
-
     not_a_hash = [['section_one', ['foo','bar'], ['baz', 'buz']]]
     assert_raise(IniFile::Error) { @ini_file.merge(not_a_hash) }