diff --git a/doc/gajimrc b/doc/gajimrc
index 5907cad5d..f9eb0e682 100644
--- a/doc/gajimrc
+++ b/doc/gajimrc
@@ -7,3 +7,7 @@ hostname = SERVER HOSTNAME
 name = LOGIN NAME
 password = PASSWORD
 ressource = gajim
+
+[GtkGui]
+
+showoffline = 0
diff --git a/plugins/gtkgui.py b/plugins/gtkgui.py
index 748a75efc..7d571bc91 100644
--- a/plugins/gtkgui.py
+++ b/plugins/gtkgui.py
@@ -230,8 +230,11 @@ class roster:
 		self.optionmenu = self.xml.get_widget('optionmenu')
 		self.optionmenu.set_history(6)
 		self.tab_messages = {}
-		self.showOffline=string.atoi(self.cfgParser.GtkGui_showoffline)
-		print self.showOffline
+		showOffline=self.cfgParser.GtkGui_showoffline
+		if showOffline :
+			self.showOffline=string.atoi(self.cfgParser.GtkGui_showoffline)
+		else :
+			self.showOffline=0
 
 		#colonnes
 		self.col = gtk.TreeViewColumn()