Index: src/inkscape.cpp
===================================================================
--- src/inkscape.cpp	(revision 17338)
+++ src/inkscape.cpp	(working copy)
@@ -787,6 +787,10 @@
             }
         }
         if (child == NULL) {
+            // preferences named debug.* are used for testing and are allowed to be missing
+            if (strncmp (key, "debug", strcspn (key, "."))){
+                g_warning("Invalid preference name, default value from caller will be used: %s", key);
+            }
             return NULL;
         }
 
Index: src/io/sys.cpp
===================================================================
--- src/io/sys.cpp	(revision 17338)
+++ src/io/sys.cpp	(working copy)
@@ -47,9 +47,9 @@
 
 #define DEBUG_MESSAGE(key, ...) \
 {\
-    gint dump = prefs_get_int_attribute_limited("options.bulia", #key, 0, 0, 1);\
-    gint dumpD = prefs_get_int_attribute_limited("options.bulia", #key"D", 0, 0, 1);\
-    gint dumpD2 = prefs_get_int_attribute_limited("options.bulia", #key"D2", 0, 0, 1);\
+    gint dump = prefs_get_int_attribute_limited("debug.bulia", #key, 0, 0, 1);\
+    gint dumpD = prefs_get_int_attribute_limited("debug.bulia", #key"D", 0, 0, 1);\
+    gint dumpD2 = prefs_get_int_attribute_limited("debug.bulia", #key"D2", 0, 0, 1);\
     dumpD &= ( (update_in_progress == 0) || dumpD2 );\
     if ( dump )\
     {\
Index: src/display/nr-filter-gaussian.cpp
===================================================================
--- src/display/nr-filter-gaussian.cpp	(revision 17338)
+++ src/display/nr-filter-gaussian.cpp	(working copy)
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
 
 FilterGaussian::FilterGaussian()
 {
-    _deviation_x = _deviation_y = prefs_get_double_attribute("options.filtertest", "value", 1.0);
+    _deviation_x = _deviation_y = prefs_get_double_attribute("debug.filtertest", "value", 1.0);
 }
 
 FilterPrimitive *FilterGaussian::create()