diff --git a/mpas_analysis/configuration/MpasAnalysisConfigParser.py b/mpas_analysis/configuration/MpasAnalysisConfigParser.py
index fe1cd7ddf..63c2dad98 100644
--- a/mpas_analysis/configuration/MpasAnalysisConfigParser.py
+++ b/mpas_analysis/configuration/MpasAnalysisConfigParser.py
@@ -1,18 +1,20 @@
-import numbers
-import ast
-
 """
 A configuratin parser class for MPAS analysis.  MpasAnalysisConfigParser adds
 the capabilities to get an option including a default value
 (`getWithDefault(section, option, default, ...)`) and to get options
 that are lists, tuples, dicts, etc (`getExpression(section, option)`).
 
-Author: Xylar Asay-Davis
-Last Modified: 12/07/2016
+Author: Xylar Asay-Davis, Phillip J. Wolfram
+Last Modified: 01/31/2017
 """
 
+import numbers
+import ast
+import numpy as np
 from ConfigParser import ConfigParser
 
+npallow = dict(linspace=np.linspace, xrange=xrange, range=range, arange=np.arange,
+               pi=np.pi, Pi=np.pi, __builtins__=None)
 
 class MpasAnalysisConfigParser(ConfigParser):
 
@@ -44,7 +46,7 @@ def getWithDefault(self, section, option, default):
         self.set(section, option, str(default))
         return default
 
-    def getExpression(self, section, option, elementType=None):
+    def getExpression(self, section, option, elementType=None, usenumpyfunc=False):
         """
         Get an option as an expression (typically a list, though tuples and
         dicts should also work).  `section` and `option` work as in `get(...)`.
@@ -56,11 +58,18 @@ def getExpression(self, section, option, elementType=None):
         useful for ensuring that all elements in a list of numbers are of type
         float, rather than int, when the distinction is important.
 
-        Author: Xylar Asay-Davis
-        Last Modified: 12/0y/2016
+        If `usenumpyfunc` is True, expression is evaluated within the context of
+        having selected numpy and / or np functionality available.
+
+        Author: Xylar Asay-Davis, Phillip J. Wolfram
+        Last Modified: 01/31/2017
         """
         expressionString = self.get(section, option)
-        result =  ast.literal_eval(expressionString)
+        if usenumpyfunc:
+            sanitizedstr = expressionString.replace('np.', '').replace('numpy.','')
+            result = eval(sanitizedstr, npallow)
+        else:
+            result =  ast.literal_eval(expressionString)
 
         if elementType is not None:
             if isinstance(result, (list, tuple)):
diff --git a/mpas_analysis/test/test_mpas_config_parser.py b/mpas_analysis/test/test_mpas_config_parser.py
index 4cb09cb1c..0365dbdeb 100644
--- a/mpas_analysis/test/test_mpas_config_parser.py
+++ b/mpas_analysis/test/test_mpas_config_parser.py
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 """
 Unit test infrastructure for MpasAnalysisConfigParser
 
-Xylar Asay-Davis
-12/05/2016
+Xylar Asay-Davis, Phillip J. Wolfram
+01/31/2017
 """
 
 import pytest
 from mpas_analysis.test import TestCase, loaddatadir
 from mpas_analysis.configuration.MpasAnalysisConfigParser \
     import MpasAnalysisConfigParser
+from . import requires_numpy
 
 
 @pytest.mark.usefixtures("loaddatadir")
@@ -64,5 +65,19 @@ def test_read_config(self):
                                     'key2': -12,
                                     'key3': False})
 
+    @requires_numpy
+    def test_read_config_numpy(self):
+        self.setup_config()
+
+        # tests numpy evaluation capability
+        import numpy as np
+        for testname in ['testNumpyarange' + str(ii) for ii in np.arange(3)]:
+            self.assertArrayEqual(self.config.getExpression('TestNumpy', testname, usenumpyfunc=True),
+                                  np.arange(0, 1, 10))
+        for testname in ['testNumpylinspace' + str(ii) for ii in np.arange(3)]:
+            self.assertArrayEqual(self.config.getExpression('TestNumpy', testname, usenumpyfunc=True),
+                                  np.linspace(0, 1, 10))
+        for testNumpy in ['testNumpypi' + str(ii) for ii in np.arange(3)] + ['testNumpyPi']:
+            self.assertEqual(self.config.getExpression('TestNumpy', testNumpy, usenumpyfunc=True), np.pi)
 
 # vim: foldmethod=marker ai ts=4 sts=4 et sw=4 ft=python
diff --git a/mpas_analysis/test/test_mpas_config_parser/config.analysis b/mpas_analysis/test/test_mpas_config_parser/config.analysis
index 18071dae5..2fd5ed0cb 100644
--- a/mpas_analysis/test/test_mpas_config_parser/config.analysis
+++ b/mpas_analysis/test/test_mpas_config_parser/config.analysis
@@ -32,3 +32,14 @@ testDict = {'key1': 'string',
             'key2': -12,
             'key3': False}
 
+[TestNumpy]
+testNumpyarange0 = arange(0, 1, 10)
+testNumpyarange1 = np.arange(0, 1, 10)
+testNumpyarange2 = numpy.arange(0, 1, 10)
+testNumpylinspace0 = linspace(0, 1, 10)
+testNumpylinspace1 = np.linspace(0, 1, 10)
+testNumpylinspace2 = numpy.linspace(0, 1, 10)
+testNumpypi0 = pi
+testNumpypi1 = np.pi
+testNumpypi2 = numpy.pi
+testNumpyPi = Pi