Index: src/main/java/org/drools/SessionConfiguration.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/drools/SessionConfiguration.java	(revision 30510)
+++ src/main/java/org/drools/SessionConfiguration.java	(working copy)
@@ -159,6 +159,8 @@
         } else if ( name.equals( "drools.clockType" ) ) {
             setClockType( ClockType.resolveClockType(  StringUtils.isEmpty( value ) ? "realtime" : value ) );
         }
+        
+        chainedProperties.setProperty(name, value);
     }   
     
     public String getProperty(String name) {
@@ -173,7 +175,7 @@
             return this.clockType.toExternalForm();
         }
         
-        return null;
+        return chainedProperties.getProperty(name, null);
     } 
 
     /**
Index: src/main/java/org/drools/util/ChainedProperties.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/drools/util/ChainedProperties.java	(revision 30510)
+++ src/main/java/org/drools/util/ChainedProperties.java	(working copy)
@@ -17,11 +17,9 @@
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Properties;
 
-public class ChainedProperties
-    implements
-    Externalizable {
-    private List props;
-    private List defaultProps;
+public class ChainedProperties implements Externalizable {
+    private List<Properties> props;
+    private List<Properties> defaultProps;
 
     public ChainedProperties() {
 
@@ -49,8 +47,8 @@
             }
         }
 
-        this.props = new ArrayList();
-        this.defaultProps = new ArrayList();
+        this.props = new ArrayList<Properties>();
+        this.defaultProps = new ArrayList<Properties>();
 
         // Properties added in precedence order
 
@@ -132,9 +130,10 @@
         }
     }
 
-    public void readExternal(ObjectInput in) throws IOException, ClassNotFoundException {
-        props   = (List)in.readObject();
-        defaultProps    = (List)in.readObject();
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+	public void readExternal(ObjectInput in) throws IOException, ClassNotFoundException {
+        props   = (List<Properties>)in.readObject();
+        defaultProps    = (List<Properties>)in.readObject();
     }
 
     public void writeExternal(ObjectOutput out) throws IOException {
@@ -142,15 +141,14 @@
         out.writeObject(defaultProps);
     }
 
-    private Enumeration getResources(String name,
+    private Enumeration<URL> getResources(String name,
                                      ClassLoader classLoader) {
-        Enumeration enumeration = null;
         try {
-            enumeration = classLoader.getResources( name );
+           return classLoader.getResources( name );
         } catch ( IOException e ) {
             e.printStackTrace();
+            return null;
         }
-        return enumeration;
     }
 
     public void addProperties(Properties properties) {
@@ -160,38 +158,40 @@
     public String getProperty(String key,
                               String defaultValue) {
         String value = null;
-        for ( Iterator it = this.props.iterator(); it.hasNext(); ) {
-            Properties props = (Properties) it.next();
-            value = props.getProperty( key );
-            if ( value != null ) {
-                break;
-            }
-        }
-        if ( value == null ) {
-            for ( Iterator it = this.defaultProps.iterator(); it.hasNext(); ) {
-                Properties props = (Properties) it.next();
-                value = props.getProperty( key );
-                if ( value != null ) {
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
-        }
+        for (Iterator<Properties> it = this.props.iterator(); it.hasNext() && value == null;) {
+			value = it.next().getProperty(key);
+		}
+		for (Iterator<Properties> it = this.defaultProps.iterator(); it.hasNext() && value == null;) {
+			value = it.next().getProperty(key);
+		}
         return (value != null) ? value : defaultValue;
     }
 
-    public void mapStartsWith(Map map,
+    public void setProperty(String key, String value) {
+    	for (Properties prop : props) {
+    		if (prop.containsKey(key)) {
+    			prop.setProperty(key, value);
+    		}
+		}
+    }
+    
+	public String getProperty(String key) {
+		return getProperty(key, null);
+	}
+    
+    public void mapStartsWith(Map<String, Object> map,
                               String startsWith,
                               boolean includeSubProperties) {
-        for ( Iterator it = this.props.iterator(); it.hasNext(); ) {
-            Properties props = (Properties) it.next();
+        for ( Iterator<Properties> it = this.props.iterator(); it.hasNext(); ) {
+            Properties props = it.next();
             mapStartsWith( map,
                            props,
                            startsWith,
                            includeSubProperties );
         }
 
-        for ( Iterator it = this.defaultProps.iterator(); it.hasNext(); ) {
-            Properties props = (Properties) it.next();
+        for ( Iterator<Properties> it = this.defaultProps.iterator(); it.hasNext(); ) {
+            Properties props = it.next();
             mapStartsWith( map,
                            props,
                            startsWith,
@@ -199,13 +199,13 @@
         }
     }
 
-    private void mapStartsWith(Map map,
+    private void mapStartsWith(Map<String, Object> map,
                                Properties properties,
                                String startsWith,
                                boolean includeSubProperties) {
-        Enumeration enumeration = properties.propertyNames();
-        while ( enumeration.hasMoreElements() ) {
-            String key = (String) enumeration.nextElement();
+        
+        for (Enumeration<?> enumeration = properties.propertyNames(); enumeration.hasMoreElements(); ) {
+            String key = enumeration.nextElement().toString();
             if ( key.startsWith( startsWith ) ) {
                 if ( !includeSubProperties && key.substring( startsWith.length() + 1 ).indexOf( '.' ) > 0 ) {
                     // +1 to the length, as we do allow the direct property, just not ones below it
@@ -221,24 +221,24 @@
         }
     }
 
-    private void loadProperties(Enumeration enumeration,
-                                List chain) {
+    private void loadProperties(Enumeration<URL> enumeration,
+                                List<Properties> chain) {
         if ( enumeration == null ) {
             return;
         }
 
         while ( enumeration.hasMoreElements() ) {
-            URL url = (URL) enumeration.nextElement();
+            URL url = enumeration.nextElement();
             loadProperties( url,
                             chain );
         }
     }
 
     private void loadProperties(String fileName,
-                                List chain) {
+                                List<Properties> chain) {
         if ( fileName != null ) {
             File file = new File( fileName );
-            if ( file != null && file.exists() ) {
+            if ( file.exists() ) {
                 try {
                     loadProperties( file.toURL(),
                                     chain );
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@
     }
 
     private void loadProperties(URL confURL,
-                                List chain) {
+                                List<Properties> chain) {
         if ( confURL == null ) {
             return;
         }
@@ -261,6 +261,7 @@
             properties.load( confURL.openStream() );
             chain.add( properties );
         } catch ( IOException e ) {
+        	e.printStackTrace();
             //throw new IllegalArgumentException( "Invalid URL to properties file '" + confURL.toExternalForm() + "'" );
         }
     }