diff --git a/src/Weave.jl b/src/Weave.jl
index 4138c6f..00e5233 100644
--- a/src/Weave.jl
+++ b/src/Weave.jl
@@ -309,9 +309,9 @@ export weave,
     tangle,
     convert_doc,
     notebook,
-    set_chunk_defaults,
+    set_chunk_defaults!,
     get_chunk_defaults,
-    restore_chunk_defaults,
+    restore_chunk_defaults!,
     include_weave
 
 end
diff --git a/src/config.jl b/src/config.jl
index 3c33a81..010c67c 100644
--- a/src/config.jl
+++ b/src/config.jl
@@ -37,39 +37,31 @@ const defaultParams = Dict{Symbol,Any}(
 const rcParams = deepcopy(defaultParams)
 
 """
-    set_chunk_defaults(opts::Dict{Symbol, Any})
+    set_chunk_defaults!(opts::Dict{Symbol, Any})
 
 Set default options for code chunks, use [`get_chunk_defaults`](@ref) to see the current values.
 
 E.g.: set default `dpi` to `200` and `fig_width` to `8`
 
 ```julia
-julia> set_chunk_defaults(Dict{Symbol, Any}(:dpi => 200, fig_width => 8))
+julia> set_chunk_defaults!(Dict(:dpi => 200, :fig_width => 8))
 ```
 """
-function set_chunk_defaults(opts::Dict{Symbol,Any})
-    merge!(rcParams[:chunk_defaults], opts)
-    return nothing
-end
+set_chunk_defaults!(opts::Dict{Symbol,Any}) = merge!(rcParams[:chunk_defaults], opts)
 
 """
     get_chunk_defaults()
 
 Get default options used for code chunks.
 """
-function get_chunk_defaults()
-    return (rcParams[:chunk_defaults])
-end
+get_chunk_defaults() = rcParams[:chunk_defaults]
 
 """
-    restore_chunk_defaults()
+    restore_chunk_defaults!()
 
 Restore Weave.jl default chunk options.
 """
-function restore_chunk_defaults()
-    rcParams[:chunk_defaults] = defaultParams[:chunk_defaults]
-    return nothing
-end
+restore_chunk_defaults!() = rcParams[:chunk_defaults] = defaultParams[:chunk_defaults]
 
 """Combine format specific and common options from document header"""
 function combine_args(args, doctype)
diff --git a/src/reader/reader.jl b/src/reader/reader.jl
index 512b2e3..7a6dd80 100644
--- a/src/reader/reader.jl
+++ b/src/reader/reader.jl
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ function WeaveDoc(source, chunks::Vector{WeaveChunk})
 
     header = parse_header(first(chunks))
     # get chunk defaults from header and update
-    chunk_defaults = deepcopy(rcParams[:chunk_defaults])
+    chunk_defaults = deepcopy(get_chunk_defaults())
     if haskey(header, WEAVE_OPTION_NAME)
         for key in keys(chunk_defaults)
             if (val = get(header[WEAVE_OPTION_NAME], string(key), nothing)) !== nothing
diff --git a/test/figureformatter_test.jl b/test/figureformatter_test.jl
index c85d82e..0a54ae5 100644
--- a/test/figureformatter_test.jl
+++ b/test/figureformatter_test.jl
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ using Test
 
 # Make a dummy codehunk with figure
 chunk = Weave.CodeChunk("plot(x)", 1, 1, "", Dict())
-options = merge(Weave.rcParams[:chunk_defaults], chunk.options)
+options = merge(Weave.get_chunk_defaults(), chunk.options)
 merge!(chunk.options, options)
 chunk.figures = ["figs/figures_plot1.png"]
 
@@ -47,4 +47,3 @@ chunk.options[:out_height] = "75 %"
 chunk.options[:out_width] = "A%"
 chunk.options[:out_height] = "0.5\\textwidth"
 @test Weave.formatfigures(chunk, Weave.tex) == "\\begin{center}\n\\includegraphics[width=A%,height=0.5\\textwidth]{figs/figures_plot1.png}\n\\end{center}\n"
-