diff --git a/conf-t.c b/conf-t.c
index 29fc80d..c84ae4c 100644
--- a/conf-t.c
+++ b/conf-t.c
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 
 #define TESTFILEPATH "/tmp/_conf_test.txt"
 
+int verbose;
+
 int main()
 {
     FILE *f;
diff --git a/conf.c b/conf.c
index c048014..7f6a3cb 100644
--- a/conf.c
+++ b/conf.c
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 #include "conf.h"
 #include "stream.h"
 
+extern int verbose;
+
 /* A configuration entry */
 struct config {
     char *key, *value;
@@ -40,6 +42,8 @@ config_add(char *key, char *value)
     config->value = value;
     config->next = Config;
     Config = config;
+    if (verbose > 2)
+	fprintf(stderr, "config_add: %s = %s\n", key, value);
 }
 
 /* Adds settings from a configuration file into the global configuration. */
@@ -48,8 +52,13 @@ config_load(const char *path)
 {
     struct stream stream;
    
-    if (!stream_init_path(&stream, path))
+    if (verbose > 2)
+	fprintf(stderr, "config_load %s\n", path);
+    if (!stream_init_path(&stream, path)) {
+	if (verbose)
+	    warn("%s", path);
 	return;
+    }
     config_load_stream(&stream);
     stream_fini(&stream);
 }
diff --git a/dnsupdate.c b/dnsupdate.c
index 06d3ba4..1be6ca3 100644
--- a/dnsupdate.c
+++ b/dnsupdate.c
@@ -921,6 +921,19 @@ parent_domain(const char *d)
     return d;
 }
 
+/* Load default configuration, once */
+static void
+config_init_once()
+{
+    static int config_loaded;
+
+    if (!config_loaded) {
+	config_loaded = 1;
+	config_load(PATH_SYSCONFDIR "/dnsupdate.conf");
+	resconf_init();
+    }
+}
+
 /* Sets an option of the form "KEY=VALUE" */
 static int
 config_opt(char *arg)
@@ -970,10 +983,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
     err_enable_syslog(1);
 
-    /* Load default configuration */
-    config_load(PATH_SYSCONFDIR "/dnsupdate.conf");
-    resconf_init();
-
     /* Argument processing */
     while ((ch = getopt(argc, argv, "a:C:d:h:INo:rs:S:t:vV")) != -1)
 	switch (ch) {
@@ -994,15 +1003,18 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
             ietf_compliant = 1;
 	    break;
 	case 'N':
+	    config_init_once();
 	    config_add("UpdateSecurityLevel", STR(SECURITY_ONLY_UNSECURE));
 	    break;
 	case 'o':
+	    config_init_once();
 	    if (!config_opt(optarg)) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "bad option '%s'\n", optarg);
 		opterror = 1;
 	    }
 	    break;
 	case 'r':
+	    config_init_once();
 	    config_add("RegisterReverseLookup", "1");
 	    break;
 	case 's':
@@ -1013,6 +1025,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	    server_spn = optarg;
 	    break;
 	case 't':
+	    config_init_once();
 	    config_add("RegistrationTtl", optarg);
 	    break;
 	case 'v':
@@ -1027,6 +1040,8 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	    break;
 	}
 
+    config_init_once();
+
     /* Expect an IP address argument */
     if (!(optind < argc && my_inet_aton(argv[optind++], ipaddr, sizeof ipaddr)))
 	opterror = 1;