diff --git a/include/configfile.hpp b/include/configfile.hpp
index 16ecb9057..f6e039d28 100644
--- a/include/configfile.hpp
+++ b/include/configfile.hpp
@@ -14,9 +14,10 @@ class ProxySQL_ConfigFile {
   struct stat statbuf;
   char *filename;
   public:
-  Config cfg;
+  Config *cfg;
   ProxySQL_ConfigFile();
   bool OpenFile(const char *);
+	void CloseFile();
 	bool ReadGlobals();
 	bool configVariable(const char *, const char *, int &, int, int, int, int);
 	bool configVariable(const char *, const char *, int64_t &, int64_t, int64_t, int64_t, int64_t);
diff --git a/lib/Standard_ProxySQL_Admin.cpp b/lib/Standard_ProxySQL_Admin.cpp
index f3c24685c..be8bc936c 100644
--- a/lib/Standard_ProxySQL_Admin.cpp
+++ b/lib/Standard_ProxySQL_Admin.cpp
@@ -217,9 +217,6 @@ class Standard_ProxySQL_Admin: public ProxySQL_Admin {
 	void delete_credentials(char *credentials);
 #endif /* DEBUG */
 
-	void Read_Global_Variables_from_configfile(const char *prefix);
-	void Read_MySQL_Users_from_configfile();
-	void Read_MySQL_Servers_from_configfile();
 
 	public:
 	SQLite3DB *admindb;	// in memory
@@ -262,6 +259,12 @@ class Standard_ProxySQL_Admin: public ProxySQL_Admin {
 
 	void stats___mysql_query_rules();
 	void stats___mysql_commands_counters();
+
+
+	void Read_Global_Variables_from_configfile(const char *prefix);
+	void Read_MySQL_Users_from_configfile();
+	void Read_MySQL_Servers_from_configfile();
+
 };
 
 static Standard_ProxySQL_Admin *SPA=NULL;
@@ -603,6 +606,30 @@ bool admin_handler_command_load_or_save(char *query_no_space, unsigned int query
 			return false;
 		}
 
+		if (
+			(query_no_space_length==strlen("LOAD MYSQL USERS FROM CONFIG") && !strncasecmp("LOAD MYSQL USERS FROM CONFIG",query_no_space, query_no_space_length))
+		) {
+			proxy_debug(PROXY_DEBUG_ADMIN, 4, "Received %s command\n", query_no_space);
+			if (GloVars.configfile_open) {
+				if (GloVars.confFile->OpenFile(NULL)==true) {
+					Standard_ProxySQL_Admin *SPA=(Standard_ProxySQL_Admin *)pa;
+					SPA->Read_MySQL_Users_from_configfile();
+					proxy_debug(PROXY_DEBUG_ADMIN, 4, "Loaded mysql users from CONFIG\n");
+					SPA->send_MySQL_OK(&sess->client_myds->myprot, NULL);
+					GloVars.confFile->CloseFile();
+				} else {
+					char *s=(char *)"Unable to open or parse config file %s";
+					char *m=(char *)malloc(strlen(s)+strlen(GloVars.config_file)+1);
+					sprintf(m,s,GloVars.config_file);
+					SPA->send_MySQL_ERR(&sess->client_myds->myprot, m);
+					free(m);
+				}
+			} else {
+				SPA->send_MySQL_ERR(&sess->client_myds->myprot, (char *)"Config file unknown");
+			}
+			return false;
+		}
+
 		if (
 			(query_no_space_length==strlen("SAVE MYSQL USERS TO MEMORY") && !strncasecmp("SAVE MYSQL USERS TO MEMORY",query_no_space, query_no_space_length))
 			||
@@ -1494,11 +1521,13 @@ bool Standard_ProxySQL_Admin::init() {
 	flush_mysql_variables___database_to_runtime(admindb,true);
 
 	if (GloVars.__cmd_proxysql_reload || GloVars.__cmd_proxysql_initial) {
-		Read_MySQL_Servers_from_configfile();	
-		Read_MySQL_Users_from_configfile();
-		Read_Global_Variables_from_configfile("admin");
-		Read_Global_Variables_from_configfile("mysql");
-		__insert_or_replace_disktable_select_maintable();
+			if (GloVars.configfile_open) {
+			Read_MySQL_Servers_from_configfile();	
+			Read_MySQL_Users_from_configfile();
+			Read_Global_Variables_from_configfile("admin");
+			Read_Global_Variables_from_configfile("mysql");
+			__insert_or_replace_disktable_select_maintable();
+		}
 	}
 
 
@@ -2571,7 +2600,7 @@ char * Standard_ProxySQL_Admin::load_mysql_query_rules_to_runtime() {
 }
 
 void Standard_ProxySQL_Admin::Read_Global_Variables_from_configfile(const char *prefix) {
-	const Setting& root = GloVars.confFile->cfg.getRoot();
+	const Setting& root = GloVars.confFile->cfg->getRoot();
 	char *groupname=(char *)malloc(strlen(prefix)+strlen((char *)"_variables")+1);
 	sprintf(groupname,"%s%s",prefix,"_variables");
 	if (root.exists(groupname)==false) {
@@ -2610,7 +2639,7 @@ void Standard_ProxySQL_Admin::Read_Global_Variables_from_configfile(const char *
 }
 
 void Standard_ProxySQL_Admin::Read_MySQL_Users_from_configfile() {
-	const Setting& root = GloVars.confFile->cfg.getRoot();
+	const Setting& root = GloVars.confFile->cfg->getRoot();
 	if (root.exists("mysql_users")==false) return;
 	const Setting &mysql_users = root["mysql_users"];
 	int count = mysql_users.getLength();
@@ -2640,7 +2669,7 @@ void Standard_ProxySQL_Admin::Read_MySQL_Users_from_configfile() {
 }
 
 void Standard_ProxySQL_Admin::Read_MySQL_Servers_from_configfile() {
-	const Setting& root = GloVars.confFile->cfg.getRoot();
+	const Setting& root = GloVars.confFile->cfg->getRoot();
 	if (root.exists("mysql_servers")==false) return;
 	const Setting &mysql_servers = root["mysql_servers"];
 	int count = mysql_servers.getLength();
diff --git a/lib/configfile.cpp b/lib/configfile.cpp
index 7d7adf1c6..d3e7d2e73 100644
--- a/lib/configfile.cpp
+++ b/lib/configfile.cpp
@@ -48,11 +48,16 @@ ProxySQL_ConfigFile::ProxySQL_ConfigFile() {
 
 
 bool ProxySQL_ConfigFile::OpenFile(const char *__filename) {
-	filename=strdup(__filename);
+	cfg = new Config();
+	if (__filename) {
+		filename=strdup(__filename);
+	} else {
+		assert(filename);
+	}
 	if (FileUtils::isReadable(filename)==false) return false;
 	try
 	{
-		cfg.readFile(filename);
+		cfg->readFile(filename);
 	}
 	catch(const FileIOException &fioex)
 	{
@@ -63,12 +68,19 @@ bool ProxySQL_ConfigFile::OpenFile(const char *__filename) {
 	{
 		std::cerr << "Parse error at " << pex.getFile() << ":" << pex.getLine()
               << " - " << pex.getError() << std::endl;
-			exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+			if (__filename) {
+				// exit with failure only if it is the first time it is opened
+				exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+			}
 		return false;
 	}
 	return true;
 };
 
+void ProxySQL_ConfigFile::CloseFile() {
+	delete cfg;
+}
+
 bool ProxySQL_ConfigFile::ReadGlobals() {
 /*
 	const Setting& root = cfg.getRoot();
@@ -136,7 +148,7 @@ bool ProxySQL_ConfigFile::ReadGlobals() {
 
 
 bool ProxySQL_ConfigFile::configVariable(const char *group, const char *key, int &variable, int defValue, int minValue, int maxValue, int multiplier) {
-	const Setting& root = cfg.getRoot();
+	const Setting& root = cfg->getRoot();
 	if (root.exists(group)==true) {
 		const Setting& mygroup=root[group];
 		if (mygroup.isGroup()==true) {
@@ -175,7 +187,7 @@ bool ProxySQL_ConfigFile::configVariable(const char *group, const char *key, int
 }
 
 bool ProxySQL_ConfigFile::configVariable(const char *group, const char *key, int64_t &variable, int64_t defValue, int64_t minValue, int64_t maxValue, int64_t multiplier) {
-	const Setting& root = cfg.getRoot();
+	const Setting& root = cfg->getRoot();
 	if (root.exists(group)==true) {
 		const Setting& mygroup=root[group];
 		if (mygroup.isGroup()==true) {
@@ -214,7 +226,7 @@ bool ProxySQL_ConfigFile::configVariable(const char *group, const char *key, int
 }
 
 bool ProxySQL_ConfigFile::configVariable(const char *group, const char *key, bool & variable, bool defValue) {
-	const Setting& root = cfg.getRoot();
+	const Setting& root = cfg->getRoot();
 	if (root.exists(group)==true) {
 		const Setting& mygroup=root[group];
 		if (mygroup.isGroup()==true) {
@@ -243,7 +255,7 @@ bool ProxySQL_ConfigFile::configVariable(const char *group, const char *key, boo
 }
 
 bool ProxySQL_ConfigFile::configVariable(const char *group, const char *key, char **variable, const char *defValue) {
-	const Setting& root = cfg.getRoot();
+	const Setting& root = cfg->getRoot();
 	if (root.exists(group)==true) {
 		const Setting& mygroup=root[group];
 		if (mygroup.isGroup()==true) {
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 4f089680b..2802497d5 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ int main(int argc, const char * argv[]) {
 	if (GloVars.__cmd_proxysql_datadir==NULL) {
 		// datadir was not specified , try to read config file
 		if (GloVars.configfile_open==true) {
-			const Setting& root = GloVars.confFile->cfg.getRoot(); 
+			const Setting& root = GloVars.confFile->cfg->getRoot(); 
 			if (root.exists("datadir")==true) {
 				// reading datadir from config file
 				std::string datadir;
@@ -467,6 +467,9 @@ __start_label:
 	GloAdmin->init();
 }
 
+	if (GloVars.configfile_open) {
+		GloVars.confFile->CloseFile();
+	}
 
 	GloMyAuth = create_MySQL_Authentication();
 	GloMyAuth->print_version();