diff --git a/src/mctpd.c b/src/mctpd.c
index 3c798ace..8234fb4e 100644
--- a/src/mctpd.c
+++ b/src/mctpd.c
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ struct ctx {
 	sd_bus *bus;
 
 	// Configuration
-	const char *config_filename;
+	char *config_filename;
 
 	mctp_nl *nl;
 
@@ -3573,7 +3573,7 @@ static int add_interface(struct ctx *ctx, int ifindex)
 		return -ENOENT;
 	}
 
-	struct link *link = malloc(sizeof(*link));
+	struct link *link = calloc(1, sizeof(*link));
 	if (!link)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
@@ -3829,6 +3829,11 @@ static void setup_config_defaults(struct ctx *ctx)
 	ctx->default_role = ENDPOINT_ROLE_BUS_OWNER;
 }
 
+static void free_config(struct ctx *ctx)
+{
+	free(ctx->config_filename);
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	struct ctx ctxi = {0}, *ctx = &ctxi;
@@ -3900,6 +3905,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	free_links(ctx);
 	free_peers(ctx);
 	free_nets(ctx);
+	free_config(ctx);
 
 	mctp_nl_close(ctx->nl);
 
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index d18772a9..e1135f73 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -21,8 +21,12 @@ async def dbus():
         yield bus
 
 @pytest.fixture
-async def mctpd(nursery, dbus, sysnet):
-    m = fake_mctpd.MctpdWrapper(dbus, sysnet)
+def config():
+    return None
+
+@pytest.fixture
+async def mctpd(nursery, dbus, sysnet, config):
+    m = fake_mctpd.MctpdWrapper(dbus, sysnet, config = config)
     await m.start_mctpd(nursery)
     yield m
     res = await m.stop_mctpd()
diff --git a/tests/mctp_test_utils.py b/tests/mctp_test_utils.py
index 6f23a026..b0de2fe9 100644
--- a/tests/mctp_test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/mctp_test_utils.py
@@ -6,6 +6,13 @@ async def mctpd_mctp_iface_obj(dbus, iface):
         )
     return await obj.get_interface('au.com.codeconstruct.MCTP.BusOwner1')
 
+async def mctpd_mctp_iface_control_obj(dbus, iface):
+    obj = await dbus.get_proxy_object(
+            "au.com.codeconstruct.MCTP1",
+            "/au/com/codeconstruct/mctp1/interfaces/" + iface.name,
+        )
+    return await obj.get_interface("au.com.codeconstruct.MCTP.Interface1")
+
 async def mctpd_mctp_endpoint_obj(dbus, path, iface):
     obj = await dbus.get_proxy_object(
             'au.com.codeconstruct.MCTP1',
diff --git a/tests/mctpd/__init__.py b/tests/mctpd/__init__.py
index e9eeef65..67469cc7 100644
--- a/tests/mctpd/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/mctpd/__init__.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import socket
 import struct
 import sys
+import tempfile
 import trio
 import uuid
 
@@ -975,11 +976,12 @@ async def send_fd(sock, fd):
 
 
 class MctpdWrapper:
-    def __init__(self, bus, sysnet, binary=None):
+    def __init__(self, bus, sysnet, binary=None, config=None):
         self.bus = bus
         self.system = sysnet.system
         self.network = sysnet.network
         self.binary = binary or './test-mctpd'
+        self.config = config
         (self.sock_local, self.sock_remote) = self.socketpair()
 
     def socketpair(self):
@@ -1056,8 +1058,18 @@ def name_owner_changed(name, new_owner, old_owner):
         # start mctpd, passing our control socket
         env = os.environ.copy()
         env['MCTP_TEST_SOCK'] = str(self.sock_remote.fileno())
+
+        if self.config:
+            config_file = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile('w', prefix="mctp.conf.")
+            config_file.write(self.config)
+            config_file.flush()
+            command = [self.binary, '-v', '-c', config_file.name]
+        else:
+            config_file = None
+            command = [self.binary, '-v']
+
         proc = await trio.lowlevel.open_process(
-                [self.binary, '-v'], # todo: flexible paths
+                command = command,
                 pass_fds = (1, 2, self.sock_remote.fileno()),
                 env = env,
             )
@@ -1074,6 +1086,9 @@ def name_owner_changed(name, new_owner, old_owner):
 
         proc_rc = await proc.wait()
 
+        if config_file:
+            config_file.close()
+
         await send_chan.send(proc_rc)
 
 Sysnet = namedtuple('SysNet', ['system', 'network'])
diff --git a/tests/test_mctpd_endpoint.py b/tests/test_mctpd_endpoint.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..49e8f0c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_mctpd_endpoint.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import pytest
+from mctp_test_utils import *
+from mctpd import *
+
+@pytest.fixture(name="config")
+def endpoint_config():
+    return """
+    mode = "endpoint"
+    """
+
+""" Test if mctpd is running as an endpoint """
+async def test_endpoint_role(dbus, mctpd):
+    obj = await mctpd_mctp_iface_control_obj(dbus, mctpd.system.interfaces[0])
+    role = await obj.get_role()
+    assert str(role) == "Endpoint"