diff --git a/include/maxscale/server.h b/include/maxscale/server.h
index 45be5cd39..a67199fe2 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/server.h
+++ b/include/maxscale/server.h
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@
 MXS_BEGIN_DECLS
 
 #define MAX_SERVER_NAME_LEN 1024
+#define MAX_SERVER_MONUSER_LEN 512
+#define MAX_SERVER_MONPW_LEN 512
 #define MAX_NUM_SLAVES 128 /**< Maximum number of slaves under a single server*/
 
 /**
@@ -86,7 +88,7 @@ typedef struct server
 #endif
     SPINLOCK       lock;           /**< Common access lock */
     char           *unique_name;   /**< Unique name for the server */
-    char           *name;          /**< Server name/IP address*/
+    char           name[MAX_SERVER_NAME_LEN]; /**< Server name/IP address*/
     unsigned short port;           /**< Port to listen on */
     char           *protocol;      /**< Protocol module to use */
     char           *authenticator; /**< Authenticator module name */
@@ -94,8 +96,8 @@ typedef struct server
     char           *auth_options;  /**< Authenticator options */
     SSL_LISTENER   *server_ssl;    /**< SSL data structure for server, if any */
     unsigned int   status;         /**< Status flag bitmap for the server */
-    char           *monuser;       /**< User name to use to monitor the db */
-    char           *monpw;         /**< Password to use to monitor the db */
+    char           monuser[MAX_SERVER_MONUSER_LEN]; /**< User name to use to monitor the db */
+    char           monpw[MAX_SERVER_MONPW_LEN]; /**< Password to use to monitor the db */
     SERVER_STATS   stats;          /**< The server statistics */
     struct  server *next;          /**< Next server */
     struct  server *nextdb;        /**< Next server in list attached to a service */
@@ -217,7 +219,7 @@ extern void server_transfer_status(SERVER *dest_server, SERVER *source_server);
 extern void serverAddMonUser(SERVER *, char *, char *);
 extern void serverAddParameter(SERVER *, char *, char *);
 extern char *serverGetParameter(SERVER *, char *);
-extern void server_update(SERVER *, char *, char *, char *);
+extern void server_update_credentials(SERVER *, char *, char *);
 extern void server_set_unique_name(SERVER *, char *);
 extern DCB  *server_get_persistent(SERVER *, char *, const char *);
 extern void server_update_address(SERVER *, char *);
@@ -225,6 +227,8 @@ extern void server_update_port(SERVER *,  unsigned short);
 extern RESULTSET *serverGetList();
 extern unsigned int server_map_status(char *str);
 extern bool server_set_version_string(SERVER* server, const char* string);
+extern bool server_is_ssl_parameter(const char *key);
+extern void server_update_ssl(SERVER *server, const char *key, const char *value);
 
 /**
  * @brief Serialize a server to a file
diff --git a/server/core/config.c b/server/core/config.c
index 31c550b9a..fed157b28 100644
--- a/server/core/config.c
+++ b/server/core/config.c
@@ -1800,10 +1800,9 @@ process_config_update(CONFIG_CONTEXT *context)
             if (address && port &&
                 (server = server_find(address, atoi(port))) != NULL)
             {
-                char *protocol = config_get_value(obj->parameters, "protocol");
                 char *monuser = config_get_value(obj->parameters, "monuser");
                 char *monpw = config_get_value(obj->parameters, "monpw");
-                server_update(server, protocol, monuser, monpw);
+                server_update_credentials(server, monuser, monpw);
                 obj->element = server;
             }
             else
diff --git a/server/core/server.c b/server/core/server.c
index 1350bec49..749bc49d3 100644
--- a/server/core/server.c
+++ b/server/core/server.c
@@ -95,12 +95,11 @@ server_alloc(char *servname, char *protocol, unsigned short port, char *authenti
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    servname = MXS_STRNDUP(servname, MAX_SERVER_NAME_LEN);
     protocol = MXS_STRDUP(protocol);
 
     SERVER *server = (SERVER *)MXS_CALLOC(1, sizeof(SERVER));
 
-    if (!servname || !protocol || !server || !authenticator)
+    if (!protocol || !server || !authenticator)
     {
         MXS_FREE(servname);
         MXS_FREE(protocol);
@@ -113,7 +112,7 @@ server_alloc(char *servname, char *protocol, unsigned short port, char *authenti
     server->server_chk_top = CHK_NUM_SERVER;
     server->server_chk_tail = CHK_NUM_SERVER;
 #endif
-    server->name = servname;
+    snprintf(server->name, sizeof(server->name), "%s", servname);
     server->protocol = protocol;
     server->authenticator = authenticator;
     server->auth_instance = auth_instance;
@@ -131,6 +130,8 @@ server_alloc(char *servname, char *protocol, unsigned short port, char *authenti
     server->persistmax = 0;
     server->persistmaxtime = 0;
     server->persistpoolmax = 0;
+    server->monuser[0] = '\0';
+    server->monpw[0] = '\0';
     spinlock_init(&server->persistlock);
 
     spinlock_acquire(&server_spin);
@@ -785,8 +786,8 @@ server_transfer_status(SERVER *dest_server, SERVER *source_server)
 void
 serverAddMonUser(SERVER *server, char *user, char *passwd)
 {
-    server->monuser = MXS_STRDUP_A(user);
-    server->monpw = MXS_STRDUP_A(passwd);
+    snprintf(server->monuser, sizeof(server->monuser), "%s", user);
+    snprintf(server->monpw, sizeof(server->monpw), "%s", passwd);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -803,28 +804,13 @@ serverAddMonUser(SERVER *server, char *user, char *passwd)
  * @param passwd        The password to use for the monitor user
  */
 void
-server_update(SERVER *server, char *protocol, char *user, char *passwd)
+server_update_credentials(SERVER *server, char *user, char *passwd)
 {
-    if (!strcmp(server->protocol, protocol))
-    {
-        MXS_NOTICE("Update server protocol for server %s to protocol %s.",
-                   server->name,
-                   protocol);
-        MXS_FREE(server->protocol);
-        server->protocol = MXS_STRDUP_A(protocol);
-    }
-
     if (user != NULL && passwd != NULL)
     {
-        if (strcmp(server->monuser, user) == 0 ||
-            strcmp(server->monpw, passwd) == 0)
-        {
-            MXS_NOTICE("Update server monitor credentials for server %s",
-                       server->name);
-            MXS_FREE(server->monuser);
-            MXS_FREE(server->monpw);
-            serverAddMonUser(server, user, passwd);
-        }
+        snprintf(server->monuser, sizeof(server->monuser), "%s", user);
+        snprintf(server->monpw, sizeof(server->monpw), "%s", passwd);
+        MXS_NOTICE("Updated monitor credentials for server '%s'", server->name);
     }
 }
 
@@ -989,11 +975,7 @@ server_update_address(SERVER *server, char *address)
     spinlock_acquire(&server_spin);
     if (server && address)
     {
-        if (server->name)
-        {
-            MXS_FREE(server->name);
-        }
-        server->name = MXS_STRDUP_A(address);
+        strcpy(server->name, address);
     }
     spinlock_release(&server_spin);
 }
@@ -1180,3 +1162,14 @@ bool server_serialize(SERVER *server, const char *filename)
 
     return true;
 }
+
+bool server_is_ssl_parameter(const char *key)
+{
+    // TODO: Implement this
+    return false;
+}
+
+void server_update_ssl(SERVER *server, const char *key, const char *value)
+{
+    // TODO: Implement this
+}
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.c b/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.c
index cc2b425df..5eb0e72b1 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.c
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.c
@@ -692,12 +692,7 @@ monitorDatabase(MONITOR *mon, MONITOR_SERVERS *database)
     unsigned long int server_version = 0;
     char *server_string;
 
-    if (database->server->monuser != NULL)
-    {
-        uname = database->server->monuser;
-    }
-
-    if (uname == NULL)
+    if (!database->server->monuser[0])
     {
         return;
     }
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/debugcli/debugcmd.c b/server/modules/routing/debugcli/debugcmd.c
index 973b72258..61a36ceb1 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/debugcli/debugcmd.c
+++ b/server/modules/routing/debugcli/debugcmd.c
@@ -1063,6 +1063,56 @@ struct subcommand destroyoptions[] =
     }
 };
 
+static void alterServer(DCB *dcb, SERVER *server, char *key, char *value)
+{
+    bool unknown = false;
+
+    if (strcmp(key, "address") == 0)
+    {
+        server_update_address(server, value);
+    }
+    else if (strcmp(key, "port") == 0)
+    {
+        server_update_port(server, atoi(value));
+    }
+    else if (strcmp(key, "monuser") == 0)
+    {
+        server_update_credentials(server, value, server->monpw);
+    }
+    else if (strcmp(key, "monpw") == 0)
+    {
+        server_update_credentials(server, server->monuser, value);
+    }
+    else if (server_is_ssl_parameter(key))
+    {
+        server_update_ssl(server, key, value);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        unknown = true;
+    }
+
+    if (unknown)
+    {
+        dcb_printf(dcb, "Unknown parameter '%s'", key);
+    }
+}
+
+struct subcommand alteroptions[] =
+{
+    {
+        "server", 3, 3, alterServer,
+        "Alter server parameters",
+        "Usage: alter server NAME KEY VALUE\n"
+        "This will alter an existing parameter of a server. The accepted values\n"
+        "for KEY are: 'address', 'port', 'monuser', 'monpw'",
+        {ARG_TYPE_SERVER, ARG_TYPE_STRING, ARG_TYPE_STRING}
+    },
+    {
+        EMPTY_OPTION
+    }
+};
+
 /**
  * The debug command table
  */
@@ -1076,6 +1126,7 @@ static struct
     { "remove",     removeoptions },
     { "create",     createoptions },
     { "destroy",    destroyoptions },
+    { "alter",      alteroptions },
     { "set",        setoptions },
     { "clear",      clearoptions },
     { "disable",    disableoptions },