diff --git a/server/core/gateway.cc b/server/core/gateway.cc
index d90d368e8..cd22f4361 100644
--- a/server/core/gateway.cc
+++ b/server/core/gateway.cc
@@ -1978,19 +1978,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
         goto return_main;
     }
 
-    if (!config_load(cnf_file_path))
-    {
-        const char* fprerr =
-            "Failed to open, read or process the MaxScale configuration "
-            "file. Exiting. See the error log for details.";
-        print_log_n_stderr(false, true, fprerr, fprerr, 0);
-        MXS_ERROR("Failed to open, read or process the MaxScale configuration file %s. "
-                  "Exiting.",
-                  cnf_file_path);
-        rc = MAXSCALE_BADCONFIG;
-        goto return_main;
-    }
-
     if (!qc_setup(cnf->qc_cache_properties, cnf->qc_sql_mode, cnf->qc_name, cnf->qc_args))
     {
         const char* logerr = "Failed to initialise query classifier library.";
@@ -2071,6 +2058,19 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
         goto return_main;
     }
 
+    if (!config_load(cnf_file_path))
+    {
+        const char* fprerr =
+            "Failed to open, read or process the MaxScale configuration "
+            "file. Exiting. See the error log for details.";
+        print_log_n_stderr(false, true, fprerr, fprerr, 0);
+        MXS_ERROR("Failed to open, read or process the MaxScale configuration file %s. "
+                  "Exiting.",
+                  cnf_file_path);
+        rc = MAXSCALE_BADCONFIG;
+        goto return_main;
+    }
+
     /* Init MaxScale modules */
     if (!modules_process_init())
     {