diff --git a/userspace/falco/configuration.cpp b/userspace/falco/configuration.cpp
index 25e1d226..1231b3ba 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/configuration.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/configuration.cpp
@@ -54,7 +54,16 @@ falco_configuration::~falco_configuration()
 void falco_configuration::init(string conf_filename, list<string> &cmdline_options)
 {
 	string m_config_file = conf_filename;
-	m_config = new yaml_configuration(m_config_file);
+	m_config = new yaml_configuration();
+	try
+	{
+		m_config->load_from_file(m_config_file);
+	}
+	catch(const std::exception& e)
+	{
+		std::cerr << "Cannot read config file (" + m_config_file + "): " + e.what() + "\n";
+		throw e;
+	}
 
 	init_cmdline_options(cmdline_options);
 
diff --git a/userspace/falco/configuration.h b/userspace/falco/configuration.h
index 5be2b955..211a5d62 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/configuration.h
+++ b/userspace/falco/configuration.h
@@ -35,26 +35,28 @@ limitations under the License.
 class yaml_configuration
 {
 public:
-	std::string m_path;
-	yaml_configuration(const std::string& path)
+	/**
+	* Load the YAML document represented by the input string.
+	*/
+	void load_from_string(const std::string& input)
 	{
-		m_path = path;
-		YAML::Node config;
-		std::vector<falco::outputs::config> outputs;
-		try
-		{
-			m_root = YAML::LoadFile(path);
-		}
-		catch(const YAML::BadFile& ex)
-		{
-			std::cerr << "Error reading config file (" + path + "): " + ex.what() + "\n";
-			throw;
-		}
-		catch(const YAML::ParserException& ex)
-		{
-			std::cerr << "Cannot read config file (" + path + "): " + ex.what() + "\n";
-			throw;
-		}
+		m_root = YAML::Load(input);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	* Load the YAML document from the given file path.
+	*/
+	void load_from_file(const std::string& path)
+	{
+		m_root = YAML::LoadFile(path);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Clears the internal loaded document.
+	 */
+	void clear()
+	{
+		m_root = YAML::Node();
 	}
 
 	/**