diff --git a/src/kernel/config.c b/src/kernel/config.c
index 135df78c5..d78362f3c 100644
--- a/src/kernel/config.c
+++ b/src/kernel/config.c
@@ -867,21 +867,29 @@ bool rule_stealth_other(void)
 
 bool rule_stealth_anon(void)
 {
-    int rule = config_get_int("stealth.faction.anon", 1);
+    static int rule, config;
+    if (config_changed(&config)) {
+        rule = config_get_int("stealth.faction.anon", 1);
+    }
     return rule != 0;
 }
 
 bool rule_region_owners(void)
 {
-    int rule = config_get_int("rules.region_owners", 0);
+    static int rule, config;
+    if (config_changed(&config)) {
+        rule = config_get_int("rules.region_owners", 0);
+    }
     return rule != 0;
 }
 
 int rule_blessed_harvest(void)
 {
-    int rule = config_get_int("rules.blessed_harvest.flags",
-        HARVEST_WORK);
-    assert(rule >= 0);
+    static int rule, config;
+    if (config_changed(&config)) {
+        rule = config_get_int("rules.blessed_harvest.flags", HARVEST_WORK);
+        assert(rule >= 0);
+    }
     return rule;
 }
 
@@ -1053,7 +1061,12 @@ int entertainmoney(const region * r)
 
 int rule_give(void)
 {
-    return config_get_int("rules.give.flags", GIVE_DEFAULT);
+    static int config;
+    static int rule;
+    if (config_changed(&config)) {
+        rule = config_get_int("rules.give.flags", GIVE_DEFAULT);
+    }
+    return rule;
 }
 
 bool markets_module(void)
diff --git a/src/kernel/config.test.c b/src/kernel/config.test.c
index c8fc84a1a..405587443 100644
--- a/src/kernel/config.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/config.test.c
@@ -204,6 +204,26 @@ static void test_config_cache(CuTest *tc) {
 }
 
 static void test_rules(CuTest *tc) {
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, HARVEST_WORK, rule_blessed_harvest());
+    config_set("rules.blessed_harvest.flags", "15");
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 15, rule_blessed_harvest());
+
+    CuAssertTrue(tc, !rule_region_owners());
+    config_set("rules.region_owners", "1");
+    CuAssertTrue(tc, rule_region_owners());
+
+    CuAssertTrue(tc, rule_stealth_anon());
+    config_set("stealth.faction.anon", "0");
+    CuAssertTrue(tc, !rule_stealth_anon());
+
+    CuAssertTrue(tc, rule_stealth_other());
+    config_set("stealth.faction.other", "0");
+    CuAssertTrue(tc, !rule_stealth_other());
+
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, GIVE_DEFAULT, rule_give());
+    config_set("rules.give.flags", "15");
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 15, rule_give());
+
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, rule_alliance_limit());
     config_set("rules.limit.alliance", "1");
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 1, rule_alliance_limit());