diff --git a/conf/e3/config.json b/conf/e3/config.json
index 1cecc89d2..a42961e03 100644
--- a/conf/e3/config.json
+++ b/conf/e3/config.json
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
         "seed.population.max": 8,
         "rules.reserve.twophase": true,
         "rules.owners.force_leave": false,
+        "rules.wage.function": 2,
         "rules.monsters.attack_chance": 0.1,
         "rules.transfermen": false,
         "stealth.faction.other": false,
diff --git a/conf/e3/rules.xml b/conf/e3/rules.xml
index 421b54d7a..d59787551 100644
--- a/conf/e3/rules.xml
+++ b/conf/e3/rules.xml
@@ -28,7 +28,4 @@
   <xi:include href="config://default/names-zombies.xml"/>
   <xi:include href="config://default/names-ghouls.xml"/>
   <xi:include href="config://default/names-dragons.xml"/>
-  <rules>
-    <function name="wage" value="minimum_wage"/>
-  </rules>
 </eressea>
diff --git a/src/kernel/building.c b/src/kernel/building.c
index 1a9e826e6..64b616fdc 100644
--- a/src/kernel/building.c
+++ b/src/kernel/building.c
@@ -811,10 +811,18 @@ minimum_wage(const region * r, const faction * f, const race * rc, int in_turn)
 * die Bauern wenn f == NULL. */
 int wage(const region * r, const faction * f, const race * rc, int in_turn)
 {
-    if (global.wage) {
-        return global.wage(r, f, rc, in_turn);
+    static int config;
+    static int rule_wage;
+    if (config_changed(&config)) {
+        rule_wage = config_get_int("rules.wage.function", 1);
     }
-    return default_wage(r, f, rc, in_turn);
+    if (rule_wage==0) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+    if (rule_wage==1) {
+        return default_wage(r, f, rc, in_turn);
+    }
+    return minimum_wage(r, f, rc, in_turn);
 }
 
 int cmp_wage(const struct building *b, const building * a)
@@ -913,7 +921,6 @@ int cmp_current_owner(const building * b, const building * a)
 
 void register_buildings(void)
 {
-    register_function((pf_generic)minimum_wage, "minimum_wage");
     register_function((pf_generic)init_smithy, "init_smithy");
     register_function((pf_generic)castle_name, "castle_name");
     register_function((pf_generic)castle_name_2, "castle_name_2");
diff --git a/src/kernel/config.c b/src/kernel/config.c
index 6d84a7c73..4b3ab5a91 100644
--- a/src/kernel/config.c
+++ b/src/kernel/config.c
@@ -796,7 +796,6 @@ bool config_token(const char *key, const char *tok) {
 }
 
 void free_config(void) {
-    global.wage = NULL;
     free_params(&configuration);
     ++config_cache_key;
 }
diff --git a/src/kernel/config.h b/src/kernel/config.h
index c8c2e4be9..a4378332d 100644
--- a/src/kernel/config.h
+++ b/src/kernel/config.h
@@ -110,8 +110,6 @@ extern "C" {
     typedef struct settings {
         struct attrib *attribs;
         void *vm_state;
-        int(*wage) (const struct region * r, const struct faction * f,
-            const struct race * rc, int in_turn);
     } settings;
 
     void set_param(struct param **p, const char *key, const char *value);
diff --git a/src/kernel/xmlreader.c b/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
index dcaf97580..7cb871785 100644
--- a/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
+++ b/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
@@ -883,44 +883,6 @@ static item_type *xml_readitem(xmlXPathContextPtr xpath, resource_type * rtype)
     return itype;
 }
 
-static int parse_rules(xmlDocPtr doc)
-{
-    xmlXPathContextPtr xpath = xmlXPathNewContext(doc);
-    xmlXPathObjectPtr functions;
-    xmlNodeSetPtr nodes;
-    int i;
-
-    /* reading eressea/resources/resource */
-    functions = xmlXPathEvalExpression(BAD_CAST "/eressea/rules/function", xpath);
-    nodes = functions->nodesetval;
-    for (i = 0; i != nodes->nodeNr; ++i) {
-        xmlNodePtr node = nodes->nodeTab[i];
-        xmlChar *propValue;
-        pf_generic fun;
-
-        parse_function(node, &fun, &propValue);
-
-        if (fun == NULL) {
-            log_error("unknown function for rule '%s' %s\n", (const char *)propValue);
-            xmlFree(propValue);
-            continue;
-        }
-        assert(propValue != NULL);
-        if (strcmp((const char *)propValue, "wage") == 0) {
-            global.wage =
-                (int(*)(const struct region *, const struct faction *,
-                const struct race *, int))fun;
-        }
-        else {
-            log_error("unknown function for rule '%s'\n", (const char *)propValue);
-        }
-        xmlFree(propValue);
-    }
-    xmlXPathFreeObject(functions);
-    xmlXPathFreeContext(xpath);
-    return 0;
-}
-
 static int parse_resources(xmlDocPtr doc)
 {
     xmlXPathContextPtr xpath = xmlXPathNewContext(doc);
@@ -1960,8 +1922,6 @@ static int parse_strings(xmlDocPtr doc)
 
 void register_xmlreader(void)
 {
-    xml_register_callback(parse_rules);
-
     xml_register_callback(parse_races);
     xml_register_callback(parse_calendar);
     xml_register_callback(parse_resources);
diff --git a/src/laws.test.c b/src/laws.test.c
index 9ed457af7..ce8ca2c19 100644
--- a/src/laws.test.c
+++ b/src/laws.test.c
@@ -1444,15 +1444,10 @@ static void test_show_race(CuTest *tc) {
     test_cleanup();
 }
 
-static int low_wage(const region * r, const faction * f, const race * rc, int in_turn) {
-    return 1;
-}
-
 static void test_immigration(CuTest * tc)
 {
     region *r;
     double inject[] = { 1 };
-    int (*old_wage)(const region*, const faction*, const race*, int) = global.wage;
 
     test_setup();
     r = test_create_region(0, 0, 0);
@@ -1472,10 +1467,9 @@ static void test_immigration(CuTest * tc)
 
     random_source_inject_array(inject, 2);
 
-    global.wage = low_wage;
+    config_set("rules.wage.function", "0");
     immigration();
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 2, rpeasants(r));
-    global.wage = old_wage;
 
     test_cleanup();
 }