diff --git a/dali/dalidiag/dalidiag.cpp b/dali/dalidiag/dalidiag.cpp
index 9fc16b59607..da15a672539 100644
--- a/dali/dalidiag/dalidiag.cpp
+++ b/dali/dalidiag/dalidiag.cpp
@@ -532,6 +532,8 @@ int main(int _argc, char* argv[])
     }
 
     try {
+        initNullConfiguration();
+
         Owned<IGroup> group = createIGroup(epa);
         assertex(group);
         initClientProcess(group, DCR_DaliDiag, 0, NULL, NULL, MP_WAIT_FOREVER);
diff --git a/dali/dalistop/dalistop.cpp b/dali/dalistop/dalistop.cpp
index 63eda00220c..e3c74a4823a 100644
--- a/dali/dalistop/dalistop.cpp
+++ b/dali/dalistop/dalistop.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,13 @@
 #include "daclient.hpp"
 
 
+static void usage()
+{
+    printf("usage: dalistop <server_ip:port> [/nowait]\n");
+    printf("eg:  dalistop .                          -- stop dali server running locally\n");
+    printf("     dalistop eq0001016                  -- stop dali server running remotely\n");
+}
+
 int main(int argc, const char* argv[])
 {
     InitModuleObjects();
@@ -34,23 +41,25 @@ int main(int argc, const char* argv[])
         const char *server = nullptr;
         if (argc<2)
         {
-            // with no args, use port from daliconfig if present (used by init scripts)
-            Owned<IFile> daliConfigFile = createIFile("daliconf.xml");
-            if (daliConfigFile->exists())
-            {
-                Owned<IPropertyTree> daliConfig = createPTree(*daliConfigFile, ipt_caseInsensitive);
-                port = daliConfig->getPropInt("@port", DALI_SERVER_PORT);
-                server = ".";
-            }
+            if (isContainerized())
+                usage();
             else
             {
-                printf("usage: dalistop <server_ip:port> [/nowait]\n");
-                printf("eg:  dalistop .                          -- stop dali server running locally\n");
-                printf("     dalistop eq0001016                  -- stop dali server running remotely\n");
+                // with no args, use port from daliconfig if present (used by init scripts)
+                Owned<IFile> daliConfigFile = createIFile("daliconf.xml");
+                if (daliConfigFile->exists())
+                {
+                    Owned<IPropertyTree> daliConfig = createPTree(*daliConfigFile, ipt_caseInsensitive);
+                    port = daliConfig->getPropInt("@port", DALI_SERVER_PORT);
+                    server = ".";
+                }
+                else
+                    usage();
             }
         }
         else
         {
+            initNullConfiguration();
             server = argv[1];
             port = DALI_SERVER_PORT;
         }
diff --git a/dali/sasha/sasha.cpp b/dali/sasha/sasha.cpp
index 3f7b02de1ce..920cdaf1385 100644
--- a/dali/sasha/sasha.cpp
+++ b/dali/sasha/sasha.cpp
@@ -406,6 +406,8 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
     EnableSEHtoExceptionMapping();
     Thread::setDefaultStackSize(0x10000);
     try {
+        initNullConfiguration();
+
         startMPServer(0);
         attachStandardFileLogMsgMonitor("sasha.log", NULL, MSGFIELD_STANDARD, MSGAUD_all, MSGCLS_all, TopDetail, LOGFORMAT_table, true);
         queryStderrLogMsgHandler()->setMessageFields(MSGFIELD_prefix);
diff --git a/system/jlib/jptree.cpp b/system/jlib/jptree.cpp
index e4afee9e170..a6b2391d642 100644
--- a/system/jlib/jptree.cpp
+++ b/system/jlib/jptree.cpp
@@ -9099,6 +9099,14 @@ void replaceComponentConfig(IPropertyTree *newComponentConfig, IPropertyTree *ne
     executeConfigUpdaterCallbacks();
 }
 
+void initNullConfiguration()
+{
+    if (componentConfiguration || globalConfiguration)
+        throw makeStringException(99, "Configuration has already been initialised");
+    componentConfiguration.setown(createPTree());
+    globalConfiguration.setown(createPTree());
+}
+
 class CYAMLBufferReader : public CInterfaceOf<IPTreeReader>
 {
 protected:
diff --git a/system/jlib/jptree.hpp b/system/jlib/jptree.hpp
index 32885b51ffe..b3dc69c6fdd 100644
--- a/system/jlib/jptree.hpp
+++ b/system/jlib/jptree.hpp
@@ -320,6 +320,7 @@ jlib_decl IPropertyTree * loadArgsIntoConfiguration(IPropertyTree *config, const
 jlib_decl IPropertyTree * loadConfiguration(IPropertyTree * defaultConfig, const char * * argv, const char * componentTag, const char * envPrefix, const char * legacyFilename, IPropertyTree * (mapper)(IPropertyTree *), const char *altNameAttribute=nullptr, bool monitor=true);
 jlib_decl IPropertyTree * loadConfiguration(const char * defaultYaml, const char * * argv, const char * componentTag, const char * envPrefix, const char * legacyFilename, IPropertyTree * (mapper)(IPropertyTree *), const char *altNameAttribute=nullptr, bool monitor=true);
 jlib_decl void replaceComponentConfig(IPropertyTree *newComponentConfig, IPropertyTree *newGlobalConfig);
+jlib_decl void initNullConfiguration();
 jlib_decl IPropertyTree * getCostsConfiguration();
 
 //The following can only be called after loadConfiguration has been called.  All components must call loadConfiguration().