diff --git a/src/app/config/config.c b/src/app/config/config.c
index f07c9bbc2a..337ae93575 100644
--- a/src/app/config/config.c
+++ b/src/app/config/config.c
@@ -4487,41 +4487,42 @@ options_validate(or_options_t *old_options, or_options_t *options,
            "AlternateDirAuthority and AlternateBridgeAuthority configured.");
   }
 
-  /* Check for options that can only be changed from the defaults in testing
-     networks.  */
-  or_options_t *dflt_options = options_new();
-  options_init(dflt_options);
 #define CHECK_DEFAULT(arg)                                              \
   STMT_BEGIN                                                            \
-    if (!options->TestingTorNetwork &&                                  \
-        !options->UsingTestNetworkDefaults_ &&                          \
-        !config_is_same(get_options_mgr(),options,                      \
+    if (!config_is_same(get_options_mgr(),options,                      \
                         dflt_options,#arg)) {                           \
       or_options_free(dflt_options);                                    \
       REJECT(#arg " may only be changed in testing Tor "                \
              "networks!");                                              \
-    } STMT_END
-  CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingV3AuthInitialVotingInterval);
-  CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingV3AuthInitialVoteDelay);
-  CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingV3AuthInitialDistDelay);
-  CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingV3AuthVotingStartOffset);
-  CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingAuthDirTimeToLearnReachability);
-  CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingEstimatedDescriptorPropagationTime);
-  CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingServerDownloadInitialDelay);
-  CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingClientDownloadInitialDelay);
-  CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingServerConsensusDownloadInitialDelay);
-  CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingClientConsensusDownloadInitialDelay);
-  CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingBridgeDownloadInitialDelay);
-  CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingBridgeBootstrapDownloadInitialDelay);
-  CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingClientMaxIntervalWithoutRequest);
-  CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingDirConnectionMaxStall);
-  CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingAuthKeyLifetime);
-  CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingLinkCertLifetime);
-  CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingSigningKeySlop);
-  CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingAuthKeySlop);
-  CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingLinkKeySlop);
+  } STMT_END
+
+  /* Check for options that can only be changed from the defaults in testing
+     networks.  */
+  if (! options->TestingTorNetwork && !options->UsingTestNetworkDefaults_) {
+    or_options_t *dflt_options = options_new();
+    options_init(dflt_options);
+    CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingV3AuthInitialVotingInterval);
+    CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingV3AuthInitialVoteDelay);
+    CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingV3AuthInitialDistDelay);
+    CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingV3AuthVotingStartOffset);
+    CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingAuthDirTimeToLearnReachability);
+    CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingEstimatedDescriptorPropagationTime);
+    CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingServerDownloadInitialDelay);
+    CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingClientDownloadInitialDelay);
+    CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingServerConsensusDownloadInitialDelay);
+    CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingClientConsensusDownloadInitialDelay);
+    CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingBridgeDownloadInitialDelay);
+    CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingBridgeBootstrapDownloadInitialDelay);
+    CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingClientMaxIntervalWithoutRequest);
+    CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingDirConnectionMaxStall);
+    CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingAuthKeyLifetime);
+    CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingLinkCertLifetime);
+    CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingSigningKeySlop);
+    CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingAuthKeySlop);
+    CHECK_DEFAULT(TestingLinkKeySlop);
+    or_options_free(dflt_options);
+  }
 #undef CHECK_DEFAULT
-  or_options_free(dflt_options);
 
   if (!options->ClientDNSRejectInternalAddresses &&
       !(options->DirAuthorities ||