diff --git a/src/app/config/config.c b/src/app/config/config.c
index c15236b0e9..5f7a82d15a 100644
--- a/src/app/config/config.c
+++ b/src/app/config/config.c
@@ -259,11 +259,11 @@ DUMMY_TYPECHECK_INSTANCE(or_options_t);
  * or_options_t.<b>member</b>"
  */
 #define VAR(varname,conftype,member,initvalue)                          \
-  CONFIG_VAR_ETYPE(or_options_t, varname, conftype, member, initvalue)
+  CONFIG_VAR_ETYPE(or_options_t, varname, conftype, member, 0, initvalue)
 
 /* As VAR, but uses a type definition in addition to a type enum. */
 #define VAR_D(varname,conftype,member,initvalue)                        \
-  CONFIG_VAR_DEFN(or_options_t, varname, conftype, member, initvalue)
+  CONFIG_VAR_DEFN(or_options_t, varname, conftype, member, 0, initvalue)
 
 #define V(member,conftype,initvalue)            \
   VAR(#member, conftype, member, initvalue)
diff --git a/src/app/config/statefile.c b/src/app/config/statefile.c
index e0584c62af..4fe415b8cf 100644
--- a/src/app/config/statefile.c
+++ b/src/app/config/statefile.c
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ static config_abbrev_t state_abbrevs_[] = {
 DUMMY_TYPECHECK_INSTANCE(or_state_t);
 
 #define VAR(varname,conftype,member,initvalue)                          \
-  CONFIG_VAR_ETYPE(or_state_t, varname, conftype, member, initvalue)
+  CONFIG_VAR_ETYPE(or_state_t, varname, conftype, member, 0, initvalue)
 #define V(member,conftype,initvalue)            \
   VAR(#member, conftype, member, initvalue)
 
diff --git a/src/feature/dirauth/shared_random_state.c b/src/feature/dirauth/shared_random_state.c
index 3cdb223d25..d89f249a72 100644
--- a/src/feature/dirauth/shared_random_state.c
+++ b/src/feature/dirauth/shared_random_state.c
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ static const char dstate_cur_srv_key[] = "SharedRandCurrentValue";
 DUMMY_TYPECHECK_INSTANCE(sr_disk_state_t);
 
 #define VAR(varname,conftype,member,initvalue)                          \
-  CONFIG_VAR_ETYPE(sr_disk_state_t, varname, conftype, member, initvalue)
+  CONFIG_VAR_ETYPE(sr_disk_state_t, varname, conftype, member, 0, initvalue)
 #define V(member,conftype,initvalue)            \
   VAR(#member, conftype, member, initvalue)
 
diff --git a/src/lib/conf/confmacros.h b/src/lib/conf/confmacros.h
index 4242137c5a..ff284e681d 100644
--- a/src/lib/conf/confmacros.h
+++ b/src/lib/conf/confmacros.h
@@ -30,12 +30,14 @@
  * Most modules that use this macro should wrap it in a local macro that
  * sets structtype to the local configuration type.
  **/
-#define CONFIG_VAR_ETYPE(structtype, varname, vartype, membername, initval) \
+#define CONFIG_VAR_ETYPE(structtype, varname, vartype, membername,      \
+                         varflags, initval)                             \
   { .member =                                                           \
     { .name = varname,                                                  \
       .type = CONFIG_TYPE_ ## vartype,                                  \
       .offset = offsetof(structtype, membername),                       \
     },                                                                  \
+    .flags = varflags,                                                  \
     .initvalue = initval                                                \
     CONF_TEST_MEMBERS(structtype, vartype, membername)                  \
   }
@@ -44,13 +46,15 @@
  * As CONFIG_VAR_XTYPE, but declares a value using an extension type whose
  * type definition is <b>vartype</b>_type_defn.
  **/
-#define CONFIG_VAR_DEFN(structtype, varname, vartype, membername, initval) \
+#define CONFIG_VAR_DEFN(structtype, varname, vartype, membername,       \
+                        varflags, initval)                              \
   { .member =                                                           \
-    { .name = varname,                                                  \
+      { .name = varname,                                                \
       .type = CONFIG_TYPE_EXTENDED,                                     \
       .type_def = &vartype ## _type_defn,                               \
       .offset = offsetof(structtype, membername),                       \
     },                                                                  \
+    .flags = varflags,                                                  \
     .initvalue = initval                                                \
     CONF_TEST_MEMBERS(structtype, vartype, membername)                  \
   }
diff --git a/src/test/test_confparse.c b/src/test/test_confparse.c
index 4bf66f3230..4612419dff 100644
--- a/src/test/test_confparse.c
+++ b/src/test/test_confparse.c
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ typedef struct test_struct_t {
 static test_struct_t test_struct_t_dummy;
 
 #define VAR(varname,conftype,member,initvalue)                          \
-  CONFIG_VAR_ETYPE(test_struct_t, varname, conftype, member, initvalue)
+  CONFIG_VAR_ETYPE(test_struct_t, varname, conftype, member, 0, initvalue)
 #define V(member,conftype,initvalue)            \
   VAR(#member, conftype, member, initvalue)
 #define OBSOLETE(varname)                       \