diff --git a/config.lisp b/config.lisp
index e746639..0b365b3 100644
--- a/config.lisp
+++ b/config.lisp
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
   (:use :common-lisp)
   (:export #:base #:root
            #:env-data #:env-keys #:env-prefix #:env-path 
-           #:add #:children #:parent
+           #:add #:children #:env-slots #:parent
            #:hash-to-slots))
 
 (in-package :scopes/config)
@@ -52,12 +52,14 @@
 ;;;; config base class
 
 (defclass base (common)
-  ((parent :reader parent
+  ((env-slots :reader env-slots :initform nil :allocation :class)
+   (parent :reader parent
            :initarg :parent)))
 
 (defmethod initialize-instance :after ((cfg base) &key parent &allow-other-keys)
   (if parent
-    (push cfg (children parent))))
+    (push cfg (children parent))
+    (hash-to-slots (env-data cfg) cfg (env-slots cfg))))
 
 (defmethod (setf parent) ((cfg base) (parent common))
   (push cfg (children parent)))
diff --git a/core/core.lisp b/core/core.lisp
index c2d4ffb..7992ae2 100644
--- a/core/core.lisp
+++ b/core/core.lisp
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@
 
 (defclass config (config:root) ())
 
-(defun root-config ()
-  (make-instance 'config))
+(defun root-config (&rest params)
+  (apply #'make-instance 'config params))
 
 (defclass service-config (config:base)
   ((name :reader name :initarg :name)
diff --git a/test/etc/config-web.lisp b/test/etc/config-web.lisp
index 1cd8d4b..781a3f3 100644
--- a/test/etc/config-web.lisp
+++ b/test/etc/config-web.lisp
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 
 (in-package :scopes/test-web)
 
-(setf *config* 
-  (make-instance 'config:root :env-keys '(:address :port)))
+(setf *config* (core:root-config :env-keys '(:address :port)))
 
 (make-instance 'server:config :parent *config*
                :port "8899")
diff --git a/test/test-config.lisp b/test/test-config.lisp
index c14d909..e514fa1 100644
--- a/test/test-config.lisp
+++ b/test/test-config.lisp
@@ -19,12 +19,10 @@
    (config:env-path :initform (t:test-path ".test.env"))))
 
 (defclass child-config (config:base) 
-   ((user :accessor user :initarg :user)
+   ((config:env-slots :initform '(user password))
+    (user :accessor user :initarg :user)
     (password :accessor password :initarg :password)))
 
-(defmethod initialize-instance :after ((cfg child-config) &key &allow-other-keys)
-  (config:hash-to-slots (config:env-data cfg) cfg '(user password)))
-
 (defun run ()
   (let ((*config* nil)
         (t:*test-suite* (t:test-suite "config")))
diff --git a/test/test-core.lisp b/test/test-core.lisp
index 1676f94..d0551da 100644
--- a/test/test-core.lisp
+++ b/test/test-core.lisp
@@ -64,6 +64,6 @@
         (msg (message:simple-message '(:test :dummy) "dummy payload"))
         (msg-exp (message:simple-message '(:test :dummy) "dummy payload")))
     (expect rcvr msg-exp)
-    (== (core:name (core:config rcvr)) :test-receiver)
+    (== (core:name rcvr) :test-receiver)
     (core:send rcvr msg)
     ))
diff --git a/test/test-web.lisp b/test/test-web.lisp
index 612e6a3..47f654b 100644
--- a/test/test-web.lisp
+++ b/test/test-web.lisp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 (defpackage :scopes/test-web
   (:use :common-lisp)
   (:local-nicknames (:config :scopes/config)
+                    (:core :scopes/core)
                     (:client :scopes/web/client)
                     (:server :scopes/web/server)
                     (:t :scopes/testing))
diff --git a/web/server.lisp b/web/server.lisp
index dc04d3b..1d089e2 100644
--- a/web/server.lisp
+++ b/web/server.lisp
@@ -9,12 +9,10 @@
 (in-package :scopes/web/server)
 
 (defclass config (config:base)
-  ((address :reader address :initarg :address :initform "localhost")
+  ((config:env-slots :initform '(address port))
+   (address :reader address :initarg :address :initform "localhost")
    (port :reader port :initarg :port :initform "8888")))
 
-(defmethod initialize-instance :after ((cfg config) &key &allow-other-keys)
-  (config:hash-to-slots (config:env-data cfg) cfg '(address port)))
-
 ;;;; listener = server process
 
 (defvar *listener* nil)