diff --git a/src/distromatic.c b/src/distromatic.c
index 5789836..be4224f 100644
--- a/src/distromatic.c
+++ b/src/distromatic.c
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@ PROGRAMNAME " version " PROGRAMVERSION,
 (char *)0
 };
 
+static struct configTag *firstconfigtag = NULL, *configtag = NULL;
+
 unsigned int quietmode = 0;
 unsigned int genheader_mode = GENHEADER_BASE + GENHEADER_REQUIREMENTS;
 unsigned int mode = 0;
@@ -1070,12 +1072,14 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
           strcpy(configfile, DEFAULT_CONFIGFILE);
      }
 
-     if (read_configuration(configfile, repository_tag)) {
+     firstconfigtag = read_configuration(configfile);
+     if (!firstconfigtag) {
           fprintf(stderr,
                   "Fatal error while parsing config file %s; aborting.\n",configfile);
           exit(1);
      }
 
+     configtag = findRepositoryByTag(repository_tag);
      if (!configtag) {
           fprintf(stderr,
                   "Fatal error: configuration missing for given tag\n");
diff --git a/src/functions.c b/src/functions.c
index d88984f..28b74f6 100644
--- a/src/functions.c
+++ b/src/functions.c
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@
 #include "changelog.h"
 
 static int debug_log = 0;
+static struct configDefaults configdefaults;
+static struct configTag *firstconfigtag = NULL;
 
 struct configTag* findRepositoryByTag(const char *tag)
 {
@@ -84,7 +86,7 @@ struct configTag* findRepositoryByTag(const char *tag)
    if (ct) return ct; else return NULL;
 }
 
-int read_configuration(const char *confFile, const char *tag)
+struct configTag* read_configuration(const char *confFile)
 {
      FILE *fin;
 
@@ -97,7 +99,7 @@ int read_configuration(const char *confFile, const char *tag)
      struct Packager *currmaintainer;
 
      if ((fin = fopen(confFile, "r")) == NULL) {
-          return 1;
+          return NULL;
      }
 
      unsigned int configsection = 0;
@@ -134,7 +136,7 @@ int read_configuration(const char *confFile, const char *tag)
                     newconfigtag = malloc(sizeof(struct configTag));
                     if (!newconfigtag) {
                           fprintf(stderr, "The system is out of memory\n");
-                          return 1;
+                          return NULL;
                     }
 
                     newconfigtag->tag =
@@ -164,10 +166,6 @@ int read_configuration(const char *confFile, const char *tag)
                          newconfigtag->html_dir = (char *) strdup(buf);
                     }
 
-                    if ((!tag) || (!strcmp(newconfigtag->tag, tag))) {
-                         configtag = newconfigtag;
-                    }
-
                     if (!currconfigtag) {
                          firstconfigtag = newconfigtag;
                     } else {
@@ -218,13 +216,13 @@ int read_configuration(const char *confFile, const char *tag)
 	            if (vartok) {
                        fprintf(stderr,
                             "Error: exceeding number of archs defined; maximum is %d.",ARCHS_MAX);
-                            return 1;
+                            return NULL;
                     } else {
 		       currconfigtag->arch[i] = NULL;
 		    }
                } else {
                     fprintf(stderr, "Undefined token: %s\n", vartok);
-                    return 1;
+                    return NULL;
                }
           } else if (configsection == CONF_DEFAULTS_SECTION) {
 	       /* we are in the default section */
@@ -259,13 +257,13 @@ int read_configuration(const char *confFile, const char *tag)
 	            if (vartok) {
                        fprintf(stderr,
                             "Error: exceeding number of archs defined; maximum is %d.",ARCHS_MAX);
-                            return 1;
+                            return NULL;
                     }
                } else {
                     fprintf(stderr,
                             "Invalid token for `defaults' tag: %s\n",
                             vartok);
-                    return 1;
+                    return NULL;
                }
           } else if (configsection == CONF_MAINTAINERS_SECTION) {
 
@@ -275,7 +273,7 @@ int read_configuration(const char *confFile, const char *tag)
               if (!currmaintainer) {
                     fprintf(stderr,
                             "Error: cannot create maintainers; aborting.");
-                    return 1;
+                    return NULL;
 	      }
 
 	      currmaintainer->role |= PACKAGER_ROLE_MAINTAINER;
@@ -294,7 +292,7 @@ int read_configuration(const char *confFile, const char *tag)
 	      if (vartok) {
                     fprintf(stderr,
                             "Error: exceeding number of aliases defined for maintainer %s.",currmaintainer->name);
-                    return 1;
+                    return NULL;
 	      }
           }
      }
@@ -306,7 +304,7 @@ int read_configuration(const char *confFile, const char *tag)
                fprintf(stderr,
                        "REPOSITORY_DIR not given for tag %s\n",
                        currconfigtag->tag);
-               return 1;
+               return NULL;
           }
 
           if (!currconfigtag->repository_source_dir) {
@@ -332,7 +330,7 @@ int read_configuration(const char *confFile, const char *tag)
 
      fclose(fin);
 
-     return 0;
+     return firstconfigtag;
 }
 
 char **
diff --git a/src/include/distromatic.h b/src/include/distromatic.h
index 3f3720d..5de62e1 100644
--- a/src/include/distromatic.h
+++ b/src/include/distromatic.h
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ struct configDefaults {
      char *url_dir;
      char *arch[ARCHS_MAX];
 };
-static struct configDefaults configdefaults;
 
 struct configTag {
      struct configDefaults *configdefaults;
@@ -41,6 +40,5 @@ struct configTag {
      struct headerStats stats;
      struct configTag *next;
 };
-static struct configTag *firstconfigtag = NULL, *configtag = NULL;
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/include/functions.h b/src/include/functions.h
index 17d9abe..82e327d 100644
--- a/src/include/functions.h
+++ b/src/include/functions.h
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ typedef char sizeString[SSSIZE];
 #define LOG_DEBUG 4
 #define LOG_MARK 8
 
-int read_configuration(const char *confFile, const char *tag);
+struct configTag* read_configuration(const char *confFile);
 struct configTag* findRepositoryByTag(const char *tag);
 
 char **dupnargv(char **argv, int count);