diff --git a/lib/node/config.js b/lib/node/config.js
index b2a794b8..c012f420 100644
--- a/lib/node/config.js
+++ b/lib/node/config.js
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ config.parse = function parse(options) {
   var env = {};
   var arg = {};
   var data = {};
-  var text, prefix, filename, dirname;
+  var conf, prefix, filename, dirname;
 
   if (!options)
     options = {};
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ config.parse = function parse(options) {
       filename = resolve(prefix, 'bcoin.conf');
 
     dirname = utils.normalize(filename, true);
-    text = config.readConfig(filename, prefix, dirname);
-    data = merge(text, data);
+    conf = config.readConfig(filename, prefix, dirname);
+    data = merge(conf, data);
 
     prefix = config.getPrefix(data);
 
@@ -88,6 +88,10 @@ config.parse = function parse(options) {
     }
   }
 
+  // Force fast properties
+  // after all those merges.
+  utils.fastProp(data);
+
   return data;
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/node/node.js b/lib/node/node.js
index 583bf2d1..abc44e13 100644
--- a/lib/node/node.js
+++ b/lib/node/node.js
@@ -26,7 +26,10 @@ function Node(options) {
 
   AsyncObject.call(this);
 
-  options = this._parseOptions(options);
+  if (!options)
+    options = {};
+
+  options = this.parseOptions(options);
 
   this.options = options;
   this.network = bcoin.network.get(options.network);
@@ -161,12 +164,7 @@ Node.prototype._error = function _error(err) {
  * @returns {Object}
  */
 
-Node.prototype._parseOptions = function _parseOptions(options) {
-  if (!options)
-    options = {};
-
-  options = utils.merge({}, options);
-
+Node.prototype.parseOptions = function parseOptions(options) {
   options.network = bcoin.network.get(options.network);
 
   if (!options.prefix)
@@ -197,8 +195,6 @@ Node.prototype._parseOptions = function _parseOptions(options) {
   if (options.witness == null)
     options.witness = options.network.witness;
 
-  utils.fastProp(options);
-
   return options;
 };