diff --git a/src/allsky_common.cpp b/src/allsky_common.cpp
index 8f0295686..979f05acd 100644
--- a/src/allsky_common.cpp
+++ b/src/allsky_common.cpp
@@ -1375,9 +1375,17 @@ void delayBetweenImages(config cg, long lastExposure_us, std::string sleepType)
 // NULL-out CR or LF, or both if they are in a row.
 // Keep track of the beginning of the next line.
 // Return a pointer to the beginning of the line or NULL if at the end of the file.
+
+// Calling getLine(NULL) resets the pointer so the next call
+// starts at the beginning of the buffer
 char *getLine(char *buffer)
 {
 	static char *nextLine = NULL;
+	if (buffer == NULL)
+	{
+		nextLine = NULL;
+		return(NULL);
+	}
 	char *startOfLine;
 	char *ptr;
 
@@ -1409,57 +1417,64 @@ char *getLine(char *buffer)
 	return(startOfLine);
 }
 
-// Get settings from a configuration file.
-bool called_from_getConfigFileArguments = false;
-bool getConfigFileArguments(config *cg)
+// Read the specified file into the specified buffer.
+char * readFileIntoBuffer(config *cg, const char *file)
 {
-	if (called_from_getConfigFileArguments)
-	{
-		Log(-1, "*** %s: WARNING: Configuration file calls itself; ignoring!\n", cg->ME);
-		return true;
-	}
-
-	if (cg->configFile[0] == '\0') {
-		Log(0, "*** %s: ERROR: Unable to read configuration file: no file specified!\n", cg->ME);
-		return false;
-	}
-
-	// Read the whole configuration file into memory so we can create argv with pointers
-	static char *buf = NULL;
 	int fd;
-	if ((fd = open(cg->configFile, O_RDONLY)) == -1)
+	if ((fd = open(file, O_RDONLY)) == -1)
 	{
 		int e = errno;
-		Log(0, "*** %s: ERROR: Could not open configuration file '%s': %s!",
-			cg->ME, cg->configFile, strerror(e));
-		return false;
+		Log(0, "*** %s: ERROR: Could not open file '%s': %s!", cg->ME, file, strerror(e));
+		return NULL;
 	}
 	struct stat statbuf;
 	if (fstat(fd, &statbuf) == 1)		// This should never fail
 	{
 		int e = errno;
-		Log(0, "*** %s: ERROR: Could not fstat() configuration file '%s': %s!",
-			cg->ME, cg->configFile, strerror(e));
-		return false;
+		Log(0, "*** %s: ERROR: Could not fstat() file '%s': %s!", cg->ME, file, strerror(e));
+		return NULL;
 	}
 	// + 1 for trailing NULL
+	char *buf = NULL;
 	if ((buf = (char *) realloc(buf, statbuf.st_size + 1)) == NULL)
 	{
 		int e = errno;
-		Log(0, "*** %s: ERROR: Could not malloc() configuration file '%s': %s!",
-			cg->ME, cg->configFile, strerror(e));
-		return false;
+		Log(0, "*** %s: ERROR: Could not realloc() file '%s': %s!", cg->ME, file, strerror(e));
+		return NULL;
 	}
 	if (read(fd, buf, statbuf.st_size) != statbuf.st_size)
 	{
 		int e = errno;
-		Log(0, "*** %s: ERROR: Could not read() configuration file '%s': %s!",
-			cg->ME, cg->configFile, strerror(e));
-		return false;
+		Log(0, "*** %s: ERROR: Could not read() file '%s': %s!", cg->ME, file, strerror(e));
+		return NULL;
 	}
+
 	buf[statbuf.st_size] = '\0';
 	(void) close(fd);
 
+	return(buf);
+}
+
+// Get settings from a configuration file.
+bool called_from_getConfigFileArguments = false;
+bool getConfigFileArguments(config *cg)
+{
+	if (called_from_getConfigFileArguments)
+	{
+		Log(-1, "*** %s: WARNING: Configuration file calls itself; ignoring!\n", cg->ME);
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	if (cg->configFile[0] == '\0') {
+		Log(0, "*** %s: ERROR: Unable to read configuration file: no file specified!\n", cg->ME);
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	// Read the whole configuration file into memory so we can create argv with pointers.
+	static char *buf = readFileIntoBuffer(cg, cg->configFile);
+	if (buf == NULL)
+		return(false);
+
 	int const numSettings = 500 * 2;	// some settings take an argument
 	char *argv[numSettings];