diff --git a/include/villas/path.h b/include/villas/path.h
index c6ad27405..353b23298 100644
--- a/include/villas/path.h
+++ b/include/villas/path.h
@@ -80,12 +80,12 @@ struct vpath {
 	struct Task timeout;
 
 	double rate;			/**< A timeout for */
-	int enabled;			/**< Is this path enabled? */
-	int muxed;			/**< Is this path muxed? */
+	bool enabled;			/**< Is this path enabled? */
+	bool muxed;			/**< Is this path muxed? */
 	int affinity;			/**< Thread affinity. */
 	int poll;			/**< Weather or not to use poll(2). */
-	int reverse;			/**< This path has a matching reverse path. */
-	int builtin;			/**< This path should use built-in hooks by default. */
+	bool reverse;			/**< This path has a matching reverse path. */
+	bool builtin_hooks;		/**< This path should use built-in hooks by default. */
 	int original_sequence_no;	/**< Use original source sequence number when multiplexing */
 	unsigned queuelen;		/**< The queue length for each path_destination::queue */
 
diff --git a/include/villas/super_node.hpp b/include/villas/super_node.hpp
index cbbeb0e75..ffd789b95 100644
--- a/include/villas/super_node.hpp
+++ b/include/villas/super_node.hpp
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class SuperNode {
 protected:
 	enum State state;
 
-	int idleStop;
+	bool idleStop;
 
 	Logger logger;
 
diff --git a/lib/hook.cpp b/lib/hook.cpp
index 86a82119d..2e2c0f126 100644
--- a/lib/hook.cpp
+++ b/lib/hook.cpp
@@ -81,18 +81,21 @@ void Hook::prepare(struct vlist *sigs)
 
 void Hook::parse(json_t *json)
 {
-	int ret;
+	int ret, en = -1;
 	json_error_t err;
 
 	assert(state != State::STARTED);
 
 	ret = json_unpack_ex(json, &err, 0, "{ s?: i, s?: b }",
 		"priority", &priority,
-		"enabled", &enabled
+		"enabled", &en
 	);
 	if (ret)
 		throw ConfigError(json, err, "node-config-hook");
 
+	if (en >= 0)
+		enabled = en != 0;
+
 	config = json;
 
 	state = State::PARSED;
diff --git a/lib/node.cpp b/lib/node.cpp
index 8d55d54ea..ffc55c53a 100644
--- a/lib/node.cpp
+++ b/lib/node.cpp
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ int node_prepare(struct vnode *n)
 
 int node_parse(struct vnode *n, json_t *json, const uuid_t sn_uuid)
 {
-	int ret, enabled = n->enabled;
+	int ret, en = -1;
 
 	json_error_t err;
 	json_t *json_netem = nullptr;
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ int node_parse(struct vnode *n, json_t *json, const uuid_t sn_uuid)
 	ret = json_unpack_ex(json, &err, 0, "{ s?: s, s?: s, s?: b }",
 		"name", &name_str,
 		"uuid", &uuid_str,
-		"enabled", &enabled
+		"enabled", &en
 	);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
@@ -167,7 +167,8 @@ int node_parse(struct vnode *n, json_t *json, const uuid_t sn_uuid)
 		return ret;
 #endif /* __linux__ */
 
-	n->enabled = enabled;
+	if (en >= 0)
+		n->enabled = en != 0;
 
 	if (name_str)
 		n->name = strdup(name_str);
@@ -185,13 +186,14 @@ int node_parse(struct vnode *n, json_t *json, const uuid_t sn_uuid)
 
 	if (json_netem) {
 #ifdef WITH_NETEM
-		int enabled = 1;
+		/* Enabled by default */
+		int en = 1;
 
-		ret = json_unpack_ex(json_netem, &err, 0, "{ s?: b }",  "enabled", &enabled);
+		ret = json_unpack_ex(json_netem, &err, 0, "{ s?: b }", "enabled", &en);
 		if (ret)
 			return ret;
 
-		if (enabled)
+		if (en)
 			kernel::tc::netem_parse(&n->tc_qdisc, json_netem);
 		else
 			n->tc_qdisc = nullptr;
diff --git a/lib/node_direction.cpp b/lib/node_direction.cpp
index 0f33999b9..f7f5a8f41 100644
--- a/lib/node_direction.cpp
+++ b/lib/node_direction.cpp
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ int node_direction_prepare(struct vnode_direction *nd, struct vnode *n)
 
 #ifdef WITH_HOOKS
 	int t = nd->direction == NodeDir::OUT ? (int) Hook::Flags::NODE_WRITE : (int) Hook::Flags::NODE_READ;
-	int m = nd->builtin ? t | (int) Hook::Flags::BUILTIN : 0;
+	int m = nd->builtin_hooks ? t | (int) Hook::Flags::BUILTIN : 0;
 
 	hook_list_prepare(&nd->hooks, &nd->signals, m, nullptr, n);
 
@@ -56,11 +56,11 @@ int node_direction_init(struct vnode_direction *nd, enum NodeDir dir, struct vno
 	int ret;
 
 	nd->direction = dir;
-	nd->enabled = 1;
+	nd->enabled = true;
 	nd->vectorize = 1;
-	nd->builtin = 1;
 	nd->path = nullptr;
 	nd->read_only_hooks = false;
+	nd->builtin_hooks = true;
 
 #ifdef WITH_HOOKS
 	ret = hook_list_init(&nd->hooks);
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ int node_direction_destroy(struct vnode_direction *nd, struct vnode *n)
 
 int node_direction_parse(struct vnode_direction *nd, struct vnode *n, json_t *json)
 {
-	int ret;
+	int ret, builtin_hooks = -1, enabled = -1;
 
 	assert(nd->state == State::INITIALIZED);
 
@@ -114,12 +114,18 @@ int node_direction_parse(struct vnode_direction *nd, struct vnode *n, json_t *js
 		"hooks", &json_hooks,
 		"signals", &json_signals,
 		"vectorize", &nd->vectorize,
-		"builtin", &nd->builtin,
-		"enabled", &nd->enabled
+		"builtin", &builtin_hooks,
+		"enabled", &enabled
 	);
 	if (ret)
 		throw ConfigError(json, err, "node-config-node-in");
 
+	if (builtin_hooks >= 0)
+		nd->builtin_hooks = builtin_hooks != 0;
+
+	if (enabled >= 0)
+		nd->enabled = enabled != 0;
+
 	if (n->_vt->flags & (int) NodeFlags::PROVIDES_SIGNALS) {
 		/* Do nothing.. Node-type will provide signals */
 	}
diff --git a/lib/path.cpp b/lib/path.cpp
index ea6e4eb1e..3264c7c9a 100644
--- a/lib/path.cpp
+++ b/lib/path.cpp
@@ -173,9 +173,9 @@ int path_init(struct vpath *p)
 	p->mode = PathMode::ANY;
 	p->rate = 0; /* Disabled */
 
-	p->builtin = 1;
-	p->reverse = 0;
-	p->enabled = 1;
+	p->builtin_hooks = true;
+	p->reverse = false;
+	p->enabled = true;
 	p->poll = -1;
 	p->queuelen = DEFAULT_QUEUE_LENGTH;
 	p->original_sequence_no = -1;
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ int path_prepare(struct vpath *p, NodeList &nodes)
 
 #ifdef WITH_HOOKS
 	/* Prepare path hooks */
-	int m = p->builtin ? (int) Hook::Flags::PATH | (int) Hook::Flags::BUILTIN : 0;
+	int m = p->builtin_hooks ? (int) Hook::Flags::PATH | (int) Hook::Flags::BUILTIN : 0;
 
 	/* Add internal hooks if they are not already in the list */
 	hook_list_prepare(&p->hooks, &p->signals, m, p, nullptr);
@@ -401,6 +401,8 @@ int path_parse(struct vpath *p, json_t *json, NodeList &nodes, const uuid_t sn_u
 	const char *mode = nullptr;
 	const char *uuid_str = nullptr;
 
+	int enabled = -1, reverse = -1, builtin_hooks = -1, original_sequence_no = -1, poll = -1;
+
 	struct vlist destinations;
 
 	ret = vlist_init(&destinations);
@@ -411,9 +413,9 @@ int path_parse(struct vpath *p, json_t *json, NodeList &nodes, const uuid_t sn_u
 		"in", &json_in,
 		"out", &json_out,
 		"hooks", &json_hooks,
-		"reverse", &p->reverse,
-		"enabled", &p->enabled,
-		"builtin", &p->builtin,
+		"reverse", &reverse,
+		"enabled", &enabled,
+		"builtin", &builtin_hooks,
 		"queuelen", &p->queuelen,
 		"mode", &mode,
 		"poll", &p->poll,
@@ -426,6 +428,15 @@ int path_parse(struct vpath *p, json_t *json, NodeList &nodes, const uuid_t sn_u
 	if (ret)
 		throw ConfigError(json, err, "node-config-path", "Failed to parse path configuration");
 
+	if (enabled >= 0)
+		p->enabled = enabled;
+
+	if (reverse >= 0)
+		p->reverse = reverse;
+
+	if (builtin_hooks >= 0)
+		p->builtin_hooks = builtin_hooks;
+
 	/* Optional settings */
 	if (mode) {
 		if      (!strcmp(mode, "any"))
@@ -851,7 +862,7 @@ json_t * path_to_json(struct vpath *p)
 		"state", state_print(p->state),
 		"mode", p->mode == PathMode::ANY ? "any" : "all",
 		"enabled", p->enabled,
-		"builtin", p->builtin,
+		"builtin", p->builtin_hooks,
 		"reverse", p->reverse,
 		"original_sequence_no", p->original_sequence_no,
 		"last_sequence", p->last_sequence,
diff --git a/lib/signal.cpp b/lib/signal.cpp
index 7c151ca9a..9ac5bd6b8 100644
--- a/lib/signal.cpp
+++ b/lib/signal.cpp
@@ -195,13 +195,14 @@ int signal_parse(struct signal *s, json_t *json)
 	const char *name = nullptr;
 	const char *unit = nullptr;
 	const char *type = "float";
+	int en = -1;
 
 	ret = json_unpack_ex(json, &err, 0, "{ s?: s, s?: s, s?: s, s?: o, s?: b }",
 		"name", &name,
 		"unit", &unit,
 		"type", &type,
 		"init", &json_init,
-		"enabled", &s->enabled
+		"enabled", &en
 	);
 	if (ret)
 		return -1;
@@ -226,6 +227,9 @@ int signal_parse(struct signal *s, json_t *json)
 	else
 		signal_data_set(&s->init, s->type, 0);
 
+	if (en >= 0)
+		s->enabled == en != 0;
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/super_node.cpp b/lib/super_node.cpp
index 855779d59..e8ddca5ed 100644
--- a/lib/super_node.cpp
+++ b/lib/super_node.cpp
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ typedef char uuid_string_t[37];
 
 SuperNode::SuperNode() :
 	state(State::INITIALIZED),
-	idleStop(-1),
+	idleStop(true),
 #ifdef WITH_API
 	api(this),
 #endif
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ void SuperNode::parse(const std::string &u)
 
 void SuperNode::parse(json_t *root)
 {
-	int ret;
+	int ret, is = -1;
 
 	assert(state != State::STARTED);
 
@@ -109,8 +109,6 @@ void SuperNode::parse(json_t *root)
 
 	json_error_t err;
 
-	idleStop = 1;
-
 	ret = json_unpack_ex(root, &err, 0, "{ s?: F, s?: o, s?: o, s?: o, s?: o, s?: i, s?: i, s?: i, s?: b, s?: s }",
 		"stats", &statsRate,
 		"http", &json_http,
@@ -120,7 +118,7 @@ void SuperNode::parse(json_t *root)
 		"hugepages", &hugepages,
 		"affinity", &affinity,
 		"priority", &priority,
-		"idle_stop", &idleStop,
+		"idle_stop", &is,
 		"uuid", &uuid_str
 	);
 	if (ret)
@@ -132,6 +130,9 @@ void SuperNode::parse(json_t *root)
 			throw ConfigError(root, "node-config-uuid", "Failed to parse UUID: {}", uuid_str);
 	}
 
+	if (is >= 0)
+		idleStop = is != 0;
+
 #ifdef WITH_WEB
 	if (json_http)
 		web.parse(json_http);
@@ -501,7 +502,7 @@ int SuperNode::periodic()
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (idleStop > 0 && state == State::STARTED && started == 0) {
+	if (idleStop && state == State::STARTED && started == 0) {
 		logger->info("No more active paths. Stopping super-node");
 
 		return -1;