diff --git a/fpga/include/villas/fpga/utils.hpp b/fpga/include/villas/fpga/utils.hpp
index 2af117954..26051b3cc 100644
--- a/fpga/include/villas/fpga/utils.hpp
+++ b/fpga/include/villas/fpga/utils.hpp
@@ -17,8 +17,13 @@ namespace fpga {
 std::shared_ptr<fpga::Card>
 setupFpgaCard(const std::string &configFile, const std::string &fpgaName);
 
+std::shared_ptr<fpga::Card>
+createCard(json_t *config, std::list<std::shared_ptr<fpga::Card>> &cards,
+           std::filesystem::path &searchPath,
+           std::shared_ptr<kernel::vfio::Container> vfioContainer,
+           std::string card_name = "anonymous Card");
 int createCards(json_t *config, std::list<std::shared_ptr<fpga::Card>> &cards,
-              std::filesystem::path &searchPath);
+                std::filesystem::path &searchPath, std::shared_ptr<kernel::vfio::Container> vfioContainer = nullptr);
 
 std::shared_ptr<std::vector<std::shared_ptr<fpga::ip::Node>>>
 getAuroraChannels(std::shared_ptr<fpga::Card> card);
@@ -55,81 +60,82 @@ protected:
   int dstAsInt;
 };
 
-class BufferedSampleFormatter {
-public:
-	virtual void format(float value) = 0;
-	virtual void output(std::ostream& out)
-	{
-		out << buf.data() << std::flush;
-		clearBuf();
-	}
-	virtual void clearBuf()
-	{
-		for (size_t i = 0; i < bufSamples && buf[i*bufSampleSize] != '\0'; i++) {
-			buf[i*bufSampleSize] = '\0';
-		}
-		currentBufLoc = 0;
-	}
-protected:
-	std::vector<char> buf;
-	const size_t bufSamples;
-	const size_t bufSampleSize;
-	size_t currentBufLoc;
+  class BufferedSampleFormatter {
+  public:
+    virtual void format(float value) = 0;
+    virtual void output(std::ostream &out) {
+      out << buf.data() << std::flush;
+      clearBuf();
+    }
+    virtual void clearBuf() {
+      for (size_t i = 0; i < bufSamples && buf[i * bufSampleSize] != '\0';
+           i++) {
+        buf[i * bufSampleSize] = '\0';
+      }
+      currentBufLoc = 0;
+    }
 
-	BufferedSampleFormatter(const size_t bufSamples, const size_t bufSampleSize) :
-		buf(bufSamples*bufSampleSize+1), // Leave room for a final `\0'
-		bufSamples(bufSamples),
-		bufSampleSize(bufSampleSize),
-		currentBufLoc(0) {};
-	BufferedSampleFormatter() = delete;
-	BufferedSampleFormatter(const BufferedSampleFormatter&) = delete;
-	virtual char* nextBufPos()
-	{
-		return &buf[(currentBufLoc++)*bufSampleSize];
-	}
-};
+  protected:
+    std::vector<char> buf;
+    const size_t bufSamples;
+    const size_t bufSampleSize;
+    size_t currentBufLoc;
 
-class BufferedSampleFormatterShort : public BufferedSampleFormatter {
-public:
-	BufferedSampleFormatterShort(size_t bufSizeInSamples) :
-		BufferedSampleFormatter(bufSizeInSamples, formatStringSize) {};
+    BufferedSampleFormatter(const size_t bufSamples, const size_t bufSampleSize)
+        : buf(bufSamples * bufSampleSize + 1), // Leave room for a final `\0'
+          bufSamples(bufSamples), bufSampleSize(bufSampleSize),
+          currentBufLoc(0){};
+    BufferedSampleFormatter() = delete;
+    BufferedSampleFormatter(const BufferedSampleFormatter &) = delete;
+    virtual char *nextBufPos() {
+      return &buf[(currentBufLoc++) * bufSampleSize];
+    }
+  };
 
-	virtual void format(float value) override
-	{
-		size_t chars;
-		if ((chars = std::snprintf(nextBufPos(), formatStringSize+1, formatString, value)) > (int)formatStringSize) {
-			throw RuntimeError("Output buffer too small. Expected " + std::to_string(formatStringSize) +
-					   " characters, got " + std::to_string(chars));
-		}
-	}
+  class BufferedSampleFormatterShort : public BufferedSampleFormatter {
+  public:
+    BufferedSampleFormatterShort(size_t bufSizeInSamples)
+        : BufferedSampleFormatter(bufSizeInSamples, formatStringSize){};
 
-protected:
-	static constexpr char formatString[] = "%013.6f\n";
-	static constexpr size_t formatStringSize = 14;
-};
+    virtual void format(float value) override {
+      size_t chars;
+      if ((chars = std::snprintf(nextBufPos(), formatStringSize + 1,
+                                 formatString, value)) >
+          (int)formatStringSize) {
+        throw RuntimeError("Output buffer too small. Expected " +
+                           std::to_string(formatStringSize) +
+                           " characters, got " + std::to_string(chars));
+      }
+    }
 
-class BufferedSampleFormatterLong : public BufferedSampleFormatter {
-public:
-	BufferedSampleFormatterLong(size_t bufSizeInSamples) :
-		BufferedSampleFormatter(bufSizeInSamples, formatStringSize),
-		sampleCnt(0) {};
+  protected:
+    static constexpr char formatString[] = "%013.6f\n";
+    static constexpr size_t formatStringSize = 14;
+  };
 
-	virtual void format(float value) override
-	{
-		if (std::snprintf(nextBufPos(), formatStringSize+1, formatString, sampleCnt, value) > (int)formatStringSize) {
-			throw RuntimeError("Output buffer too small");
-		}
-		sampleCnt = (sampleCnt+1) % 100000;
-	}
+  class BufferedSampleFormatterLong : public BufferedSampleFormatter {
+  public:
+    BufferedSampleFormatterLong(size_t bufSizeInSamples)
+        : BufferedSampleFormatter(bufSizeInSamples, formatStringSize),
+          sampleCnt(0){};
 
-protected:
-	static constexpr char formatString[] = "%05zd: %013.6f\n";
-	static constexpr size_t formatStringSize = 22;
-	size_t sampleCnt;
-};
+    virtual void format(float value) override {
+      if (std::snprintf(nextBufPos(), formatStringSize + 1, formatString,
+                        sampleCnt, value) > (int)formatStringSize) {
+        throw RuntimeError("Output buffer too small");
+      }
+      sampleCnt = (sampleCnt + 1) % 100000;
+    }
 
+  protected:
+    static constexpr char formatString[] = "%05zd: %013.6f\n";
+    static constexpr size_t formatStringSize = 22;
+    size_t sampleCnt;
+  };
 
-std::unique_ptr<BufferedSampleFormatter> getBufferedSampleFormatter(const std::string &format, size_t bufSizeInSamples);
+  std::unique_ptr<BufferedSampleFormatter>
+  getBufferedSampleFormatter(const std::string &format,
+                             size_t bufSizeInSamples);
 
 } // namespace fpga
 } // namespace villas
diff --git a/fpga/lib/pcie_card.cpp b/fpga/lib/pcie_card.cpp
index cdad33c44..fdc078c76 100644
--- a/fpga/lib/pcie_card.cpp
+++ b/fpga/lib/pcie_card.cpp
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ PCIeCardFactory::make(json_t *json_card, std::string card_name,
   if (ret != 0)
     throw ConfigError(json_card, err, "", "Failed to parse card");
 
-  auto card = std::unique_ptr<PCIeCard>(make());
+  auto card = std::shared_ptr<PCIeCard>(make());
 
   // Populate generic properties
   card->name = std::string(card_name);
diff --git a/fpga/lib/utils.cpp b/fpga/lib/utils.cpp
index 42f1918c5..2a766ce76 100644
--- a/fpga/lib/utils.cpp
+++ b/fpga/lib/utils.cpp
@@ -225,11 +225,46 @@ void fpga::setupColorHandling()
 	});
 }
 
+std::shared_ptr<fpga::Card>
+fpga::createCard(json_t *config, std::list<std::shared_ptr<fpga::Card>> &cards,
+                 std::filesystem::path &searchPath,
+                 std::shared_ptr<kernel::vfio::Container> vfioContainer,
+                 std::string card_name) {
+  auto configDir = std::filesystem::path().parent_path();
+
+  const char *interfaceName;
+  json_error_t err;
+  logger->info("Found config for FPGA card {}", card_name);
+  int ret =
+      json_unpack_ex(config, &err, 0, "{s: s}", "interface", &interfaceName);
+  if (ret) {
+    throw ConfigError(config, err, "interface",
+                      "Failed to parse interface name for card {}", card_name);
+  }
+  std::string interfaceNameStr(interfaceName);
+  if (interfaceNameStr == "pcie") {
+    auto card = fpga::PCIeCardFactory::make(config, std::string(card_name),
+                                            vfioContainer, searchPath);
+    if (card) {
+      cards.push_back(card);
+      return card;
+    }
+    return nullptr;
+  } else if (interfaceNameStr == "platform") {
+    throw RuntimeError("Platform interface not implemented yet");
+  } else {
+    throw RuntimeError("Unknown interface type {}", interfaceNameStr);
+  }
+}
+
 int fpga::createCards(json_t *config,
                       std::list<std::shared_ptr<fpga::Card>> &cards,
-                      std::filesystem::path &searchPath) {
+                      std::filesystem::path &searchPath,
+                      std::shared_ptr<kernel::vfio::Container> vfioContainer) {
   int numFpgas = 0;
-  auto vfioContainer = std::make_shared<kernel::vfio::Container>();
+  if (vfioContainer == nullptr) {
+    vfioContainer = std::make_shared<kernel::vfio::Container>();
+  }
   auto configDir = std::filesystem::path().parent_path();
 
   json_t *fpgas = json_object_get(config, "fpgas");
@@ -241,28 +276,9 @@ int fpga::createCards(json_t *config,
   const char *card_name;
   json_t *json_card;
   json_object_foreach(fpgas, card_name, json_card) {
-    const char *interfaceName;
-    json_error_t err;
-    logger->info("Found config for FPGA card {}", card_name);
-    int ret = json_unpack_ex(json_card, &err, 0, "{s: s}", "interface",
-                             &interfaceName);
-    if (ret) {
-      throw ConfigError(json_card, err, "interface",
-                        "Failed to parse interface name for card {}",
-                        card_name);
-    }
-    std::string interfaceNameStr(interfaceName);
-    if (interfaceNameStr == "pcie") {
-      auto card = fpga::PCIeCardFactory::make(json_card, std::string(card_name),
-                                              vfioContainer, searchPath);
-      if (card) {
-        cards.push_back(std::move(card));
-        numFpgas++;
-      }
-    } else if (interfaceNameStr == "platform") {
-      throw RuntimeError("Platform interface not implemented yet");
-    } else {
-      throw RuntimeError("Unknown interface type {}", interfaceNameStr);
+    if (createCard(json_card, cards, searchPath, vfioContainer, card_name) !=
+        nullptr) {
+      numFpgas++;
     }
   }
   return numFpgas;