diff --git a/src/filehelper.c b/src/filehelper.c
index f6c4961..4faf748 100644
--- a/src/filehelper.c
+++ b/src/filehelper.c
@@ -221,8 +221,11 @@ int readSettingsFromJsonFile(char *settingsFileName, app_settings_t *settings,
                                   &rates_filename)) {
         assert(sizeof(settings->rates_filename) >
                (long unsigned int)json_object_get_string_len(rates_filename));
-        memcpy(settings->rates_filename, json_object_get_string(rates_filename),
-               json_object_get_string_len(rates_filename) + 1);
+
+        if (strlen(settings->rates_filename) == 0)
+            memcpy(settings->rates_filename,
+                   json_object_get_string(rates_filename),
+                   json_object_get_string_len(rates_filename) + 1);
 
         write_adv_log("settings->rates_filename: %s\n",
                       settings->rates_filename);
diff --git a/src/phoebe.c b/src/phoebe.c
index b523293..e5aaa98 100644
--- a/src/phoebe.c
+++ b/src/phoebe.c
@@ -292,6 +292,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     signal(SIGTERM, handleSigint);
     signal(SIGHUP, handleSighup);
 
+    bzero(&app_settings, sizeof(app_settings_t));
+    bzero(&system_settings, sizeof(tuning_params_t));
+
     // set default verbosity setting before cmdline parsing, so
     // that it can be used before
     if (handleCommandLineArguments(argc, argv) == RET_FAIL)