diff --git a/src/modules/history_backend_mem.c b/src/modules/history_backend_mem.c
index a9962d9f9..df895ab11 100644
--- a/src/modules/history_backend_mem.c
+++ b/src/modules/history_backend_mem.c
@@ -62,8 +62,6 @@ struct cfgstruct {
 	char *directory;
 	char *masterdb; /* Autogenerated for convenience, not a real config item */
 	char *db_secret;
-	char *prehash;
-	char *posthash;
 };
 
 typedef struct HistoryLogObject HistoryLogObject;
@@ -85,6 +83,8 @@ struct cfgstruct test;
 static char siphashkey_history_backend_mem[SIPHASH_KEY_LENGTH];
 HistoryLogObject *history_hash_table[HISTORY_BACKEND_MEM_HASH_TABLE_SIZE];
 static int already_loaded = 0;
+static char *hbm_prehash = NULL;
+static char *hbm_posthash = NULL;
 
 /* Forward declarations */
 int hbm_config_test(ConfigFile *cf, ConfigEntry *ce, int type, int *errs);
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ int hbm_rehash(void);
 int hbm_rehash_complete(void);
 static void setcfg(struct cfgstruct *cfg);
 static void freecfg(struct cfgstruct *cfg);
+static void hbm_init_hashes(void);
 static void init_history_storage(ModuleInfo *modinfo);
 int hbm_modechar_del(Channel *channel, int modechar);
 int hbm_history_add(char *object, MessageTag *mtags, char *line);
@@ -113,6 +114,7 @@ static void hbm_flush(void);
 
 MOD_TEST()
 {
+	hbm_init_hashes();
 	memset(&cfg, 0, sizeof(cfg));
 	memset(&test, 0, sizeof(test));
 	setcfg(&test);
@@ -213,10 +215,23 @@ static void freecfg(struct cfgstruct *cfg)
 {
 	safe_free(cfg->directory);
 	safe_free(cfg->db_secret);
-	safe_free(cfg->prehash);
-	safe_free(cfg->posthash);
 }
 
+static void hbm_init_hashes(void)
+{
+	char buf[256];
+
+	if (!hbm_prehash)
+	{
+		gen_random_alnum(buf, 128);
+		safe_strdup(hbm_prehash, buf);
+	}
+	if (!hbm_posthash)
+	{
+		gen_random_alnum(buf, 128);
+		safe_strdup(hbm_posthash, buf);
+	}
+}
 
 /** Test the set::history::channel configuration */
 int hbm_config_test(ConfigFile *cf, ConfigEntry *ce, int type, int *errs)
@@ -719,11 +734,15 @@ int hbm_history_set_limit(char *object, int max_lines, long max_time)
 
 /** Read the master.db file, this is done at the INIT stage so we can still
  * reject the configuration / boot attempt.
+ *
+ * IMPORTANT: Because we run at INIT you must use test.xyz values and not cfg.xyz!
  */
 static int hbm_read_masterdb(void)
 {
 	UnrealDB *db;
 	uint32_t mdb_version;
+	char *prehash = NULL;
+	char *posthash = NULL;
 
 	db = unrealdb_open(test.masterdb, UNREALDB_MODE_READ, test.db_secret);
 
@@ -732,7 +751,7 @@ static int hbm_read_masterdb(void)
 		if (unrealdb_get_error_code() == UNREALDB_ERROR_FILENOTFOUND)
 		{
 			/* Database does not exist. Could be first boot */
-			config_warn("[history] No database present at '%s', will start a new one", cfg.masterdb);
+			config_warn("[history] No database present at '%s', will start a new one", test.masterdb);
 			// TODO: maybe check for condition where 'master.db' does not exist but
 			// there are other .db files.
 			if (!hbm_write_masterdb())
@@ -740,29 +759,42 @@ static int hbm_read_masterdb(void)
 			return 1;
 		} else
 		{
-			config_warn("[history] Unable to open the database file '%s' for reading: %s", cfg.masterdb, unrealdb_get_error_string());
+			config_warn("[history] Unable to open the database file '%s' for reading: %s", test.masterdb, unrealdb_get_error_string());
 			return 0;
 		}
 	}
 
-	safe_free(cfg.prehash);
-	safe_free(cfg.posthash);
-
 	/* Master db has an easy format:
 	 * 64 bits: version number
 	 * string:  pre hash
 	 * string:  post hash
 	 */
 	if (!unrealdb_read_int32(db, &mdb_version) ||
-	    !unrealdb_read_str(db, &cfg.prehash) ||
-	    !unrealdb_read_str(db, &cfg.posthash))
+	    !unrealdb_read_str(db, &prehash) ||
+	    !unrealdb_read_str(db, &posthash))
 	{
+		safe_free(prehash);
+		safe_free(posthash);
 		config_error("[history] Read error from database file '%s': %s",
-			cfg.masterdb, unrealdb_get_error_string());
+			test.masterdb, unrealdb_get_error_string());
 		unrealdb_close(db);
 		return 0;
 	}
 	unrealdb_close(db);
+
+	if (!prehash || !posthash)
+	{
+		config_error("[history] Read error from database file '%s': unexpected values encountered",
+			test.masterdb);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	/* Now, safely switch over.. */
+	safe_free(hbm_prehash);
+	safe_free(hbm_posthash);
+	hbm_prehash = prehash;
+	hbm_posthash = posthash;
+
 	return 1;
 }
 
@@ -771,7 +803,6 @@ static int hbm_write_masterdb(void)
 {
 	UnrealDB *db;
 	uint32_t mdb_version;
-	char buf[512];
 
 	if (!test.db_secret)
 		abort();
@@ -784,21 +815,13 @@ static int hbm_write_masterdb(void)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	if (!cfg.prehash)
-	{
-		gen_random_alnum(buf, 128);
-		safe_strdup(cfg.prehash, buf);
-	}
-	if (!cfg.posthash)
-	{
-		gen_random_alnum(buf, 128);
-		safe_strdup(cfg.posthash, buf);
-	}
+	if (!hbm_prehash || !hbm_posthash)
+		abort(); /* impossible */
 
 	mdb_version = 5000;
 	if (!unrealdb_write_int32(db, mdb_version) ||
-	    !unrealdb_write_str(db, cfg.prehash) ||
-	    !unrealdb_write_str(db, cfg.posthash))
+	    !unrealdb_write_str(db, hbm_prehash) ||
+	    !unrealdb_write_str(db, hbm_posthash))
 	{
 		config_error("[history] Unable to write to '%s': %s",
 			test.masterdb, unrealdb_get_error_string());
@@ -955,7 +978,7 @@ static int hbm_read_db(char *fname)
 	R_SAFE(unrealdb_read_str(db, &prehash));
 	R_SAFE(unrealdb_read_str(db, &posthash));
 
-	if (!prehash || !posthash || strcmp(prehash, cfg.prehash) || strcmp(posthash, cfg.posthash))
+	if (!prehash || !posthash || strcmp(prehash, hbm_prehash) || strcmp(posthash, hbm_posthash))
 	{
 		config_warn("[history] Database '%s' does not belong to our 'master.db'. Are you mixing old with new .db files perhaps? This is not supported. File ignored.",
 			fname);
@@ -1084,11 +1107,11 @@ char *hbm_history_filename(HistoryLogObject *h)
 	char hashdata[512];
 	char hash[128];
 
-	if (!cfg.prehash || !cfg.posthash)
+	if (!hbm_prehash || !hbm_posthash)
 		abort(); /* impossible */
 
 	strtolower_safe(oname, h->name, sizeof(oname));
-	snprintf(hashdata, sizeof(hashdata), "%s %s %s", cfg.prehash, oname, cfg.posthash);
+	snprintf(hashdata, sizeof(hashdata), "%s %s %s", hbm_prehash, oname, hbm_posthash);
 	sha256hash(hash, hashdata, strlen(hashdata));
 
 	snprintf(fname, sizeof(fname), "%s/%s.db", cfg.directory, hash);
@@ -1142,8 +1165,8 @@ static int hbm_write_db(HistoryLogObject *h)
 
 	W_SAFE(unrealdb_write_int32(db, HISTORYDB_MAGIC_FILE_START));
 	W_SAFE(unrealdb_write_int32(db, 5000)); /* VERSION */
-	W_SAFE(unrealdb_write_str(db, cfg.prehash));
-	W_SAFE(unrealdb_write_str(db, cfg.posthash));
+	W_SAFE(unrealdb_write_str(db, hbm_prehash));
+	W_SAFE(unrealdb_write_str(db, hbm_posthash));
 	W_SAFE(unrealdb_write_str(db, h->name));
 
 	W_SAFE(unrealdb_write_int64(db, h->max_lines));
@@ -1191,7 +1214,7 @@ static void hbm_delete_db(HistoryLogObject *h)
 {
 	UnrealDB *db;
 	char *fname;
-	if (!cfg.persist || !cfg.prehash || !cfg.posthash)
+	if (!cfg.persist || !hbm_prehash || !hbm_posthash)
 	{
 #ifdef DEBUGMODE
 		abort(); /* we should not be called, so debug this */