diff --git a/tools/python/jwutils/Config.py b/tools/python/jwutils/Config.py
index 6bd7669..bbc2748 100644
--- a/tools/python/jwutils/Config.py
+++ b/tools/python/jwutils/Config.py
@@ -13,9 +13,7 @@ from .log import *
 
 class Config(): # export
 
-    def __init__(self, search_dirs: Optional[list[str]]=None, glob_paths: Optional[list[str]]=None,
-                 defaults: Dict[str, str]=None, tree: Optional[StringTree]=None, parent=None,
-                 root_section=None) -> None:
+    def __load(self, search_dirs, glob_paths):
 
         def __is_abs(path):
             if path is None:
@@ -26,14 +24,13 @@ class Config(): # export
                 return False
             return True
 
-        self.__parent = parent
+        ret = StringTree("", "")
         exe = Path(os.path.basename(sys.argv[0])).stem
         if glob_paths is None:
             glob_paths = [f'.{exe}', f'{exe}.conf']
         if search_dirs is None:
             env_key = re.sub('[-.]', '_', exe)
             search_dirs = os.getenv(env_key)
-        self.__conf = tree if tree else StringTree("", "")
         for path in glob_paths:
             dirs = search_dirs
             if dirs is None:
@@ -60,7 +57,22 @@ class Config(): # export
                                     slog(ERR, f'  {((os.stat(p).st_mode) & 0o7777):o} {pp}')
                                 raise Exception(msg)
                     tree.dump(DEBUG, f)
-                    self.__conf.add("", tree)
+                    ret.add("", tree)
+        return ret
+
+    def __init__(self, search_dirs: Optional[list[str]]=None, glob_paths: Optional[list[str]]=None,
+                 defaults: Dict[str, str]=None, tree: Optional[StringTree]=None, parent=None,
+                 root_section=None) -> None:
+
+        self.__parent = parent
+
+        if tree is not None:
+            assert(search_dirs is None)
+            assert(glob_paths is None)
+            self.__conf = tree
+        else:
+            assert(tree is None)
+            self.__conf = self.__load(search_dirs=search_dirs, glob_paths=glob_paths)
 
         if root_section is not None:
             self.__conf = self.__conf.get(root_section)