diff --git a/lib/commands/toolcontext.c b/lib/commands/toolcontext.c
index b2f829334..03b06d2ef 100644
--- a/lib/commands/toolcontext.c
+++ b/lib/commands/toolcontext.c
@@ -256,24 +256,32 @@ static int _check_disable_udev(const char *msg) {
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int _check_config_by_source(struct cmd_context *cmd, config_source_t source)
+{
+	struct dm_config_tree *cft;
+	struct cft_check_handle *handle;
+
+	if (!(cft = get_config_tree_by_source(cmd, source)) ||
+	    !(handle = get_config_tree_check_handle(cmd, cft)))
+		return 1;
+
+	return config_def_check(handle);
+}
+
 static int _check_config(struct cmd_context *cmd)
 {
+	int abort_on_error;
+
 	if (!find_config_tree_bool(cmd, config_checks_CFG, NULL))
 		return 1;
 
-	if (!cmd->cft_check_handle) {
-		if (!(cmd->cft_check_handle = dm_pool_zalloc(cmd->libmem, sizeof(*cmd->cft_check_handle)))) {
-			log_error("Configuration check handle allocation failed.");
-			return 0;
-		}
-	}
+	abort_on_error = find_config_tree_bool(cmd, config_abort_on_errors_CFG, NULL);
 
-	cmd->cft_check_handle->cft = cmd->cft;
-	cmd->cft_check_handle->cmd = cmd;
-
-	if (!config_def_check(cmd->cft_check_handle) &&
-	    find_config_tree_bool(cmd, config_abort_on_errors_CFG, NULL)) {
-		log_error("LVM configuration invalid.");
+	if ((!_check_config_by_source(cmd, CONFIG_STRING) ||
+	    !_check_config_by_source(cmd, CONFIG_MERGED_FILES) ||
+	    !_check_config_by_source(cmd, CONFIG_FILE)) &&
+	    abort_on_error) {
+		log_error("LVM_ configuration invalid.");
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -571,7 +579,7 @@ static int _load_config_file(struct cmd_context *cmd, const char *tag)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	if (!(cfl->cft = config_file_open_and_read(config_file, CONFIG_FILE)))
+	if (!(cfl->cft = config_file_open_and_read(config_file, CONFIG_FILE, cmd)))
 		return_0;
 
 	dm_list_add(&cmd->config_files, &cfl->list);
diff --git a/lib/commands/toolcontext.h b/lib/commands/toolcontext.h
index 7694ee279..9023a6cd9 100644
--- a/lib/commands/toolcontext.h
+++ b/lib/commands/toolcontext.h
@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@ struct cmd_context {
 	int config_initialized; /* used to reinitialize config if previous init was not successful */
 
 	struct dm_hash_table *cft_def_hash; /* config definition hash used for validity check (item type + item recognized) */
-	struct cft_check_handle *cft_check_handle;
 
 	/* selected settings with original default/configured value which can be changed during cmd processing */
 	struct config_info default_settings;
diff --git a/lib/config/config.c b/lib/config/config.c
index b0880a630..4b5c18c3d 100644
--- a/lib/config/config.c
+++ b/lib/config/config.c
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ struct config_source {
 		struct config_file *file;
 		struct config_file *profile;
 	} source;
+	struct cft_check_handle *check_handle;
 };
 
 /*
@@ -246,7 +247,8 @@ void config_destroy(struct dm_config_tree *cft)
 }
 
 struct dm_config_tree *config_file_open_and_read(const char *config_file,
-						 config_source_t source)
+						 config_source_t source,
+						 struct cmd_context *cmd)
 {
 	struct dm_config_tree *cft;
 	struct stat info;
@@ -277,6 +279,22 @@ bad:
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+struct dm_config_tree *get_config_tree_by_source(struct cmd_context *cmd,
+						 config_source_t source)
+{
+	struct dm_config_tree *cft = cmd->cft;
+	struct config_source *cs;
+
+	while (cft) {
+		cs = dm_config_get_custom(cft);
+		if (cs && cs->type == source)
+			return cft;
+		cft = cft->cascade;
+	}
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 /*
  * Returns config tree if it was removed.
  */
@@ -305,6 +323,35 @@ struct dm_config_tree *remove_config_tree_by_source(struct cmd_context *cmd,
 	return cft;
 }
 
+struct cft_check_handle *get_config_tree_check_handle(struct cmd_context *cmd,
+						      struct dm_config_tree *cft)
+{
+	struct config_source *cs = dm_config_get_custom(cft);
+
+	if (!(cs = dm_config_get_custom(cft)))
+		return NULL;
+
+	if (cs->check_handle)
+		goto out;
+
+	/*
+	 * Attach config check handle to all config types but
+	 * CONFIG_FILE_SPECIAL - this one uses its own check
+	 * methods and the cft_check_handle is not applicable here.
+	 */
+	if (cs->type != CONFIG_FILE_SPECIAL) {
+		if (!(cs->check_handle = dm_pool_zalloc(cft->mem, sizeof(*cs->check_handle)))) {
+			log_error("Failed to allocate configuration check handle.");
+			return NULL;
+		}
+		cs->check_handle->cft = cft;
+		cs->check_handle->cmd = cmd;
+	}
+out:
+	return cs->check_handle;
+}
+
+
 int override_config_tree_from_string(struct cmd_context *cmd,
 				     const char *config_settings)
 {
@@ -1646,7 +1693,7 @@ int load_profile(struct cmd_context *cmd, struct profile *profile) {
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	if (!(profile->cft = config_file_open_and_read(profile_path, CONFIG_PROFILE)))
+	if (!(profile->cft = config_file_open_and_read(profile_path, CONFIG_PROFILE, cmd)))
 		return 0;
 
 	dm_list_move(&cmd->profile_params->profiles, &profile->list);
diff --git a/lib/config/config.h b/lib/config/config.h
index d78ea4348..4967b271c 100644
--- a/lib/config/config.h
+++ b/lib/config/config.h
@@ -183,7 +183,9 @@ int config_def_check(struct cft_check_handle *handle);
 
 int override_config_tree_from_string(struct cmd_context *cmd, const char *config_settings);
 int override_config_tree_from_profile(struct cmd_context *cmd, struct profile *profile);
+struct dm_config_tree *get_config_tree_by_source(struct cmd_context *, config_source_t source);
 struct dm_config_tree *remove_config_tree_by_source(struct cmd_context *cmd, config_source_t source);
+struct cft_check_handle *get_config_tree_check_handle(struct cmd_context *cmd, struct dm_config_tree *cft);
 config_source_t config_get_source_type(struct dm_config_tree *cft);
 
 typedef uint32_t (*checksum_fn_t) (uint32_t initial, const uint8_t *buf, uint32_t size);
@@ -193,7 +195,8 @@ int config_file_read_fd(struct dm_config_tree *cft, struct device *dev,
 			off_t offset, size_t size, off_t offset2, size_t size2,
 			checksum_fn_t checksum_fn, uint32_t checksum);
 int config_file_read(struct dm_config_tree *cft);
-struct dm_config_tree *config_file_open_and_read(const char *config_file, config_source_t source);
+struct dm_config_tree *config_file_open_and_read(const char *config_file, config_source_t source,
+						 struct cmd_context *cmd);
 int config_write(struct dm_config_tree *cft, struct config_def_tree_spec *tree_spec,
 		 const char *file, int argc, char **argv);
 struct dm_config_tree *config_def_create_tree(struct config_def_tree_spec *spec);
diff --git a/tools/dumpconfig.c b/tools/dumpconfig.c
index 97863be02..49a6a680f 100644
--- a/tools/dumpconfig.c
+++ b/tools/dumpconfig.c
@@ -29,40 +29,13 @@ static int _get_vsn(struct cmd_context *cmd, uint16_t *version_int)
 	return 1;
 }
 
-static struct cft_check_handle *_get_cft_check_handle(struct cmd_context *cmd, struct dm_config_tree *cft)
-{
-	struct cft_check_handle *handle;
-	struct dm_pool *mem;
-
-	if (cft == cmd->cft) {
-		mem = cmd->libmem;
-		handle = cmd->cft_check_handle;
-	} else {
-		mem = cft->mem;
-		handle = NULL;
-	}
-
-	if (!handle) {
-		if (!(handle = dm_pool_zalloc(mem, sizeof(struct cft_check_handle)))) {
-			log_error("Configuration check handle allocation failed.");
-			return NULL;
-		}
-		handle->cmd = cmd;
-		handle->cft = cft;
-		if (cft == cmd->cft)
-			cmd->cft_check_handle = handle;
-	}
-
-	return handle;
-}
-
 static int _do_def_check(struct config_def_tree_spec *spec,
 			 struct dm_config_tree *cft,
 			 struct cft_check_handle **cft_check_handle)
 {
 	struct cft_check_handle *handle;
 
-	if (!(handle = _get_cft_check_handle(spec->cmd, cft)))
+	if (!(handle = get_config_tree_check_handle(spec->cmd, cft)))
 		return 0;
 
 	handle->force_check = 1;
@@ -94,6 +67,20 @@ static int _merge_config_cascade(struct cmd_context *cmd, struct dm_config_tree
 	return merge_config_tree(cmd, *cft_merged, cft_cascaded, CONFIG_MERGE_TYPE_RAW);
 }
 
+static int _config_validate(struct cmd_context *cmd, struct dm_config_tree *cft)
+{
+	struct cft_check_handle *handle;
+
+	if (!(handle = get_config_tree_check_handle(cmd, cft)))
+		return 1;
+
+	handle->force_check = 1;
+	handle->skip_if_checked = 1;
+	handle->suppress_messages = 0;
+
+	return config_def_check(handle);
+}
+
 int dumpconfig(struct cmd_context *cmd, int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	const char *file = arg_str_value(cmd, file_ARG, NULL);
@@ -154,14 +141,7 @@ int dumpconfig(struct cmd_context *cmd, int argc, char **argv)
 		cft = cmd->cft;
 
 	if (arg_count(cmd, validate_ARG)) {
-		if (!(cft_check_handle = _get_cft_check_handle(cmd, cft)))
-			return ECMD_FAILED;
-
-		cft_check_handle->force_check = 1;
-		cft_check_handle->skip_if_checked = 1;
-		cft_check_handle->suppress_messages = 0;
-
-		if (config_def_check(cft_check_handle)) {
+		if (_config_validate(cmd, cft)) {
 			log_print("LVM configuration valid.");
 			goto out;
 		} else {