diff --git a/lib/param/loadparm.c b/lib/param/loadparm.c
index 97a06a0efd0..b47a2c04866 100644
--- a/lib/param/loadparm.c
+++ b/lib/param/loadparm.c
@@ -102,8 +102,6 @@ static bool handle_realm(struct loadparm_context *lp_ctx, int unused,
 			 const char *pszParmValue, char **ptr);
 static bool handle_copy(struct loadparm_context *lp_ctx, int unused,
 			const char *pszParmValue, char **ptr);
-static bool handle_debug_list(struct loadparm_context *lp_ctx, int unused,
-			      const char *pszParmValue, char **ptr);
 static bool handle_logfile(struct loadparm_context *lp_ctx, int unused,
 			   const char *pszParmValue, char **ptr);
 
@@ -1136,15 +1134,16 @@ static bool handle_copy(struct loadparm_context *lp_ctx, int unused,
 	return bRetval;
 }
 
-static bool handle_debug_list(struct loadparm_context *lp_ctx, int unused,
+bool handle_debug_list(struct loadparm_context *lp_ctx, int unused,
 			const char *pszParmValue, char **ptr)
 {
-
-	lpcfg_string_set(lp_ctx, ptr, pszParmValue);
-	if (lp_ctx->global) {
-		return debug_parse_levels(pszParmValue);
+	if (lp_ctx->s3_fns != NULL) {
+		lp_ctx->s3_fns->lp_string_set(ptr, pszParmValue);
+	} else {
+		lpcfg_string_set(lp_ctx, ptr, pszParmValue);
 	}
-	return true;
+
+	return debug_parse_levels(pszParmValue);
 }
 
 static bool handle_logfile(struct loadparm_context *lp_ctx, int unused,
diff --git a/lib/param/s3_param.h b/lib/param/s3_param.h
index 106c48007dd..276810427ed 100644
--- a/lib/param/s3_param.h
+++ b/lib/param/s3_param.h
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ struct loadparm_s3_helpers
 	bool (*set_cmdline)(const char *pszParmName, const char *pszParmValue);
 	void (*dump)(FILE *f, bool show_defaults, int maxtoprint);
 	char * (*lp_string)(TALLOC_CTX *ctx, const char *in);
+	bool (*lp_string_set)(char **dest, const char *src);
 	struct loadparm_global *globals;
 };
 
diff --git a/source3/param/loadparm.c b/source3/param/loadparm.c
index c6ff350d6ca..adf3001933b 100644
--- a/source3/param/loadparm.c
+++ b/source3/param/loadparm.c
@@ -265,7 +265,6 @@ static bool handle_copy(struct loadparm_context *unused, int snum, const char *p
 static bool handle_idmap_backend(struct loadparm_context *unused, int snum, const char *pszParmValue, char **ptr);
 static bool handle_idmap_uid(struct loadparm_context *unused, int snum, const char *pszParmValue, char **ptr);
 static bool handle_idmap_gid(struct loadparm_context *unused, int snum, const char *pszParmValue, char **ptr);
-static bool handle_debug_list(struct loadparm_context *unused, int snum, const char *pszParmValue, char **ptr );
 static bool handle_realm(struct loadparm_context *unused, int snum, const char *pszParmValue, char **ptr );
 static bool handle_netbios_aliases(struct loadparm_context *unused, int snum, const char *pszParmValue, char **ptr );
 static bool handle_charset(struct loadparm_context *unused, int snum, const char *pszParmValue, char **ptr );
@@ -2953,16 +2952,6 @@ const char *lp_idmap_default_backend(void)
 	return lp_idmap_backend("*");
 }
 
-/***************************************************************************
- Handle the DEBUG level list.
-***************************************************************************/
-
-static bool handle_debug_list(struct loadparm_context *unused, int snum, const char *pszParmValueIn, char **ptr )
-{
-	string_set(Globals.ctx, ptr, pszParmValueIn);
-	return debug_parse_levels(pszParmValueIn);
-}
-
 /***************************************************************************
  Handle ldap suffixes - default to ldapsuffix if sub-suffixes are not defined.
 ***************************************************************************/
diff --git a/source3/param/loadparm_ctx.c b/source3/param/loadparm_ctx.c
index efae8cbbaf3..0d5189b3886 100644
--- a/source3/param/loadparm_ctx.c
+++ b/source3/param/loadparm_ctx.c
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ static struct loadparm_s3_helpers s3_fns =
 	.load = lp_load_for_s4_ctx,
 	.set_cmdline = lp_set_cmdline,
 	.dump = lp_dump,
+	.lp_string_set = lp_string_set,
 };
 
 const struct loadparm_s3_helpers *loadparm_s3_helpers(void)