diff --git a/ctdb/common/conf_tool.c b/ctdb/common/conf_tool.c
index d37f9736376..44994194d72 100644
--- a/ctdb/common/conf_tool.c
+++ b/ctdb/common/conf_tool.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "common/path.h"
 
 #include "common/logging_conf.h"
+#include "cluster/cluster_conf.h"
 #include "event/event_conf.h"
 
 #include "common/conf_tool.h"
@@ -237,6 +238,7 @@ int conf_tool_run(struct conf_tool_context *ctx, int *result)
 
 	/* Call functions to initialize config sections/variables */
 	logging_conf_init(ctx->conf, NULL);
+	cluster_conf_init(ctx->conf);
 	event_conf_init(ctx->conf);
 
 	if (! conf_valid(ctx->conf)) {
diff --git a/ctdb/tests/cunit/config_test_001.sh b/ctdb/tests/cunit/config_test_001.sh
index 8387f7df5cc..f24b2326b0f 100755
--- a/ctdb/tests/cunit/config_test_001.sh
+++ b/ctdb/tests/cunit/config_test_001.sh
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ ok <<EOF
 [logging]
 	# location = ${logging_location}
 	# log level = ERROR
+[cluster]
+	# transport = tcp
+	# node address = 
+	# recovery lock = 
 [event]
 	# debug script = 
 EOF
diff --git a/ctdb/tests/cunit/config_test_004.sh b/ctdb/tests/cunit/config_test_004.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..4578bdb543c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ctdb/tests/cunit/config_test_004.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+. "${TEST_SCRIPTS_DIR}/unit.sh"
+
+PATH="$PATH:$CTDB_SCRIPTS_TOOLS_HELPER_DIR"
+
+setup_ctdb_base "${TEST_VAR_DIR}" "cunit"
+
+conffile="$CTDB_BASE/ctdb.conf"
+
+remove_files ()
+{
+	rm -f "$conffile"
+}
+
+test_cleanup remove_files
+
+cat > "$conffile" <<EOF
+EOF
+
+ok <<EOF
+tcp
+EOF
+unit_test ctdb-config get "cluster" "transport"
+
+ok <<EOF
+EOF
+unit_test ctdb-config get "cluster" "node address"
+
+ok <<EOF
+EOF
+unit_test ctdb-config get "cluster" "recovery lock"
+
+cat > "$conffile" <<EOF
+[cluster]
+    transport = invalid
+EOF
+
+required_result 22 <<EOF
+Invalid value for [cluster] -> transport = invalid
+conf: validation for option "transport" failed
+Failed to load config file $conffile
+EOF
+unit_test ctdb-config validate
+
+cat > "$conffile" <<EOF
+[cluster]
+    node address = 10.1.2.3
+EOF
+
+ok <<EOF
+EOF
+unit_test ctdb-config validate
+
+cat > "$conffile" <<EOF
+[cluster]
+    node address = fc00:10:1:2::123
+EOF
+
+ok <<EOF
+EOF
+unit_test ctdb-config validate
+
+cat > "$conffile" <<EOF
+[cluster]
+    node address = 10.1.2.3:123
+EOF
+
+required_result 22 <<EOF
+Invalid value for [cluster] -> node address = 10.1.2.3:123
+conf: validation for option "node address" failed
+Failed to load config file $conffile
+EOF
+unit_test ctdb-config validate
diff --git a/ctdb/wscript b/ctdb/wscript
index 184fc549ba1..82d238cd94b 100644
--- a/ctdb/wscript
+++ b/ctdb/wscript
@@ -477,6 +477,7 @@ def build(bld):
                      cflags='-DCTDB_CONF_TOOL',
                      deps='''ctdb-logging-conf
                              ctdb-event-conf
+                             ctdb-cluster-conf
                              ctdb-util samba-util talloc replace popt''',
                      install_path='${CTDB_HELPER_BINDIR}')