diff --git a/common.c b/common.c
index 102cbd6..52245b7 100644
--- a/common.c
+++ b/common.c
@@ -1865,11 +1865,9 @@ config_item_clone (struct config_item_ *self)
 
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 
-// TODO: maybe also make it possible to assign the "user_data" pointer
-
 static void
 config_schema_fix_value
-	(struct config_schema *schema, struct config_item_ *object)
+	(struct config_schema *schema, struct config_item_ *object, void *user_data)
 {
 	struct config_item_ *item =
 		str_map_find (&object->value.object, schema->name);
@@ -1912,17 +1910,18 @@ config_schema_fix_value
 		item->type = schema->type;
 
 	item->schema = schema;
+	item->user_data = user_data;
 	if (schema->on_change)
 		schema->on_change (item);
 }
 
 static void
-config_schema_apply_to_object
-	(struct config_schema *schema_array, struct config_item_ *object)
+config_schema_apply_to_object (struct config_schema *schema_array,
+	struct config_item_ *object, void *user_data)
 {
 	hard_assert (object->type == CONFIG_ITEM_OBJECT);
 	while (schema_array->name)
-		config_schema_fix_value (schema_array++, object);
+		config_schema_fix_value (schema_array++, object, user_data);
 }
 
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
diff --git a/degesch.c b/degesch.c
index b56f36b..80625a0 100644
--- a/degesch.c
+++ b/degesch.c
@@ -1576,17 +1576,13 @@ static struct config_schema g_config_attributes[] =
 static void
 load_config_behaviour (struct config_item_ *subtree, void *user_data)
 {
-	(void) user_data;
-	// TODO: assign user_data to all the subitems
-	config_schema_apply_to_object (g_config_behaviour, subtree);
+	config_schema_apply_to_object (g_config_behaviour,  subtree, user_data);
 }
 
 static void
 load_config_attributes (struct config_item_ *subtree, void *user_data)
 {
-	(void) user_data;
-	// TODO: assign user_data to all the subitems
-	config_schema_apply_to_object (g_config_attributes, subtree);
+	config_schema_apply_to_object (g_config_attributes, subtree, user_data);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -8398,9 +8394,6 @@ load_server_from_config (struct app_context *ctx,
 	struct server *s = xmalloc (sizeof *s);
 	server_init (s, &ctx->poller);
 
-	// TODO: assign user_data (s) to all the subitems
-	config_schema_apply_to_object (g_config_server, subtree);
-
 	s->ctx = ctx;
 	s->name = xstrdup (name);
 	str_map_set (&ctx->servers, s->name, s);
@@ -8415,6 +8408,9 @@ load_server_from_config (struct app_context *ctx,
 	buffer_add (ctx, buffer);
 	buffer_activate (ctx, buffer);
 
+	// This fires any "on_change" callbacks
+	config_schema_apply_to_object (g_config_server, subtree, s);
+
 	// XXX: is this desirable in here?  I think we should do it only when
 	//   actually creating a new server instead of every time we load them.
 	struct error *e = NULL;