diff --git a/src/acl.c b/src/acl.c
index 105bcfc9..43517300 100644
--- a/src/acl.c
+++ b/src/acl.c
@@ -937,11 +937,18 @@ int ACLAppendUserForLoading(sds *argv, int argc) {
 
     /* Try to apply the user rules in a fake user to see if they
      * are actually valid. */
-    user fu = {0};
-    user *fakeuser = &fu;
+    char *funame = "__fakeuser__";
+    user *fakeuser = ACLCreateUser(funame,strlen(funame));
+    serverAssert(fakeuser != NULL);
+    int retval = raxRemove(Users,(unsigned char*) funame,strlen(funame),NULL);
+    serverAssert(retval != 0);
+
     for (int j = 2; j < argc; j++) {
         if (ACLSetUser(fakeuser,argv[j],sdslen(argv[j])) == C_ERR) {
-            if (errno != ENOENT) return C_ERR;
+            if (errno != ENOENT) {
+                ACLFreeUser(fakeuser);
+                return C_ERR;
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -950,6 +957,7 @@ int ACLAppendUserForLoading(sds *argv, int argc) {
     for (int j = 1; j < argc; j++) copy[j-1] = sdsdup(argv[j]);
     copy[argc-1] = NULL;
     listAddNodeTail(UsersToLoad,copy);
+    ACLFreeUser(fakeuser);
     return C_OK;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/config.c b/src/config.c
index 91bbdee7..b2600d2e 100644
--- a/src/config.c
+++ b/src/config.c
@@ -791,6 +791,11 @@ void loadServerConfigFromString(char *config) {
                     "Allowed values: 'upstart', 'systemd', 'auto', or 'no'";
                 goto loaderr;
             }
+        } else if (!strcasecmp(argv[0],"user") && argc >= 2) {
+            if (ACLAppendUserForLoading(argv,argc) == C_ERR) {
+                err = "Syntax error in user declaration";
+                goto loaderr;
+            }
         } else if (!strcasecmp(argv[0],"loadmodule") && argc >= 2) {
             queueLoadModule(argv[1],&argv[2],argc-2);
         } else if (!strcasecmp(argv[0],"sentinel")) {
diff --git a/src/server.h b/src/server.h
index 13d29308..3f23cee2 100644
--- a/src/server.h
+++ b/src/server.h
@@ -1738,6 +1738,7 @@ int ACLCheckCommandPerm(client *c);
 int ACLSetUser(user *u, const char *op, ssize_t oplen);
 sds ACLDefaultUserFirstPassword(void);
 uint64_t ACLGetCommandCategoryFlagByName(const char *name);
+int ACLAppendUserForLoading(sds *argv, int argc);
 
 /* Sorted sets data type */