diff --git a/src/alert-debuglog.c b/src/alert-debuglog.c
index 5406015268..3961285c2c 100644
--- a/src/alert-debuglog.c
+++ b/src/alert-debuglog.c
@@ -501,6 +501,7 @@ OutputCtx *AlertDebugLogInitCtx(ConfNode *conf)
     output_ctx->data = file_ctx;
     output_ctx->DeInit = AlertDebugLogDeInitCtx;
 
+    SCLogInfo("Alert debug log output initialized, filename: %s", filename);
     return output_ctx;
 
 error:
@@ -514,6 +515,7 @@ error:
 /** \brief Read the config set the file pointer, open the file
  *  \param file_ctx pointer to a created LogFileCtx using LogFileNewCtx()
  *  \param filename name of log file
+ *  \param mode append mode (bool)
  *  \return -1 if failure, 0 if succesful
  * */
 int AlertDebugLogOpenFileCtx(LogFileCtx *file_ctx, const char *filename, const
@@ -527,7 +529,7 @@ int AlertDebugLogOpenFileCtx(LogFileCtx *file_ctx, const char *filename, const
 
     snprintf(log_path, PATH_MAX, "%s/%s", log_dir, filename);
 
-    if (strcasecmp(mode, "yes") == 0) {
+    if (ConfValIsTrue(mode)) {
         file_ctx->fp = fopen(log_path, "a");
     } else {
         file_ctx->fp = fopen(log_path, "w");
diff --git a/src/alert-fastlog.c b/src/alert-fastlog.c
index d1a2932dbe..52e5b84d78 100644
--- a/src/alert-fastlog.c
+++ b/src/alert-fastlog.c
@@ -378,6 +378,7 @@ static void AlertFastLogDeInitCtx(OutputCtx *output_ctx)
 /** \brief Read the config set the file pointer, open the file
  *  \param file_ctx pointer to a created LogFileCtx using LogFileNewCtx()
  *  \param filename name of log file
+ *  \param mode append mode (bool)
  *  \return -1 if failure, 0 if succesful
  * */
 static int AlertFastLogOpenFileCtx(LogFileCtx *file_ctx, const char *filename,
@@ -391,7 +392,7 @@ static int AlertFastLogOpenFileCtx(LogFileCtx *file_ctx, const char *filename,
 
     snprintf(log_path, PATH_MAX, "%s/%s", log_dir, filename);
 
-    if (strcasecmp(mode, "yes") == 0) {
+    if (ConfValIsTrue(mode)) {
         file_ctx->fp = fopen(log_path, "a");
     } else {
         file_ctx->fp = fopen(log_path, "w");
diff --git a/src/alert-prelude.c b/src/alert-prelude.c
index 6c1c0e78c0..bf3b8b38ae 100644
--- a/src/alert-prelude.c
+++ b/src/alert-prelude.c
@@ -852,9 +852,9 @@ OutputCtx *AlertPreludeInitCtx(ConfNode *conf)
     ctx->client = client;
     ctx->log_packet_content = 0;
     ctx->log_packet_header = 1;
-    if (log_packet_content && strcmp(log_packet_content,"yes")==0)
+    if (log_packet_content && ConfValIsTrue(log_packet_content))
         ctx->log_packet_content = 1;
-    if (log_packet_header && strcmp(log_packet_header,"yes")!=0)
+    if (log_packet_header && ConfValIsFalse(log_packet_header))
         ctx->log_packet_header = 0;
 
     output_ctx = SCMalloc(sizeof(OutputCtx));
diff --git a/src/alert-syslog.c b/src/alert-syslog.c
index 19ee389598..db67c78ad4 100644
--- a/src/alert-syslog.c
+++ b/src/alert-syslog.c
@@ -120,12 +120,6 @@ void TmModuleAlertSyslogIPv6Register (void) {
  */
 OutputCtx *AlertSyslogInitCtx(ConfNode *conf)
 {
-    const char *enabled = ConfNodeLookupChildValue(conf, "enabled");
-    if (enabled != NULL && strcasecmp(enabled, "no") == 0) {
-        SCLogDebug("alert-syslog module has been disabled");
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
     const char *facility_s = ConfNodeLookupChildValue(conf, "facility");
     if (facility_s == NULL) {
         facility_s = DEFAULT_ALERT_SYSLOG_FACILITY_STR;
diff --git a/src/conf.c b/src/conf.c
index 233de1cda0..075281fb11 100644
--- a/src/conf.c
+++ b/src/conf.c
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ int ConfGetChildValueBool(ConfNode *base, char *name, int *val)
 /**
  * \brief Check if a value is true.
  *
- * The value of considered true if it is a string with the value of 1,
+ * The value is considered true if it is a string with the value of 1,
  * yes, true or on.  The test is not case sensitive, any other value
  * is false.
  *
@@ -381,6 +381,32 @@ ConfValIsTrue(const char *val)
     return 0;
 }
 
+/**
+ * \brief Check if a value is false.
+ *
+ * The value is considered false if it is a string with the value of 0,
+ * no, false or off.  The test is not case sensitive, any other value
+ * is not false.
+ *
+ * \param val The string to test for a false value.
+ *
+ * \retval 1 If the value is false, 0 if not.
+ */
+int
+ConfValIsFalse(const char *val)
+{
+    char *falses[] = {"0", "no", "false", "off"};
+    size_t u;
+
+    for (u = 0; u < sizeof(falses) / sizeof(falses[0]); u++) {
+        if (strcasecmp(val, falses[u]) == 0) {
+            return 1;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 /**
  * \brief Retrieve a configuration value as a double
  *
diff --git a/src/conf.h b/src/conf.h
index a068bc7891..92c1f99502 100644
--- a/src/conf.h
+++ b/src/conf.h
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ void ConfNodeRemove(ConfNode *);
 void ConfRegisterTests();
 int ConfNodeChildValueIsTrue(ConfNode *node, const char *key);
 int ConfValIsTrue(const char *val);
+int ConfValIsFalse(const char *val);
 
 
 ConfNode *ConfNodeLookupKeyValue(ConfNode *base, const char *key, const char *value);
diff --git a/src/counters.c b/src/counters.c
index 81ffcff45b..45ecd2d0c0 100644
--- a/src/counters.c
+++ b/src/counters.c
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ static void SCPerfInitOPCtx(void)
     /* Check if the stats module is enabled or not */
     if (stats != NULL) {
         const char *enabled = ConfNodeLookupChildValue(stats, "enabled");
-        if (strcasecmp(enabled, "no") == 0) {
+        if (enabled != NULL && ConfValIsFalse(enabled)) {
             sc_counter_enabled = FALSE;
             SCLogDebug("Stats module has been disabled");
             SCReturn;
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ static void SCPerfInitOPCtx(void)
 
         const char *append = ConfNodeLookupChildValue(stats, "append");
         if (append != NULL)
-            sc_counter_append = (strcasecmp(append,"yes") == 0);
+            sc_counter_append = ConfValIsTrue(append);
     }
 
     /* Store the engine start time */
diff --git a/src/log-droplog.c b/src/log-droplog.c
index dd8b7b684d..e9a991c561 100644
--- a/src/log-droplog.c
+++ b/src/log-droplog.c
@@ -146,11 +146,6 @@ TmEcode LogDropLogThreadDeinit(ThreadVars *t, void *data)
  */
 OutputCtx *LogDropLogInitCtx(ConfNode *conf)
 {
-    const char *enable = ConfNodeLookupChildValue(conf, "enabled");
-    if (enable == NULL || strcasecmp (enable, "no") == 0) {
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
     LogFileCtx *logfile_ctx = LogFileNewCtx();
     if (logfile_ctx == NULL) {
         SCLogDebug("LogDropLogInitCtx: Could not create new LogFileCtx");
@@ -202,6 +197,7 @@ static void LogDropLogDeInitCtx(OutputCtx *output_ctx)
 /** \brief Read the config set the file pointer, open the file
  *  \param file_ctx pointer to a created LogFileCtx using LogFileNewCtx()
  *  \param filename name of log file
+ *  \param mode append mode (bool)
  *  \return -1 if failure, 0 if succesful
  * */
 static int LogDropLogOpenFileCtx(LogFileCtx *file_ctx, const char *filename,
@@ -215,7 +211,7 @@ static int LogDropLogOpenFileCtx(LogFileCtx *file_ctx, const char *filename,
 
     snprintf(log_path, PATH_MAX, "%s/%s", log_dir, filename);
 
-    if (strcasecmp(mode, "yes") == 0) {
+    if (ConfValIsTrue(mode)) {
         file_ctx->fp = fopen(log_path, "a");
     } else {
         file_ctx->fp = fopen(log_path, "w");
diff --git a/src/log-httplog.c b/src/log-httplog.c
index 92452cbfee..3e43bd5cad 100644
--- a/src/log-httplog.c
+++ b/src/log-httplog.c
@@ -411,6 +411,7 @@ void LogHttpLogExitPrintStats(ThreadVars *tv, void *data) {
 OutputCtx *LogHttpLogInitCtx(ConfNode *conf)
 {
     int ret=0;
+
     LogFileCtx* file_ctx=LogFileNewCtx();
 
     if(file_ctx == NULL)
@@ -439,6 +440,8 @@ OutputCtx *LogHttpLogInitCtx(ConfNode *conf)
     output_ctx->data = file_ctx;
     output_ctx->DeInit = LogHttpLogDeInitCtx;
 
+    SCLogInfo("HTTP log output initialized, filename: %s", filename);
+
     return output_ctx;
 }
 
@@ -451,7 +454,8 @@ static void LogHttpLogDeInitCtx(OutputCtx *output_ctx)
 
 /** \brief Read the config set the file pointer, open the file
  *  \param file_ctx pointer to a created LogFileCtx using LogFileNewCtx()
- *  \param config_file for loading separate configs
+ *  \param filename name of log file
+ *  \param mode append mode (bool)
  *  \return -1 if failure, 0 if succesful
  * */
 int LogHttpLogOpenFileCtx(LogFileCtx *file_ctx, const char *filename, const
@@ -465,7 +469,7 @@ int LogHttpLogOpenFileCtx(LogFileCtx *file_ctx, const char *filename, const
 
     snprintf(log_path, PATH_MAX, "%s/%s", log_dir, filename);
 
-    if (strcasecmp(mode, "yes") == 0) {
+    if (ConfValIsTrue(mode)) {
         file_ctx->fp = fopen(log_path, "a");
     } else {
         file_ctx->fp = fopen(log_path, "w");
diff --git a/src/stream-tcp.c b/src/stream-tcp.c
index 5681d70ba1..519012bb28 100644
--- a/src/stream-tcp.c
+++ b/src/stream-tcp.c
@@ -378,26 +378,24 @@ void StreamTcpInitConfig(char quiet)
         SCLogInfo("stream \"memcap\": %"PRIu32"", stream_config.memcap);
     }
 
-    if ((ConfGetBool("stream.midstream", &stream_config.midstream)) == 0) {
-        stream_config.midstream = FALSE;
-    }
+    ConfGetBool("stream.midstream", &stream_config.midstream);
+
     if (!quiet) {
         SCLogInfo("stream \"midstream\" session pickups: %s", stream_config.midstream ? "enabled" : "disabled");
     }
 
-    if ((ConfGetBool("stream.async_oneside", &stream_config.async_oneside)) == 0)
-    {
-        stream_config.async_oneside = FALSE;
-    }
+    ConfGetBool("stream.async_oneside", &stream_config.async_oneside);
+
     if (!quiet) {
         SCLogInfo("stream \"async_oneside\": %s", stream_config.async_oneside ? "enabled" : "disabled");
     }
 
-    char *csum = NULL;
-    if ((ConfGet("stream.checksum_validation", &csum)) == 1) {
-        if (strcmp(csum, "yes") == 0) {
+    int csum = 0;
+
+    if ((ConfGetBool("stream.checksum_validation", &csum)) == 1) {
+        if (csum == 1) {
             stream_config.flags |= STREAMTCP_INIT_FLAG_CHECKSUM_VALIDATION;
-        }
+	}
     /* Default is that we validate the checksum of all the packets */
     } else {
         stream_config.flags |= STREAMTCP_INIT_FLAG_CHECKSUM_VALIDATION;
@@ -409,11 +407,10 @@ void StreamTcpInitConfig(char quiet)
                 "enabled" : "disabled");
     }
 
-    char *inl = NULL;
-    if ((ConfGet("stream.inline", &inl)) == 1) {
-        if (strcasecmp(inl, "yes") == 0) {
-            stream_inline = 1;
-        }
+    int inl = 0;
+
+    if (ConfGetBool("stream.inline", &inl) == 1) {
+            stream_inline = inl;
     }
 
     if (!quiet) {
diff --git a/src/util-debug.c b/src/util-debug.c
index cedce077a2..6e3464b746 100644
--- a/src/util-debug.c
+++ b/src/util-debug.c
@@ -1154,7 +1154,7 @@ void SCLogLoadConfig(void)
 
         /* By default an output is enabled. */
         const char *enabled = ConfNodeLookupChildValue(output, "enabled");
-        if (enabled != NULL && strcmp(enabled, "no") == 0)
+        if (enabled != NULL && ConfValIsFalse(enabled))
             continue;
 
         /* if available use the log format setting for this output,
diff --git a/src/util-profiling.c b/src/util-profiling.c
index c36ccd2a30..3dbe2d79d3 100644
--- a/src/util-profiling.c
+++ b/src/util-profiling.c
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ SCProfilingDump(void)
     struct timeval tval;
     struct tm *tms;
     if (profiling_output_to_file == 1) {
-        if (strcasecmp(profiling_file_mode, "yes") == 0) {
+        if (ConfValIsTrue(profiling_file_mode)) {
             fp = fopen(profiling_file_name, "a");
         } else {
             fp = fopen(profiling_file_name, "w");