diff --git a/src/ngx_http_modsecurity_module.c b/src/ngx_http_modsecurity_module.c
index d3d9624d..b6fdcfde 100644
--- a/src/ngx_http_modsecurity_module.c
+++ b/src/ngx_http_modsecurity_module.c
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ ngx_http_modsecurity_process_intervention (Transaction *transaction, ngx_http_re
             dd("intervention -- calling log handler manually with code: %d", intervention.status);
             ngx_http_modsecurity_log_handler(r);
             ctx->logged = 1;
-	}
+    }
 
         if (r->header_sent)
         {
@@ -286,6 +286,12 @@ ngx_http_modsecurity_create_ctx(ngx_http_request_t *r)
     mmcf = ngx_http_get_module_main_conf(r, ngx_http_modsecurity_module);
     mcf = ngx_http_get_module_loc_conf(r, ngx_http_modsecurity_module);
 
+    if (mcf->rules_set == NULL) {
+        ngx_log_debug0(NGX_LOG_DEBUG_HTTP, r->connection->log, 0,
+            "modsec connector: no context when mcf->rules_set == NULL");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
     dd("creating transaction with the following rules: '%p' -- ms: '%p'", mcf->rules_set, mmcf->modsec);
 
     if (mcf->transaction_id) {
@@ -361,6 +367,19 @@ ngx_conf_set_rules(ngx_conf_t *cf, ngx_command_t *cmd, void *conf)
         return NGX_CONF_ERROR;
     }
 
+    // Init the rules_set
+    if (mcf->rules_set == NULL) {
+        mcf->rules_set = msc_create_rules_set();
+        ngx_pool_cleanup_t *cln = ngx_pool_cleanup_add(cf->pool, 0);
+        if (cln == NULL) {
+            dd("failed to create the ModSecurity configuration cleanup");
+            return NGX_CONF_ERROR;
+        }
+
+        cln->handler = ngx_http_modsecurity_cleanup_rules;
+        cln->data = conf;
+    }
+
     old_pool = ngx_http_modsecurity_pcre_malloc_init(cf->pool);
     res = msc_rules_add(mcf->rules_set, rules, &error);
     ngx_http_modsecurity_pcre_malloc_done(old_pool);
@@ -395,6 +414,19 @@ ngx_conf_set_rules_file(ngx_conf_t *cf, ngx_command_t *cmd, void *conf)
         return NGX_CONF_ERROR;
     }
 
+    // Init the rules_set
+    if (mcf->rules_set == NULL) {
+        mcf->rules_set = msc_create_rules_set();
+        ngx_pool_cleanup_t *cln = ngx_pool_cleanup_add(cf->pool, 0);
+        if (cln == NULL) {
+            dd("failed to create the ModSecurity configuration cleanup");
+            return NGX_CONF_ERROR;
+        }
+
+        cln->handler = ngx_http_modsecurity_cleanup_rules;
+        cln->data = conf;
+    }
+
     old_pool = ngx_http_modsecurity_pcre_malloc_init(cf->pool);
     res = msc_rules_add_file(mcf->rules_set, rules_set, &error);
     ngx_http_modsecurity_pcre_malloc_done(old_pool);
@@ -434,6 +466,19 @@ ngx_conf_set_rules_remote(ngx_conf_t *cf, ngx_command_t *cmd, void *conf)
         return NGX_CONF_ERROR;
     }
 
+    // Init the rules_set
+    if (mcf->rules_set == NULL) {
+        mcf->rules_set = msc_create_rules_set();
+        ngx_pool_cleanup_t *cln = ngx_pool_cleanup_add(cf->pool, 0);
+        if (cln == NULL) {
+            dd("failed to create the ModSecurity configuration cleanup");
+            return NGX_CONF_ERROR;
+        }
+
+        cln->handler = ngx_http_modsecurity_cleanup_rules;
+        cln->data = conf;
+    }
+
     old_pool = ngx_http_modsecurity_pcre_malloc_init(cf->pool);
     res = msc_rules_add_remote(mcf->rules_set, rules_remote_key, rules_remote_server, &error);
     ngx_http_modsecurity_pcre_malloc_done(old_pool);
@@ -697,7 +742,6 @@ ngx_http_modsecurity_init_main_conf(ngx_conf_t *cf, void *conf)
 static void *
 ngx_http_modsecurity_create_conf(ngx_conf_t *cf)
 {
-    ngx_pool_cleanup_t           *cln;
     ngx_http_modsecurity_conf_t  *conf;
 
     conf = (ngx_http_modsecurity_conf_t *) ngx_pcalloc(cf->pool,
@@ -720,7 +764,6 @@ ngx_http_modsecurity_create_conf(ngx_conf_t *cf)
      */
 
     conf->enable = NGX_CONF_UNSET;
-    conf->rules_set = msc_create_rules_set();
     conf->pool = cf->pool;
     conf->transaction_id = NGX_CONF_UNSET_PTR;
     conf->use_error_log = NGX_CONF_UNSET;
@@ -728,15 +771,6 @@ ngx_http_modsecurity_create_conf(ngx_conf_t *cf)
     conf->sanity_checks_enabled = NGX_CONF_UNSET;
 #endif
 
-    cln = ngx_pool_cleanup_add(cf->pool, 0);
-    if (cln == NULL) {
-        dd("failed to create the ModSecurity configuration cleanup");
-        return NGX_CONF_ERROR;
-    }
-
-    cln->handler = ngx_http_modsecurity_cleanup_rules;
-    cln->data = conf;
-
     dd ("conf created at: '%p'", conf);
 
     return conf;
@@ -774,7 +808,17 @@ ngx_http_modsecurity_merge_conf(ngx_conf_t *cf, void *parent, void *child)
     dd("CHILD RULES");
     msc_rules_dump(c->rules_set);
 #endif
+    if (p->rules_set == NULL) {
+        return NGX_CONF_OK;
+    }
+    if (c->rules_set == NULL) {
+        c->rules_set = p->rules_set;
+        return NGX_CONF_OK;
+    }
     rules = msc_rules_merge(c->rules_set, p->rules_set, &error);
+    if (rules < 0) {
+        return strdup(error);
+    }
 
     if (rules < 0) {
         return strdup(error);
@@ -812,6 +856,11 @@ ngx_http_modsecurity_cleanup_rules(void *data)
 
     mcf = (ngx_http_modsecurity_conf_t *) data;
 
+    if (mcf->rules_set == NULL) {
+        dd("cleanup loc conf -- RuleSet is NULL");
+        return;
+    }
+
     dd("deleting a loc conf -- RuleSet is: \"%p\"", mcf->rules_set);
 
     old_pool = ngx_http_modsecurity_pcre_malloc_init(mcf->pool);