diff --git a/internal/cmdtmpl/command.go b/internal/cmdtmpl/command.go
index 1547d8c..3ebdb20 100644
--- a/internal/cmdtmpl/command.go
+++ b/internal/cmdtmpl/command.go
@@ -326,6 +326,9 @@ table inet oc-daemon-routing {
 {{end -}}
 `
 
+// LoadedTemplates are the templates loaded from file.
+var LoadedTemplates string
+
 // defaultTemplate is the parsed default template for the command lists.
 var defaultTemplate = template.Must(template.New("Template").Parse(DefaultTemplate))
 
@@ -546,6 +549,25 @@ add element inet oc-daemon-routing excludes4 { {{.}} }
 	},
 }
 
+// LoadTemplates loads the templates from file.
+func LoadTemplates(file string) error {
+	// read file contents
+	f, err := os.ReadFile(file)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// parse file contents
+	s := string(f)
+	t, err := template.New("Template").Parse(s)
+	if err == nil {
+		// save loaded templates
+		LoadedTemplates = s
+		defaultTemplate = t
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
 // LoadCommandLists loads the command lists from file.
 func LoadCommandLists(file string) error {
 	// read file contents
diff --git a/internal/cmdtmpl/command_test.go b/internal/cmdtmpl/command_test.go
index ff0ad91..77acd38 100644
--- a/internal/cmdtmpl/command_test.go
+++ b/internal/cmdtmpl/command_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,46 @@ func TestExecuteTemplateParseError(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestLoadTemplates tests LoadTemplates.
+func TestLoadTemplates(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+
+	// not existing file
+	if err := LoadTemplates(filepath.Join(dir, "does not exist")); err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("not existing file should return error")
+	}
+
+	// invalid template file
+	f := filepath.Join(dir, "command-lists.tmpl")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(f, []byte("{{ invalid template"), 0600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := LoadTemplates(f); err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("invalid template file should return error")
+	}
+
+	// valid template file
+	oldTemplates := defaultTemplate
+	defer func() {
+		// cleanup after test
+		defaultTemplate = oldTemplates
+		LoadedTemplates = ""
+	}()
+	valid := "valid template"
+	if err := os.WriteFile(f, []byte(valid), 0600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := LoadTemplates(f); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("valid template file returned error: %s", err)
+	}
+	if defaultTemplate == oldTemplates {
+		t.Error("load did not update templates")
+	}
+	if LoadedTemplates != valid {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected loaded templates: %s", LoadedTemplates)
+	}
+}
+
 // TestLoadCommandLists tests LoadCommandLists.
 func TestLoadCommandLists(t *testing.T) {
 	dir := t.TempDir()
diff --git a/internal/daemon/cmd.go b/internal/daemon/cmd.go
index 94af20a..faf6d9c 100644
--- a/internal/daemon/cmd.go
+++ b/internal/daemon/cmd.go
@@ -90,6 +90,12 @@ func run(args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	// load command lists
+	if err := cmdtmpl.LoadTemplates(config.CommandLists.TemplatesFile); err != nil {
+		log.WithError(err).Debug("Daemon did not load command templates, using defaults")
+	} else {
+		log.WithField("file", config.CommandLists.TemplatesFile).
+			Info("Daemon loaded command templates from file")
+	}
 	if err := cmdtmpl.LoadCommandLists(config.CommandLists.ListsFile); err != nil {
 		log.WithError(err).Debug("Daemon did not load command lists, using defaults")
 	} else {
diff --git a/internal/daemon/cmd_test.go b/internal/daemon/cmd_test.go
index ca94f6f..edbd448 100644
--- a/internal/daemon/cmd_test.go
+++ b/internal/daemon/cmd_test.go
@@ -84,6 +84,30 @@ func TestRun(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("start should return error")
 	}
 
+	// not existing command list templates file
+	tmplsFile := filepath.Join(dir, "tmpls")
+	tmplsConf := fmt.Sprintf(`{
+	"CommandLists": {
+		"TemplatesFile": "%s"
+	}
+}
+	`, tmplsFile)
+	if err := os.WriteFile(cfg, []byte(tmplsConf), 0600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if err := run([]string{"test", "-verbose", "-config", cfg}); err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("start should return error")
+	}
+
+	// empty command list templates file
+	if err := os.WriteFile(tmplsFile, []byte(""), 0600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := run([]string{"test", "-verbose", "-config", cfg}); err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("start should return error")
+	}
+
 	// not existing command lists file
 	cmdListsFile := filepath.Join(dir, "cmd-lists")
 	cmdListsConf := fmt.Sprintf(`{
diff --git a/internal/daemon/daemon.go b/internal/daemon/daemon.go
index 2132fa4..5c5e530 100644
--- a/internal/daemon/daemon.go
+++ b/internal/daemon/daemon.go
@@ -528,18 +528,20 @@ func (d *Daemon) handleClientRequest(request *api.Request) {
 func (d *Daemon) dumpState() string {
 	// define state type
 	type State struct {
-		DaemonConfig    *daemoncfg.Config
-		TrafficPolicing *trafpol.State
-		VPNSetup        *vpnsetup.State
-		CommandLists    map[string]*cmdtmpl.CommandList
+		DaemonConfig     *daemoncfg.Config
+		TrafficPolicing  *trafpol.State
+		VPNSetup         *vpnsetup.State
+		CommandLists     map[string]*cmdtmpl.CommandList
+		CommandTemplates string
 	}
 
 	// collect internal state
 	c := d.config.Copy()
 	c.LoginInfo.Cookie = "HIDDEN" // hide cookie
 	state := State{
-		DaemonConfig: c,
-		CommandLists: cmdtmpl.CommandLists,
+		DaemonConfig:     c,
+		CommandLists:     cmdtmpl.CommandLists,
+		CommandTemplates: cmdtmpl.LoadedTemplates,
 	}
 	if d.trafpol != nil {
 		state.TrafficPolicing = d.trafpol.GetState()
diff --git a/internal/daemoncfg/config.go b/internal/daemoncfg/config.go
index 6fbcff1..7d3834c 100644
--- a/internal/daemoncfg/config.go
+++ b/internal/daemoncfg/config.go
@@ -529,12 +529,14 @@ func NewTrafficPolicing() *TrafficPolicing {
 
 // Command lists default values
 var (
-	CommandListsListsFile = configDir + "/command-lists.json"
+	CommandListsListsFile     = configDir + "/command-lists.json"
+	CommandListsTemplatesFile = configDir + "/command-lists.tmpl"
 )
 
 // CommandLists is the command lists configuration.
 type CommandLists struct {
-	ListsFile string
+	ListsFile     string
+	TemplatesFile string
 }
 
 // Copy returns a copy of the command lists configuration.
@@ -546,7 +548,8 @@ func (c *CommandLists) Copy() *CommandLists {
 // Valid returns whether the command lists configuration is valid.
 func (c *CommandLists) Valid() bool {
 	if c == nil ||
-		c.ListsFile == "" {
+		c.ListsFile == "" ||
+		c.TemplatesFile == "" {
 
 		return false
 	}
@@ -556,7 +559,8 @@ func (c *CommandLists) Valid() bool {
 // NewCommandLists returns a new command lists configuration.
 func NewCommandLists() *CommandLists {
 	return &CommandLists{
-		ListsFile: CommandListsListsFile,
+		ListsFile:     CommandListsListsFile,
+		TemplatesFile: CommandListsTemplatesFile,
 	}
 }