diff --git a/apps/wakunode2/wakunode2.nim b/apps/wakunode2/wakunode2.nim
index afa84f6537..70703f8ecd 100644
--- a/apps/wakunode2/wakunode2.nim
+++ b/apps/wakunode2/wakunode2.nim
@@ -58,13 +58,15 @@ when isMainModule:
     nodeHealthMonitor = WakuNodeHealthMonitor()
     nodeHealthMonitor.setOverallHealth(HealthStatus.INITIALIZING)
 
+    var confCopy = conf
+
     let restServer = rest_server_builder.startRestServerEsentials(
-      nodeHealthMonitor, conf
+      nodeHealthMonitor, confCopy
     ).valueOr:
       error "Starting esential REST server failed.", error = $error
       quit(QuitFailure)
 
-    var waku = Waku.init(conf).valueOr:
+    var waku = Waku.init(confCopy).valueOr:
       error "Waku initialization failed", error = error
       quit(QuitFailure)
 
@@ -77,12 +79,12 @@ when isMainModule:
       quit(QuitFailure)
 
     rest_server_builder.startRestServerProtocolSupport(
-      restServer, waku.node, waku.wakuDiscv5, conf
+      restServer, waku.node, waku.wakuDiscv5, confCopy
     ).isOkOr:
       error "Starting protocols support REST server failed.", error = $error
       quit(QuitFailure)
 
-    waku.metricsServer = waku_metrics.startMetricsServerAndLogging(conf).valueOr:
+    waku.metricsServer = waku_metrics.startMetricsServerAndLogging(confCopy).valueOr:
       error "Starting monitoring and external interfaces failed", error = error
       quit(QuitFailure)
 
diff --git a/tests/wakunode2/test_app.nim b/tests/wakunode2/test_app.nim
index 6228fef3fa..04057b1a1f 100644
--- a/tests/wakunode2/test_app.nim
+++ b/tests/wakunode2/test_app.nim
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ include waku/factory/waku
 suite "Wakunode2 - Waku":
   test "compilation version should be reported":
     ## Given
-    let conf = defaultTestWakuNodeConf()
+    var conf = defaultTestWakuNodeConf()
 
     let waku = Waku.init(conf).valueOr:
       raiseAssert error
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ suite "Wakunode2 - Waku initialization":
 
   test "node setup is successful with default configuration":
     ## Given
-    let conf = defaultTestWakuNodeConf()
+    var conf = defaultTestWakuNodeConf()
 
     ## When
     var waku = Waku.init(conf).valueOr:
diff --git a/waku/factory/waku.nim b/waku/factory/waku.nim
index cdc795c30b..99b6ef479a 100644
--- a/waku/factory/waku.nim
+++ b/waku/factory/waku.nim
@@ -101,16 +101,15 @@ proc validateShards(conf: WakuNodeConf): Result[void, string] =
 
 ## Initialisation
 
-proc init*(T: type Waku, conf: WakuNodeConf): Result[Waku, string] =
-  var confCopy = conf
+proc init*(T: type Waku, confCopy: var WakuNodeConf): Result[Waku, string] =
   let rng = crypto.newRng()
 
-  logging.setupLog(conf.logLevel, conf.logFormat)
+  logging.setupLog(confCopy.logLevel, confCopy.logFormat)
 
   # TODO: remove after pubsubtopic config gets removed
   var shards = newSeq[uint16]()
-  if conf.pubsubTopics.len > 0:
-    let shardsRes = topicsToRelayShards(conf.pubsubTopics)
+  if confCopy.pubsubTopics.len > 0:
+    let shardsRes = topicsToRelayShards(confCopy.pubsubTopics)
     if shardsRes.isErr():
       error "failed to parse pubsub topic, please format according to static shard specification",
         error = shardsRes.error
@@ -120,9 +119,9 @@ proc init*(T: type Waku, conf: WakuNodeConf): Result[Waku, string] =
 
     if shardsOpt.isSome():
       let relayShards = shardsOpt.get()
-      if relayShards.clusterId != conf.clusterId:
+      if relayShards.clusterId != confCopy.clusterId:
         error "clusterId of the pubsub topic should match the node's cluster. e.g. --pubsub-topic=/waku/2/rs/22/1 and --cluster-id=22",
-          nodeCluster = conf.clusterId, pubsubCluster = relayShards.clusterId
+          nodeCluster = confCopy.clusterId, pubsubCluster = relayShards.clusterId
         return err(
           "clusterId of the pubsub topic should match the node's cluster. e.g. --pubsub-topic=/waku/2/rs/22/1 and --cluster-id=22"
         )
@@ -191,8 +190,8 @@ proc init*(T: type Waku, conf: WakuNodeConf): Result[Waku, string] =
   let node = nodeRes.get()
 
   var deliveryMonitor: DeliveryMonitor
-  if conf.reliabilityEnabled:
-    if conf.storenode == "":
+  if confCopy.reliabilityEnabled:
+    if confCopy.storenode == "":
       return err("A storenode should be set when reliability mode is on")
 
     let deliveryMonitorRes = DeliveryMonitor.new(