diff --git a/master/fsm_master.c b/master/fsm_master.c
index dca3a976f8fbdca4a10e406cf2a608bde5bab65e..3a5e8e58ee285533708760fee6abc68b35b3ab42 100644
--- a/master/fsm_master.c
+++ b/master/fsm_master.c
@@ -583,30 +583,26 @@ void ec_fsm_master_action_configure(
     if ((slave->current_state != slave->requested_state
                 || slave->force_config) && !slave->error_flag) {
 
-        // Start slave configuration, if it is allowed.
+        // Start slave configuration
         down(&master->config_sem);
-        if (!master->allow_config) {
-            up(&master->config_sem);
-        } else {
-            master->config_busy = 1;
-            up(&master->config_sem);
-
-            if (master->debug_level) {
-                char old_state[EC_STATE_STRING_SIZE],
-                     new_state[EC_STATE_STRING_SIZE];
-                ec_state_string(slave->current_state, old_state, 0);
-                ec_state_string(slave->requested_state, new_state, 0);
-                EC_SLAVE_DBG(slave, 1, "Changing state from %s to %s%s.\n",
-                        old_state, new_state,
-                        slave->force_config ? " (forced)" : "");
-            }
-
-            fsm->idle = 0;
-            fsm->state = ec_fsm_master_state_configure_slave;
-            ec_fsm_slave_config_start(&fsm->fsm_slave_config, slave);
-            fsm->state(fsm); // execute immediately
-            return;
+        master->config_busy = 1;
+        up(&master->config_sem);
+
+        if (master->debug_level) {
+            char old_state[EC_STATE_STRING_SIZE],
+                 new_state[EC_STATE_STRING_SIZE];
+            ec_state_string(slave->current_state, old_state, 0);
+            ec_state_string(slave->requested_state, new_state, 0);
+            EC_SLAVE_DBG(slave, 1, "Changing state from %s to %s%s.\n",
+                    old_state, new_state,
+                    slave->force_config ? " (forced)" : "");
         }
+
+        fsm->idle = 0;
+        fsm->state = ec_fsm_master_state_configure_slave;
+        ec_fsm_slave_config_start(&fsm->fsm_slave_config, slave);
+        fsm->state(fsm); // execute immediately
+        return;
     }
 
     // slave has error flag set; process next one
@@ -899,6 +895,7 @@ void ec_fsm_master_enter_write_system_times(
         }
     }
 
+    // scanning and setting system times complete
     ec_master_request_op(master);
     ec_fsm_master_restart(fsm);
 }
diff --git a/master/master.c b/master/master.c
index 034e4350cba4e85e370126f776ae32d82d8da0b4..c689b97f47b66ceaf7e1acc43e495c7ef64ae301 100644
--- a/master/master.c
+++ b/master/master.c
@@ -158,7 +158,6 @@ int ec_master_init(ec_master_t *master, /**< EtherCAT master */
     init_waitqueue_head(&master->scan_queue);
 
     master->config_busy = 0;
-    master->allow_config = 1;
     sema_init(&master->config_sem, 1);
     init_waitqueue_head(&master->config_queue);
     
@@ -594,7 +593,6 @@ int ec_master_enter_operation_phase(ec_master_t *master /**< EtherCAT master */)
     EC_MASTER_DBG(master, 1, "IDLE -> OPERATION.\n");
 
     down(&master->config_sem);
-    master->allow_config = 0; // temporarily disable slave configuration
     if (master->config_busy) {
         up(&master->config_sem);
 
@@ -655,7 +653,6 @@ int ec_master_enter_operation_phase(ec_master_t *master /**< EtherCAT master */)
     
 out_allow:
     master->allow_scan = 1;
-    master->allow_config = 1;
     return ret;
 }
 
@@ -2013,7 +2010,6 @@ int ecrt_master_activate(ec_master_t *master)
         return ret;
     }
 
-    master->allow_config = 1; // request the current configuration
     master->allow_scan = 1; // allow re-scanning on topology change
     master->active = 1;
 
@@ -2087,7 +2083,6 @@ void ecrt_master_deactivate(ec_master_t *master)
         EC_MASTER_WARN(master, "Failed to restart master thread!\n");
 
     master->allow_scan = 1;
-    master->allow_config = 1;
     master->active = 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/master/master.h b/master/master.h
index d0cd7b8a7324cae878afa79af2107f3e8fe884c7..919b3cfe40603fd0fe85e12e2e11d5fdc6906c05 100644
--- a/master/master.h
+++ b/master/master.h
@@ -196,8 +196,6 @@ struct ec_master {
                                     slave scanning. */
 
     unsigned int config_busy; /**< State of slave configuration. */
-    unsigned int allow_config; /**< \a True, if slave configuration is
-                                 allowed. */
     struct semaphore config_sem; /**< Semaphore protecting the \a config_busy
                                    variable and the allow_config flag. */
     wait_queue_head_t config_queue; /**< Queue for processes that wait for
diff --git a/master/slave_config.c b/master/slave_config.c
index 4b24792ef7ae55639649928f9558f57865c80d51..b8569bee09f3a292ba9cd2db9288119b3c19f32d 100644
--- a/master/slave_config.c
+++ b/master/slave_config.c
@@ -227,10 +227,7 @@ int ec_slave_config_attach(
     slave->config = sc;
     sc->slave = slave;
 
-    ec_slave_request_state(slave, EC_SLAVE_STATE_OP);
-
     EC_CONFIG_DBG(sc, 1, "Attached slave %u.\n", slave->ring_position);
-
     return 0;
 }