diff --git a/lib/config_tools.sh b/lib/config_tools.sh
index 2982e44..16fbb81 100755
--- a/lib/config_tools.sh
+++ b/lib/config_tools.sh
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 #######################################################################
 # Create a default config file.
 #
-# Usage: create_config CONFIG_PATH
+# Usage: create_config [-v] CONFIG_PATH
 #
 # The CONFIG_PATH argument is the absolute path to the config file.
 #######################################################################
@@ -28,7 +28,30 @@ create_config () {
 
 	local config_file
 	
+	# process command-line options (if any)
+	local OPTARG
+	local OPTIND
+	local opt
+	local verbose_mode=false
+	
+	while getopts ":v" opt; do
+		case $opt in
+			v)
+				verbose_mode=true
+				;;
+			\?)
+				echo "ERROR: $FUNCNAME: Unrecognized option: -$OPTARG" >&2
+				return 2
+				;;
+			:)
+				echo "ERROR: $FUNCNAME: Option -$OPTARG requires an argument" >&2
+				return 2
+				;;
+		esac
+	done
+
 	# make sure there's at least one command-line argument
+	shift $(( OPTIND - 1 ))
 	if [ $# -eq 0 ] ; then
 		echo "ERROR: $FUNCNAME: no config file to create" >&2
 		return 2
@@ -41,6 +64,10 @@ create_config () {
 	# MDQ base URL
 	MDQ_BASE_URL=http://mdq-beta.incommon.org/global
 	
+	# basic curl defaults
+	CONNECT_TIMEOUT_DEFAULT=2
+	MAX_REDIRS_DEFAULT=3
+	
 	# default SAML2 endpoint for testing
 	SAML2_SP_ENTITY_ID=https://service1.internet2.edu/shibboleth
 	SAML2_SP_ACS_URL=https://service1.internet2.edu/Shibboleth.sso/SAML2/POST
@@ -52,6 +79,8 @@ create_config () {
 	SAML1_SP_ACS_BINDING=urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:1.0:profiles:browser-post
 DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE
 
+	$verbose_mode && echo "$FUNCNAME created default config file $config_file"
+	
 	return 0
 }
 
@@ -63,29 +92,25 @@ DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE
 # The CONFIG_PATH argument is the absolute path to the config file.
 # The -v option produces verbose output, which is most useful for
 # testing and debugging.
-#
-# If a required config parameter is missing, this function halts
-# and returns a non-zero return code.
 #######################################################################
 
 load_config () {
 
 	local config_file
 	local status_code
-	local param_name
-	local param_names
-	local param_value
 	
 	# process command-line options (if any)
 	local OPTARG
 	local OPTIND
 	local opt
 	local verbose_mode=false
+	local local_opts
 	
 	while getopts ":v" opt; do
 		case $opt in
 			v)
 				verbose_mode=true
+				local_opts="-$opt"
 				;;
 			\?)
 				echo "ERROR: $FUNCNAME: Unrecognized option: -$OPTARG" >&2
@@ -99,7 +124,7 @@ load_config () {
 	done
 
 	# make sure there's at least one command-line argument
-	shift $(( OPTIND-1 ))
+	shift $(( OPTIND - 1 ))
 	if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
 		echo "ERROR: $FUNCNAME: no config file to load" >&2
 		return 2
@@ -108,33 +133,83 @@ load_config () {
 
 	# create config file if necessary
 	if [ ! -f "$config_file" ]; then
-		create_config $config_file
+		$verbose_mode && echo "$FUNCNAME creating default config file $config_file"
+		create_config $local_opts $config_file
 		status_code=$?
 		if [ $status_code -ne 0 ]; then
 			echo "ERROR: $FUNCNAME: failed to create config file $config_file" >&2
 			return $status_code
 		fi
-		$verbose_mode && echo "$FUNCNAME creating default config file $config_file"
 	fi
 
 	# load config file
+	$verbose_mode && echo "$FUNCNAME sourcing config file $config_file"
 	source "$config_file"
 	status_code=$?
 	if [ $status_code -ne 0 ]; then
 		echo "ERROR: $FUNCNAME failed to source config file $config_file" >&2
 		return $status_code
 	fi
-	$verbose_mode && echo "$FUNCNAME sourcing config file $config_file"
 
+	return 0
+}
+
+#######################################################################
+# Validate a previously loaded config file.
+#
+# Usage: validate_config [-v]
+#
+# If a required config parameter is missing, this function halts
+# and returns a non-zero return code.
+#######################################################################
+
+validate_config () {
+
+	local param_name
+	local param_names
+	local param_value
+	
+	# process command-line options (if any)
+	local OPTARG
+	local OPTIND
+	local opt
+	local verbose_mode=false
+	
+	while getopts ":v" opt; do
+		case $opt in
+			v)
+				verbose_mode=true
+				;;
+			\?)
+				echo "ERROR: $FUNCNAME: Unrecognized option: -$OPTARG" >&2
+				return 2
+				;;
+			:)
+				echo "ERROR: $FUNCNAME: Option -$OPTARG requires an argument" >&2
+				return 2
+				;;
+		esac
+	done
+
+	# required config parameters
+	param_names="MDQ_BASE_URL
+	CONNECT_TIMEOUT_DEFAULT
+	MAX_REDIRS_DEFAULT
+	SAML2_SP_ENTITY_ID
+	SAML2_SP_ACS_URL
+	SAML2_SP_ACS_BINDING
+	SAML1_SP_ENTITY_ID
+	SAML1_SP_ACS_URL
+	SAML1_SP_ACS_BINDING"
+	
 	# check required config parameters
-	param_names="MDQ_BASE_URL SAML2_SP_ENTITY_ID SAML2_SP_ACS_URL SAML2_SP_ACS_BINDING SAML1_SP_ENTITY_ID SAML1_SP_ACS_URL SAML1_SP_ACS_BINDING"
 	for param_name in $param_names; do
 		eval "param_value=\${$param_name}"
 		if [ ! "$param_value" ]; then
-			echo "ERROR: $FUNCNAME failed to find $param_name config parameter" >&2
+			echo "ERROR: $FUNCNAME parameter $param_name undefined" >&2
 			return 3
 		fi
-		$verbose_mode && printf "$FUNCNAME using $param_name=%s\n" "$param_value"
+		$verbose_mode && printf "$FUNCNAME checking $param_name=%s\n" "$param_value"
 	done
 
 	return 0