diff --git a/internal/config/events.go b/internal/config/events.go
index 82aacda4..c64f4c25 100644
--- a/internal/config/events.go
+++ b/internal/config/events.go
@@ -52,11 +52,16 @@ func logNotifyWarn(action string, err error) {
 	})
 }
 
+var nilState *state
+
 func Load() error {
 	if HasState() {
 		panic(errors.New("config already loaded"))
 	}
 	state := NewState()
+	config.WorkingState.Store(state)
+	defer config.WorkingState.Store(nilState)
+
 	cfgWatcher = watcher.NewConfigFileWatcher(common.ConfigFileName)
 
 	initErr := state.InitFromFile(common.ConfigPath)
@@ -82,6 +87,9 @@ func Reload() gperr.Error {
 	defer reloadMu.Unlock()
 
 	newState := NewState()
+	config.WorkingState.Store(newState)
+	defer config.WorkingState.Store(nilState)
+
 	err := newState.InitFromFile(common.ConfigPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		newState.Task().FinishAndWait(err)
diff --git a/internal/config/types/state.go b/internal/config/types/state.go
index 2de2433c..bbd5d870 100644
--- a/internal/config/types/state.go
+++ b/internal/config/types/state.go
@@ -33,7 +33,10 @@ type State interface {
 	FlushTmpLog()
 }
 
-// could be nil
+// could be nil before first call on Load
 var ActiveState synk.Value[State]
 
+// nil-safe while loading config, nil otherwise
+var WorkingState synk.Value[State]
+
 var ErrConfigChanged = errors.New("config changed")
diff --git a/internal/route/route.go b/internal/route/route.go
index 0aab578b..bc97bc7d 100644
--- a/internal/route/route.go
+++ b/internal/route/route.go
@@ -774,7 +774,7 @@ func (r *Route) Finalize() {
 	}
 
 	r.Port.Listening, r.Port.Proxy = lp, pp
-	r.HealthCheck.ApplyDefaults(config.ActiveConfig.Load().Defaults.HealthCheck)
+	r.HealthCheck.ApplyDefaults(config.WorkingState.Load().Value().Defaults.HealthCheck)
 }
 
 func (r *Route) FinalizeHomepageConfig() {
diff --git a/internal/types/healthcheck_config.go b/internal/types/healthcheck_config.go
index fceddef6..5490db6f 100644
--- a/internal/types/healthcheck_config.go
+++ b/internal/types/healthcheck_config.go
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ func (hc *HealthCheckConfig) ApplyDefaults(defaults HealthCheckConfig) {
 		}
 	}
 	if hc.Retries == 0 {
-		hc.Retries = int64(HealthCheckDownNotifyDelayDefault / hc.Interval)
+		hc.Retries = defaults.Retries
+		if hc.Retries == 0 {
+			hc.Retries = max(1, int64(HealthCheckDownNotifyDelayDefault/hc.Interval))
+		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/watcher/health/monitor/monitor.go b/internal/watcher/health/monitor/monitor.go
index ffb62145..79499b06 100644
--- a/internal/watcher/health/monitor/monitor.go
+++ b/internal/watcher/health/monitor/monitor.go
@@ -74,7 +74,15 @@ func NewMonitor(r types.Route) types.HealthMonCheck {
 }
 
 func newMonitor(u *url.URL, cfg types.HealthCheckConfig, healthCheckFunc HealthCheckFunc) *monitor {
-	cfg.ApplyDefaults(config.DefaultConfig().Defaults.HealthCheck)
+	state := config.WorkingState.Load()
+	if state == nil {
+		state = config.ActiveState.Load()
+	}
+	if state != nil {
+		cfg.ApplyDefaults(state.Value().Defaults.HealthCheck)
+	} else {
+		cfg.ApplyDefaults(types.HealthCheckConfig{}) // use config defaults
+	}
 	mon := &monitor{
 		config:      cfg,
 		checkHealth: healthCheckFunc,