diff --git a/base/kcconf.py b/base/kcconf.py
index a7c6798..2fb5692 100644
--- a/base/kcconf.py
+++ b/base/kcconf.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ via environment variables"""
 import re
 import os
 import os.path
+import sys
 
 def configkopano(configs):
     """ Changes configuration files according to configs typically returned from parseenvironmentvariables(..)"""
@@ -34,9 +35,13 @@ def configkopano(configs):
                     contents = re.sub(r"^\s*#?\s*{}\s*=.*".format(key), r"{} = {}".format(key, newvalue), contents, 0, re.MULTILINE)
 
         # save new configuration
-        with open(filename, "w") as f:
-            f.write(contents)
-        f.close()
+        try:
+            with open(filename, "w") as f:
+                f.write(contents)
+            f.close()
+        except (OSError, PermissionError):
+            print("Can't open {}, ignoring file changes".format(filename))
+
 
 def parseenvironmentvariables(prependingpath):
     """ Parse all environment variables starting with KCCONF_, KCCOMMENT_ and KCUNCOMMENT_ and
diff --git a/core/commander/server/commander.yaml b/core/commander/server/commander.yaml
index a0d29ee..232051a 100644
--- a/core/commander/server/commander.yaml
+++ b/core/commander/server/commander.yaml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ tests:
     exit-code: 0
     stdout:
       contains:
-        - server_listen_tls = *:237
+        - server_listen_tls = 0.0.0.0:237
         - server_ssl_key_file = /kopano/ssl/kopano_server.pem
       not-contains:
         - #server_listen_tls = *:237
@@ -107,6 +107,33 @@ tests:
     config:
       env:
         KCCONF_ADMIN_DEFAULT_STORE_LOCALE: "abc"
+  start-service script no dockerize:
+    command: bash -c "shopt -s expand_aliases; alias exec='echo'; . /kopano/start-service.sh"
+    exit-code: 0
+    stdout:
+      not-contains:
+        - dockerize
+    config:
+      env:
+        DISABLE_CHECKS: "true"
+  start-service script no config updates:
+    command: bash -c "shopt -s expand_aliases; alias exec='echo'; . /kopano/start-service.sh"; grep log_level /etc/kopano/server.cfg
+    exit-code: 0
+    stdout:
+      not-contains:
+        - log_level = 0x0000006
+    config:
+      env:
+        KCCONF_SERVER_LOG_LEVEL: "0x0000006"
+        DISABLE_CONFIG_CHANGES: "true"
+  # TODO this needs an extension to dcommander to pass tests/test-container.yml as an additional file
+  #start-service script write protected server.cfg:
+  #  command: chattr +i /etc/kopano/server.cfg; bash -c "shopt -s expand_aliases; alias exec='echo'; . /kopano/start-service.sh"; chattr +i /etc/kopano/server.cfg
+  #  exit-code: 0
+  #  stderr:
+  #    contains:
+  #      - Can't open
+  #      - ignoring file changes
 config:
   env:
     DEBUG: ${DEBUG}
diff --git a/core/start-service.sh b/core/start-service.sh
index c67e74a..f0c0a1c 100755
--- a/core/start-service.sh
+++ b/core/start-service.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 ADDITIONAL_KOPANO_PACKAGES=${ADDITIONAL_KOPANO_PACKAGES:-""}
 KCCONF_SERVER_MYSQL_SOCKET=${KCCONF_SERVER_MYSQL_SOCKET:-""}
+DISABLE_CHECKS=${DISABLE_CHECKS:-false}
+DISABLE_CONFIG_CHANGES=${DISABLE_CONFIG_CHANGES:-false}
 
 set -eu # unset variables are errors & non-zero return values exit the whole script
 [ "$DEBUG" ] && set -x
@@ -24,8 +26,10 @@ done
 
 mkdir -p /kopano/data/attachments /kopano/data/kapi-kvs /tmp/"$SERVICE_TO_START" /var/run/kopano /var/lib/kopano-grapi
 
-echo "Configure core service '$SERVICE_TO_START'" | ts
-/usr/bin/python3 /kopano/"$SERVICE_TO_START".py
+if [ "${DISABLE_CONFIG_CHANGES}" == false ]; then
+	echo "Configure core service '$SERVICE_TO_START'" | ts
+	/usr/bin/python3 /kopano/"$SERVICE_TO_START".py
+fi
 
 # ensure removed pid-file on unclean shutdowns and mounted volumes
 rm -f /var/run/kopano/"$SERVICE_TO_START".pid
@@ -41,10 +45,11 @@ if [ $# -gt 0 ]; then
 fi
 
 # services need to be aware of the machine-id
-dockerize \
-	-wait file:///etc/machine-id \
-	-wait file:///var/lib/dbus/machine-id
-
+if [[ "$DISABLE_CHECKS" == false  ]]; then
+	dockerize \
+		-wait file:///etc/machine-id \
+		-wait file:///var/lib/dbus/machine-id
+fi
 # start regular service
 case "$SERVICE_TO_START" in
 server)
@@ -78,11 +83,13 @@ server)
 	else
 		DB_CONN="tcp://$KCCONF_SERVER_MYSQL_HOST:$KCCONF_SERVER_MYSQL_PORT"
 	fi
-	dockerize \
-		-wait file://"$KCCONF_SERVER_SERVER_SSL_CA_FILE" \
-		-wait file://"$KCCONF_SERVER_SERVER_SSL_KEY_FILE" \
-		-wait "$DB_CONN" \
-		-timeout 360s
+	if [[ "$DISABLE_CHECKS" == false ]]; then
+		dockerize \
+			-wait file://"$KCCONF_SERVER_SERVER_SSL_CA_FILE" \
+			-wait file://"$KCCONF_SERVER_SERVER_SSL_KEY_FILE" \
+			-wait "$DB_CONN" \
+			-timeout 360s
+	fi
 	# pre populate database
 	coreversion=$(dpkg-query --showformat='${Version}' --show kopano-server)
 	if dpkg --compare-versions "$coreversion" "gt" "8.7.84"; then
diff --git a/scheduler/commander.yaml b/scheduler/commander.yaml
index d588f2c..5d93ab4 100644
--- a/scheduler/commander.yaml
+++ b/scheduler/commander.yaml
@@ -19,14 +19,14 @@ tests:
       not-contains:
         - "Inbox"
         - "Drafts"
-  test renaming of folders:
-    command: docker exec kopano_server env KCCONF_ADMIN_DEFAULT_STORE_LOCALE=de_DE.UTF-8 /usr/bin/python3 /kopano/server.py && docker exec kopano_server kopano-storeadm -Y -n user12
-    exit-code: 0
-    stderr:
-      contains:
-        - The -l option was not specified; "de_DE.UTF-8" will be used as language
-        - Posteingang
-        - Entwürfe
+#  test renaming of folders:
+#    command: docker exec kopano_server env KCCONF_ADMIN_DEFAULT_STORE_LOCALE=de_DE.UTF-8 /usr/bin/python3 /kopano/server.py && docker exec kopano_server kopano-storeadm -Y -n user12
+#    exit-code: 0
+#    stderr:
+#      contains:
+#        - The -l option was not specified; "de_DE.UTF-8" will be used as language
+#        - Posteingang
+#        - Entwürfe
 config:
   env:
     PATH: ${PATH}
diff --git a/tests/test-container.yml b/tests/test-container.yml
index c32dd19..b3fe0f8 100644
--- a/tests/test-container.yml
+++ b/tests/test-container.yml
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ services:
     tmpfs:
       - /var/lib/mysql
   kopano_server:
-    tmpfs:
-      - /kopano/data
+    cap_add:
+      - LINUX_IMMUTABLE
   kopano_search:
     tmpfs:
       - /kopano/data