diff --git a/icinga-app/icinga-standalone.conf b/icinga-app/icinga-standalone.conf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ccc2025a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/icinga-app/icinga-standalone.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+	"icinga": {
+		"icinga": {
+		}
+	},
+	"component": {
+		"demo": { }
+	}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/icinga/endpointmanager.cpp b/icinga/endpointmanager.cpp
index 83e2f7b88..3a2012095 100644
--- a/icinga/endpointmanager.cpp
+++ b/icinga/endpointmanager.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ shared_ptr<SSL_CTX> EndpointManager::GetSSLContext(void) const
 
 void EndpointManager::AddListener(string service)
 {
+	if (!GetSSLContext())
+		throw InvalidArgumentException("SSL context is required for AddListener()");
+
 	stringstream s;
 	s << "Adding new listener: port " << service;
 	Application::Log(s.str());
diff --git a/icinga/icingaapplication.cpp b/icinga/icingaapplication.cpp
index 8f36f7888..c515cade3 100644
--- a/icinga/icingaapplication.cpp
+++ b/icinga/icingaapplication.cpp
@@ -66,23 +66,16 @@ int IcingaApplication::Main(const vector<string>& args)
 	fileComponentConfig->SetPropertyInteger("replicate", 0);
 	GetConfigHive()->AddObject(fileComponentConfig);
 
-	if (GetPrivateKeyFile().empty())
-		throw InvalidArgumentException("No private key was specified.");
+	if (!GetPrivateKeyFile().empty() && !GetPublicKeyFile().empty() && !GetCAKeyFile().empty()) {
+		/* set up SSL context */
+		shared_ptr<X509> cert = Utility::GetX509Certificate(GetPublicKeyFile());
+		string identity = Utility::GetCertificateCN(cert);
+		Application::Log("My identity: " + identity);
+		m_EndpointManager->SetIdentity(identity);
 
-	if (GetPublicKeyFile().empty())
-		throw InvalidArgumentException("No public certificate was specified.");
-
-	if (GetCAKeyFile().empty())
-		throw InvalidArgumentException("No CA certificate was specified.");
-
-	/* set up SSL context */
-	shared_ptr<X509> cert = Utility::GetX509Certificate(GetPublicKeyFile());
-	string identity = Utility::GetCertificateCN(cert);
-	Application::Log("My identity: " + identity);
-	m_EndpointManager->SetIdentity(identity);
-
-	shared_ptr<SSL_CTX> sslContext = Utility::MakeSSLContext(GetPublicKeyFile(), GetPrivateKeyFile(), GetCAKeyFile());
-	m_EndpointManager->SetSSLContext(sslContext);
+		shared_ptr<SSL_CTX> sslContext = Utility::MakeSSLContext(GetPublicKeyFile(), GetPrivateKeyFile(), GetCAKeyFile());
+		m_EndpointManager->SetSSLContext(sslContext);
+	}
 
 	/* create the primary RPC listener */
 	string service = GetService();