diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 08c10923..c4b859b6 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@
     "nodemailer": "6.9.4",
     "reflect-metadata": "0.1.13",
     "sharp": "0.31.3",
-    "typeconfig": "2.2.11",
+    "ts-node-iptc": "1.0.11",
+    "typeconfig": "2.2.13",
     "typeorm": "0.3.12",
     "xml2js": "0.6.2"
   },
diff --git a/src/backend/model/extension/ExtensionConfigWrapper.ts b/src/backend/model/extension/ExtensionConfigWrapper.ts
index eaa7270f..c4e0e827 100644
--- a/src/backend/model/extension/ExtensionConfigWrapper.ts
+++ b/src/backend/model/extension/ExtensionConfigWrapper.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@ import {PrivateConfigClass} from '../../../common/config/private/PrivateConfigCl
 import {ConfigClassBuilder} from 'typeconfig/node';
 import {ExtensionConfigTemplateLoader} from './ExtensionConfigTemplateLoader';
 import {NotificationManager} from '../NotifocationManager';
+import {ServerConfig} from '../../../common/config/private/PrivateConfig';
+import {ConfigClassOptions} from 'typeconfig/src/decorators/class/IConfigClass';
+import * as fs from 'fs';
 
 
 const LOG_TAG = '[ExtensionConfigWrapper]';
@@ -16,6 +19,12 @@ export class ExtensionConfigWrapper {
     const pc = ConfigClassBuilder.attachPrivateInterface(new PrivateConfigClass());
     ExtensionConfigTemplateLoader.Instance.loadExtensionTemplates(pc);
     try {
+      // make sure the config file exists by the time we load it.
+      // TODO: remove this once typeconfig is fixed and can properly load defaults in arrays
+      if (!fs.existsSync((pc.__options as ConfigClassOptions<ServerConfig>).configPath)) {
+        await pc.save();
+      }
+
       await pc.load(); // loading the basic configs, but we do not know the extension config hierarchy yet
 
     } catch (e) {
@@ -34,6 +43,11 @@ export class ExtensionConfigWrapper {
     const pc = ConfigClassBuilder.attachPrivateInterface(new PrivateConfigClass());
     ExtensionConfigTemplateLoader.Instance.loadExtensionTemplates(pc);
     try {
+      // make sure the config file exists by the time we load it.
+      // TODO: remove this once typeconfig is fixed and can properly load defaults in arrays
+      if (!fs.existsSync((pc.__options as ConfigClassOptions<ServerConfig>).configPath)) {
+        pc.saveSync();
+      }
       pc.loadSync(); // loading the basic configs, but we do not know the extension config hierarchy yet
 
     } catch (e) {
diff --git a/test/backend/unit/model/extension/ExtensionConfigWrapper.spec.ts b/test/backend/unit/model/extension/ExtensionConfigWrapper.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..52b9facc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/backend/unit/model/extension/ExtensionConfigWrapper.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import {expect} from 'chai';
+import {ExtensionConfigWrapper} from '../../../../../src/backend/model/extension/ExtensionConfigWrapper';
+import {TAGS} from '../../../../../src/common/config/public/ClientConfig';
+
+// to help WebStorm to handle the test cases
+declare let describe: any;
+declare const after: any;
+declare const before: any;
+declare const it: any;
+
+
+describe('ExtensionConfigWrapper', () => {
+
+  it('should load original config multiple times with the same result', async () => {
+    const get = async () => JSON.parse(JSON.stringify((await ExtensionConfigWrapper.original()).toJSON({
+      attachState: true,
+      attachVolatile: true,
+      skipTags: {secret: true} as TAGS
+    })));
+    const a = await get();
+    const b = await get();
+    expect(b).to.deep.equal(a);
+    const c = await get();
+    expect(c).to.deep.equal(a);
+  });
+});