diff --git a/apps/confbridge/conf_config_parser.c b/apps/confbridge/conf_config_parser.c
index 96ed8920c7..2de1ec238d 100644
--- a/apps/confbridge/conf_config_parser.c
+++ b/apps/confbridge/conf_config_parser.c
@@ -2022,7 +2022,7 @@ static int conf_menu_profile_copy(struct conf_menu *dst, struct conf_menu *src)
 static int menu_template_handler(const struct aco_option *opt, struct ast_variable *var, void *obj)
 {
 	struct conf_menu *dst_menu = obj;
-	struct confbridge_cfg *cfg = aco_pending_config(&cfg_info);
+	RAII_VAR(struct confbridge_cfg *, cfg, ao2_global_obj_ref(cfg_handle), ao2_cleanup);
 	RAII_VAR(struct conf_menu *, src_menu, NULL, ao2_cleanup);
 
 	if (!cfg) {
@@ -2057,6 +2057,7 @@ static int verify_default_profiles(void)
 	RAII_VAR(struct user_profile *, user_profile, NULL, ao2_cleanup);
 	RAII_VAR(struct bridge_profile *, bridge_profile, NULL, ao2_cleanup);
 	RAII_VAR(struct conf_menu *, menu_profile, NULL, ao2_cleanup);
+	/* We can only be called as a result of an aco_process_config so this is safe */
 	struct confbridge_cfg *cfg = aco_pending_config(&cfg_info);
 
 	if (!cfg) {
@@ -2154,6 +2155,7 @@ int conf_load_config(void)
 
 	/* Menu options */
 	aco_option_register(&cfg_info, "type", ACO_EXACT, menu_types, NULL, OPT_NOOP_T, 0, 0);
+	/* This option should only be used with the CONFBRIDGE dialplan function */
 	aco_option_register_custom(&cfg_info, "template", ACO_EXACT, menu_types, NULL, menu_template_handler, 0);
 	aco_option_register_custom(&cfg_info, "^[0-9A-D*#]+$", ACO_REGEX, menu_types, NULL, menu_option_handler, 0);
 
diff --git a/main/config_options.c b/main/config_options.c
index cc8e218f83..81d0ff9a0d 100644
--- a/main/config_options.c
+++ b/main/config_options.c
@@ -588,10 +588,13 @@ enum aco_process_status aco_process_ast_config(struct aco_info *info, struct aco
 	};
 
 	ao2_cleanup(info->internal->pending);
+	info->internal->pending = NULL;
 	return ACO_PROCESS_OK;
 
 error:
 	ao2_cleanup(info->internal->pending);
+	info->internal->pending = NULL;
+
 	return ACO_PROCESS_ERROR;
 }
 
@@ -704,6 +707,8 @@ try_alias:
 
 end:
 	ao2_cleanup(info->internal->pending);
+	info->internal->pending = NULL;
+
 	return res;
 }
 int aco_process_var(struct aco_type *type, const char *cat, struct ast_variable *var, void *obj)