diff --git a/src/App.cpp b/src/App.cpp
index 008df0a7..5f59e1b5 100644
--- a/src/App.cpp
+++ b/src/App.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
  */
 
 
-#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <cstdlib>
 #include <uv.h>
 
 
@@ -42,18 +42,9 @@
 #include "version.h"
 
 
-xmrig::App::App(Process *process) :
-    m_console(nullptr),
-    m_signals(nullptr)
+xmrig::App::App(Process *process)
 {
     m_controller = new Controller(process);
-    if (m_controller->init() != 0) {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    if (!m_controller->config()->isBackground()) {
-        m_console = new Console(this);
-    }
 }
 
 
@@ -68,12 +59,26 @@ xmrig::App::~App()
 int xmrig::App::exec()
 {
     if (!m_controller->isReady()) {
+        LOG_EMERG("no valid configuration found.");
+
         return 2;
     }
 
     m_signals = new Signals(this);
 
-    background();
+    int rc = 0;
+    if (background(rc)) {
+        return rc;
+    }
+
+    rc = m_controller->init();
+    if (rc != 0) {
+        return rc;
+    }
+
+    if (!m_controller->isBackground()) {
+        m_console = new Console(this);
+    }
 
     VirtualMemory::init(m_controller->config()->cpu().isHugePages());
 
@@ -87,10 +92,10 @@ int xmrig::App::exec()
 
     m_controller->start();
 
-    const int r = uv_run(uv_default_loop(), UV_RUN_DEFAULT);
+    rc = uv_run(uv_default_loop(), UV_RUN_DEFAULT);
     uv_loop_close(uv_default_loop());
 
-    return r;
+    return rc;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/App.h b/src/App.h
index aa534aad..b46dcefa 100644
--- a/src/App.h
+++ b/src/App.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 
 #include "base/kernel/interfaces/IConsoleListener.h"
 #include "base/kernel/interfaces/ISignalListener.h"
+#include "base/tools/Object.h"
 
 
 namespace xmrig {
@@ -44,6 +45,8 @@ class Signals;
 class App : public IConsoleListener, public ISignalListener
 {
 public:
+    XMRIG_DISABLE_COPY_MOVE_DEFAULT(App)
+
     App(Process *process);
     ~App() override;
 
@@ -54,12 +57,12 @@ protected:
     void onSignal(int signum) override;
 
 private:
-    void background();
+    bool background(int &rc);
     void close();
 
-    Console *m_console;
-    Controller *m_controller;
-    Signals *m_signals;
+    Console *m_console          = nullptr;
+    Controller *m_controller    = nullptr;
+    Signals *m_signals          = nullptr;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/App_unix.cpp b/src/App_unix.cpp
index 5149513c..ae2905db 100644
--- a/src/App_unix.cpp
+++ b/src/App_unix.cpp
@@ -23,33 +23,36 @@
  */
 
 
-#include <stdlib.h>
-#include <signal.h>
-#include <errno.h>
+#include <cstdlib>
+#include <csignal>
+#include <cerrno>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
 
 #include "App.h"
 #include "base/io/log/Log.h"
-#include "core/config/Config.h"
 #include "core/Controller.h"
 
 
-void xmrig::App::background()
+bool xmrig::App::background(int &rc)
 {
     signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN);
 
-    if (!m_controller->config()->isBackground()) {
-        return;
+    if (!m_controller->isBackground()) {
+        return false;
     }
 
     int i = fork();
     if (i < 0) {
-        exit(1);
+        rc = 1;
+
+        return true;
     }
 
     if (i > 0) {
-        exit(0);
+        rc = 0;
+
+        return true;
     }
 
     i = setsid();
@@ -62,4 +65,6 @@ void xmrig::App::background()
     if (i < 0) {
         LOG_ERR("chdir() failed (errno = %d)", errno);
     }
+
+    return false;
 }
diff --git a/src/App_win.cpp b/src/App_win.cpp
index a41ed505..e803080c 100644
--- a/src/App_win.cpp
+++ b/src/App_win.cpp
@@ -29,13 +29,12 @@
 
 #include "App.h"
 #include "core/Controller.h"
-#include "core/config/Config.h"
 
 
-void xmrig::App::background()
+bool xmrig::App::background(int &)
 {
-    if (!m_controller->config()->isBackground()) {
-        return;
+    if (!m_controller->isBackground()) {
+        return false;
     }
 
     HWND hcon = GetConsoleWindow();
@@ -46,4 +45,6 @@ void xmrig::App::background()
         CloseHandle(h);
         FreeConsole();
     }
+
+    return false;
 }
diff --git a/src/base/kernel/Base.cpp b/src/base/kernel/Base.cpp
index 3740655d..90c7cb57 100644
--- a/src/base/kernel/Base.cpp
+++ b/src/base/kernel/Base.cpp
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
  */
 
 
-#include <assert.h>
+#include <cassert>
 #include <memory>
 
 
@@ -64,15 +64,16 @@ static const char *kConfigPathV2 = "/2/config";
 #endif
 
 
-class xmrig::BasePrivate
+namespace xmrig {
+
+
+class BasePrivate
 {
 public:
-    inline BasePrivate(Process *process) :
-        api(nullptr),
-        config(nullptr),
-        process(process),
-        watcher(nullptr)
-    {}
+    XMRIG_DISABLE_COPY_MOVE_DEFAULT(BasePrivate)
+
+
+    inline BasePrivate(Process *process) : config(load(process)) {}
 
 
     inline ~BasePrivate()
@@ -94,13 +95,33 @@ public:
     }
 
 
-    inline Config *load()
+    inline void replace(Config *newConfig)
+    {
+        Config *previousConfig = config;
+        config = newConfig;
+
+        for (IBaseListener *listener : listeners) {
+            listener->onConfigChanged(config, previousConfig);
+        }
+
+        delete previousConfig;
+    }
+
+
+    Api *api            = nullptr;
+    Config *config      = nullptr;
+    std::vector<IBaseListener *> listeners;
+    Watcher *watcher    = nullptr;
+
+
+private:
+    inline Config *load(Process *process)
     {
         JsonChain chain;
         ConfigTransform transform;
         std::unique_ptr<Config> config;
 
-        transform.load(chain, process, transform);
+        ConfigTransform::load(chain, process, transform);
 
         if (read(chain, config)) {
             return config.release();
@@ -122,29 +143,12 @@ public:
 
         return nullptr;
     }
-
-
-    inline void replace(Config *newConfig)
-    {
-        Config *previousConfig = config;
-        config = newConfig;
-
-        for (IBaseListener *listener : listeners) {
-            listener->onConfigChanged(config, previousConfig);
-        }
-
-        delete previousConfig;
-    }
-
-
-    Api *api;
-    Config *config;
-    Process *process;
-    std::vector<IBaseListener *> listeners;
-    Watcher *watcher;
 };
 
 
+} // namespace xmrig
+
+
 xmrig::Base::Base(Process *process)
     : d_ptr(new BasePrivate(process))
 {
@@ -165,14 +169,6 @@ bool xmrig::Base::isReady() const
 
 int xmrig::Base::init()
 {
-    d_ptr->config = d_ptr->load();
-
-    if (!d_ptr->config) {
-        LOG_EMERG("No valid configuration found. Exiting.");
-
-        return 1;
-    }
-
 #   ifdef XMRIG_FEATURE_API
     d_ptr->api = new Api(this);
     d_ptr->api->addListener(this);
@@ -184,7 +180,7 @@ int xmrig::Base::init()
     Platform::setProcessPriority(config()->cpu().priority());
 #   endif
 
-    if (config()->isBackground()) {
+    if (isBackground()) {
         Log::background = true;
     }
     else {
@@ -240,6 +236,12 @@ xmrig::Api *xmrig::Base::api() const
 }
 
 
+bool xmrig::Base::isBackground() const
+{
+    return d_ptr->config && d_ptr->config->isBackground();
+}
+
+
 bool xmrig::Base::reload(const rapidjson::Value &json)
 {
     JsonReader reader(json);
@@ -247,7 +249,7 @@ bool xmrig::Base::reload(const rapidjson::Value &json)
         return false;
     }
 
-    Config *config = new Config();
+    auto config = new Config();
     if (!config->read(reader, d_ptr->config->fileName())) {
         delete config;
 
@@ -289,7 +291,7 @@ void xmrig::Base::onFileChanged(const String &fileName)
     JsonChain chain;
     chain.addFile(fileName);
 
-    Config *config = new Config();
+    auto config = new Config();
 
     if (!config->read(chain, chain.fileName())) {
         LOG_ERR("reloading failed");
diff --git a/src/base/kernel/Base.h b/src/base/kernel/Base.h
index 8eb68866..ef850edd 100644
--- a/src/base/kernel/Base.h
+++ b/src/base/kernel/Base.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "base/api/interfaces/IApiListener.h"
 #include "base/kernel/interfaces/IConfigListener.h"
 #include "base/kernel/interfaces/IWatcherListener.h"
+#include "base/tools/Object.h"
 #include "rapidjson/fwd.h"
 
 
@@ -45,6 +46,8 @@ class Process;
 class Base : public IWatcherListener, public IApiListener
 {
 public:
+    XMRIG_DISABLE_COPY_MOVE_DEFAULT(Base)
+
     Base(Process *process);
     ~Base() override;
 
@@ -54,6 +57,7 @@ public:
     virtual void stop();
 
     Api *api() const;
+    bool isBackground() const;
     bool reload(const rapidjson::Value &json);
     Config *config() const;
     void addListener(IBaseListener *listener);
diff --git a/src/base/kernel/Process.cpp b/src/base/kernel/Process.cpp
index 9193d378..fae0d679 100644
--- a/src/base/kernel/Process.cpp
+++ b/src/base/kernel/Process.cpp
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@
  */
 
 
+#include <ctime>
 #include <uv.h>
-#include <time.h>
 
 
 #include "base/kernel/Process.h"
@@ -55,11 +55,6 @@ xmrig::Process::Process(int argc, char **argv) :
 }
 
 
-xmrig::Process::~Process()
-{
-}
-
-
 xmrig::String xmrig::Process::location(Location location, const char *fileName) const
 {
     constexpr const size_t max = 520;
diff --git a/src/base/kernel/Process.h b/src/base/kernel/Process.h
index 9b29eb57..22959044 100644
--- a/src/base/kernel/Process.h
+++ b/src/base/kernel/Process.h
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ public:
 #   endif
 
     Process(int argc, char **argv);
-    ~Process();
 
     String location(Location location, const char *fileName = nullptr) const;
 
diff --git a/src/core/Controller.cpp b/src/core/Controller.cpp
index 54c9ee34..848396a7 100644
--- a/src/core/Controller.cpp
+++ b/src/core/Controller.cpp
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
  */
 
 
-#include <assert.h>
+#include <cassert>
 
 
 #include "backend/cpu/Cpu.h"
@@ -44,20 +44,10 @@ xmrig::Controller::~Controller()
 }
 
 
-bool xmrig::Controller::isReady() const
-{
-    return Base::isReady() && m_network;
-}
-
-
 int xmrig::Controller::init()
 {
     Cpu::init();
-
-    const int rc = Base::init();
-    if (rc != 0) {
-        return rc;
-    }
+    Base::init();
 
     m_network = new Network(this);
     return 0;
diff --git a/src/core/Controller.h b/src/core/Controller.h
index da7ba368..b2b8c9cb 100644
--- a/src/core/Controller.h
+++ b/src/core/Controller.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 
 #include "base/kernel/Base.h"
+#include "base/tools/Object.h"
 
 
 namespace xmrig {
@@ -40,10 +41,11 @@ class Network;
 class Controller : public Base
 {
 public:
+    XMRIG_DISABLE_COPY_MOVE_DEFAULT(Controller)
+
     Controller(Process *process);
     ~Controller() override;
 
-    bool isReady() const override;
     int init() override;
     void start() override;
     void stop() override;