diff --git a/gns3server/compute/qemu/__init__.py b/gns3server/compute/qemu/__init__.py
index 828e94b2..663ee37f 100644
--- a/gns3server/compute/qemu/__init__.py
+++ b/gns3server/compute/qemu/__init__.py
@@ -27,10 +27,13 @@ import re
 import subprocess
 
 from ...utils.asyncio import subprocess_check_output
+from ...utils.get_resource import get_resource
 from ..base_manager import BaseManager
+from ..error import NodeError, ImageMissingError
 from .qemu_error import QemuError
 from .qemu_vm import QemuVM
 from .utils.guest_cid import get_next_guest_cid
+from .utils.ziputils import unpack_zip
 
 import logging
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -45,6 +48,7 @@ class Qemu(BaseManager):
 
         super().__init__()
         self._guest_cid_lock = asyncio.Lock()
+        self._init_config_disk()
 
     async def create_node(self, *args, **kwargs):
         """
@@ -343,3 +347,24 @@ class Qemu(BaseManager):
             log.info("Qemu disk '{}' extended by {} MB".format(path, extend))
         except (OSError, subprocess.SubprocessError) as e:
             raise QemuError("Could not update disk image {}:{}".format(path, e))
+
+    def _init_config_disk(self):
+        """
+        Initialize the default config disk
+        """
+
+        self.config_disk = "config.img"
+        try:
+            self.get_abs_image_path(self.config_disk)
+        except (NodeError, ImageMissingError) as e:
+            config_disk_zip = get_resource("compute/qemu/resources/{}.zip"
+                                           .format(self.config_disk))
+            if config_disk_zip and os.path.exists(config_disk_zip):
+                directory = self.get_images_directory()
+                try:
+                    unpack_zip(config_disk_zip, directory)
+                except OSError as e:
+                    log.warning("Config disk creation: {}".format(e))
+            else:
+                log.warning("Config disk: image '{}' missing"
+                            .format(self.config_disk))
diff --git a/gns3server/compute/qemu/qemu_vm.py b/gns3server/compute/qemu/qemu_vm.py
index 923c691c..8380dcdc 100644
--- a/gns3server/compute/qemu/qemu_vm.py
+++ b/gns3server/compute/qemu/qemu_vm.py
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ from ..nios.nio_tap import NIOTAP
 from ..base_node import BaseNode
 from ...schemas.qemu import QEMU_OBJECT_SCHEMA, QEMU_PLATFORMS
 from ...utils.asyncio import monitor_process
-from ...utils.get_resource import get_resource
 from ...utils.images import md5sum
 from ...utils import macaddress_to_int, int_to_macaddress
 
@@ -131,31 +130,19 @@ class QemuVM(BaseNode):
         self.adapters = 1  # creates 1 adapter by default
 
         # config disk
-        config_disk_name = "config.img"
-        self.config_disk_name = ""
+        self.config_disk_name = self.manager.config_disk
         self.config_disk_image = ""
         if not shutil.which("mcopy"):
             log.warning("Config disk: 'mtools' are not installed.")
+            self.config_disk_name = ""
         else:
             try:
                 self.config_disk_image = self.manager.get_abs_image_path(
-                    config_disk_name, self.project.path)
-                self.config_disk_name = config_disk_name
+                    self.config_disk_name)
             except (NodeError, ImageMissingError) as e:
-                config_disk_zip = get_resource("compute/qemu/resources/{}.zip"
-                                               .format(config_disk_name))
-                if config_disk_zip and os.path.exists(config_disk_zip):
-                    directory = self.manager.get_images_directory()
-                    try:
-                        unpack_zip(config_disk_zip, directory)
-                        self.config_disk_image = os.path.join(directory,
-                                                              config_disk_name)
-                        self.config_disk_name = config_disk_name
-                    except OSError as e:
-                        log.warning("Config disk creation: {}".format(e))
-                else:
-                    log.warning("Config disk: image '{}' missing"
-                                .format(config_disk_name))
+                log.warning("Config disk: image '{}' missing"
+                            .format(self.config_disk_name))
+                self.config_disk_name = ""
 
         log.info('QEMU VM "{name}" [{id}] has been created'.format(name=self._name, id=self._id))