diff --git a/src/twc-config.c b/src/twc-config.c
index 8d403d3..255a2d7 100644
--- a/src/twc-config.c
+++ b/src/twc-config.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ char *twc_profile_option_names[TWC_PROFILE_NUM_OPTIONS] =
     "proxy_address",
     "proxy_port",
     "proxy_enabled",
+    "udp_disabled",
 };
 
 char *twc_profile_option_defaults[TWC_PROFILE_NUM_OPTIONS] =
@@ -49,7 +50,8 @@ char *twc_profile_option_defaults[TWC_PROFILE_NUM_OPTIONS] =
     "off",
     "100",
     NULL,
-    NULL,
+    "0",
+    "off",
     "off",
 };
 
@@ -171,7 +173,7 @@ twc_config_profile_check_value_callback(void *data,
     switch (option_index)
     {
         case TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_PROXY_ADDRESS:
-            return strlen(value) < 256;
+            return !value || strlen(value) < 256;
         default:
             return 1;
     }
@@ -219,9 +221,7 @@ twc_config_init_option(int option_index, const char *option_name)
                 "automatically load a profile and connect to the Tox network "
                 "when WeeChat starts",
                 NULL, 0, 0,
-                twc_profile_option_defaults[option_index],
-                NULL,
-                0,
+                twc_profile_option_defaults[option_index], NULL, 1,
                 twc_config_profile_check_value_callback, (void *)(intptr_t)option_index,
                 twc_config_profile_change_callback, (void *)(intptr_t)option_index,
                 NULL, NULL);
@@ -232,9 +232,7 @@ twc_config_init_option(int option_index, const char *option_name)
                 "maximum amount of friend requests to retain before dropping "
                 "new ones",
                 NULL, 0, INT_MAX,
-                twc_profile_option_defaults[option_index],
-                NULL,
-                0,
+                twc_profile_option_defaults[option_index], NULL, 1,
                 twc_config_profile_check_value_callback, (void *)(intptr_t)option_index,
                 twc_config_profile_change_callback, (void *)(intptr_t)option_index,
                 NULL, NULL);
@@ -244,9 +242,7 @@ twc_config_init_option(int option_index, const char *option_name)
                 option_name, "string",
                 "proxy address ",
                 NULL, 0, 0,
-                twc_profile_option_defaults[option_index],
-                NULL,
-                1,
+                twc_profile_option_defaults[option_index], NULL, 1,
                 twc_config_profile_check_value_callback, (void *)(intptr_t)option_index,
                 twc_config_profile_change_callback, (void *)(intptr_t)option_index,
                 NULL, NULL);
@@ -257,9 +253,7 @@ twc_config_init_option(int option_index, const char *option_name)
                 "whether or not to proxy this profile; requires reload to "
                 "effect",
                 NULL, 0, 0,
-                twc_profile_option_defaults[option_index],
-                NULL,
-                0,
+                twc_profile_option_defaults[option_index], NULL, 1,
                 twc_config_profile_check_value_callback, (void *)(intptr_t)option_index,
                 twc_config_profile_change_callback, (void *)(intptr_t)option_index,
                 NULL, NULL);
@@ -267,11 +261,9 @@ twc_config_init_option(int option_index, const char *option_name)
             return weechat_config_new_option(
                 twc_config_file, twc_config_section_profile,
                 option_name, "integer",
-                "proxy address ",
-                NULL, 0, UINT16_MAX ,
-                twc_profile_option_defaults[option_index],
-                NULL,
-                1,
+                "proxy address",
+                NULL, 1, UINT16_MAX ,
+                twc_profile_option_defaults[option_index], NULL, 1,
                 twc_config_profile_check_value_callback, (void *)(intptr_t)option_index,
                 twc_config_profile_change_callback, (void *)(intptr_t)option_index,
                 NULL, NULL);
@@ -283,9 +275,17 @@ twc_config_init_option(int option_index, const char *option_name)
                 "home, \"%p\" by the profile name); will be created if it does "
                 "not exist.",
                 NULL, 0, 0,
-                twc_profile_option_defaults[option_index],
-                NULL,
-                0,
+                twc_profile_option_defaults[option_index], NULL, 1,
+                twc_config_profile_check_value_callback, (void *)(intptr_t)option_index,
+                twc_config_profile_change_callback, (void *)(intptr_t)option_index,
+                NULL, NULL);
+        case TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_UDP_DISABLED:
+            return weechat_config_new_option(
+                twc_config_file, twc_config_section_profile,
+                option_name, "boolean",
+                "disable UDP; may be necessary for certain proxies",
+                NULL, 0, 0,
+                twc_profile_option_defaults[option_index], NULL, 1,
                 twc_config_profile_check_value_callback, (void *)(intptr_t)option_index,
                 twc_config_profile_change_callback, (void *)(intptr_t)option_index,
                 NULL, NULL);
@@ -314,6 +314,7 @@ twc_config_init_profile(struct t_twc_profile *profile)
                      twc_profile_option_names[i]);
 
             profile->options[i] = twc_config_init_option(i, option_name);
+            weechat_log_printf("Initialized option %s %p", option_name, profile->options[i]);
             free(option_name);
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/twc-profile.c b/src/twc-profile.c
index 2ad4160..8008e32 100644
--- a/src/twc-profile.c
+++ b/src/twc-profile.c
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ char *
 twc_profile_expanded_data_path(struct t_twc_profile *profile)
 {
     const char *weechat_dir = weechat_info_get ("weechat_dir", NULL);
-    const char *base_path = weechat_config_string(profile->options[TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_SAVEFILE]);
+    const char *base_path = TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_STRING(profile, TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_SAVEFILE);
     char *home_expanded = weechat_string_replace(base_path, "%h", weechat_dir);
     char *full_path = weechat_string_replace(home_expanded, "%p", profile->name);
     free(home_expanded);
@@ -218,20 +218,44 @@ twc_profile_load(struct t_twc_profile *profile)
     // create Tox options object
     Tox_Options *options = malloc(sizeof(Tox_Options));
     options->proxy_enabled =
-        weechat_config_boolean(profile->options[TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_PROXY_ENABLED]);
+        TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_BOOLEAN(profile, TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_PROXY_ENABLED);
+
     const char *proxy_address =
-           weechat_config_string(profile->options[TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_PROXY_ADDRESS]);
-    memcpy(options->proxy_address, proxy_address, strlen(proxy_address) + 1);
+        TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_STRING(profile, TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_PROXY_ADDRESS);
+    if (proxy_address)
+        memcpy(options->proxy_address, proxy_address, strlen(proxy_address) + 1);
+
     options->proxy_port =
-        weechat_config_integer(profile->options[TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_PROXY_PORT]);
+        TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_INTEGER(profile, TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_PROXY_PORT);
+    options->udp_disabled =
+        TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_BOOLEAN(profile, TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_UDP_DISABLED);
+
+    if (options->proxy_enabled)
+    {
+        if (!options->proxy_address || !options->proxy_port)
+        {
+            weechat_printf(profile->buffer,
+                           "%sproxy is enabled, but address or port is "
+                           "missing; aborting",
+                           weechat_prefix("error"),
+                           options->proxy_address, options->proxy_port);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            weechat_printf(profile->buffer,
+                           "%sUsing proxy %s:%d",
+                           weechat_prefix("network"),
+                           options->proxy_address, options->proxy_port);
+        }
+    }
 
     // create Tox
     profile->tox = tox_new(options);
     if (!(profile->tox))
     {
         weechat_printf(profile->buffer,
-                       "Could not create Tox instance!",
-                       weechat_prefix("error"), weechat_plugin->name);
+                       "%sCould not create Tox instance!",
+                       weechat_prefix("error"));
         return;
     }
 
@@ -331,7 +355,7 @@ twc_profile_autoload()
     struct t_twc_list_item *item;
     twc_list_foreach(twc_profiles, index, item)
     {
-        if (weechat_config_boolean(item->profile->options[TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_AUTOLOAD]))
+        if (TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_BOOLEAN(item->profile, TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_AUTOLOAD))
             twc_profile_load(item->profile);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/twc-profile.h b/src/twc-profile.h
index f6db377..0cb989d 100644
--- a/src/twc-profile.h
+++ b/src/twc-profile.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ enum t_twc_profile_option
     TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_PROXY_ADDRESS,
     TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_PROXY_PORT,
     TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_PROXY_ENABLED,
+    TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_UDP_DISABLED,
 
     TWC_PROFILE_NUM_OPTIONS,
 };
@@ -56,6 +57,21 @@ struct t_twc_profile
 
 extern struct t_twc_list *twc_profiles;
 
+#define TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_BOOLEAN(profile, index)                            \
+    ((!weechat_config_option_is_null(profile->options[index])) ?              \
+        weechat_config_boolean(profile->options[index]) :                     \
+        weechat_config_boolean_default(profile->options[index]))              \
+
+#define TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_INTEGER(profile, index)                            \
+    ((!weechat_config_option_is_null(profile->options[index])) ?              \
+        weechat_config_integer(profile->options[index]) :                     \
+        weechat_config_integer_default(profile->options[index]))              \
+
+#define TWC_PROFILE_OPTION_STRING(profile, index)                             \
+    ((!weechat_config_option_is_null(profile->options[index])) ?              \
+        weechat_config_string(profile->options[index]) :                      \
+        weechat_config_string_default(profile->options[index]))               \
+
 void
 twc_profile_init();