diff --git a/change_log.txt b/change_log.txt
index 5de594bf..f9e07ccb 100644
--- a/change_log.txt
+++ b/change_log.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
  11.09.2016
   - improvement {math} misleading E_USER_WARNING messages when parameter value = null https://github.com/smarty-php/smarty/issues/288
   - improvement move often used code snippets into methods
-  
+  - performance Smarty::configLoad() did load unneeded template source object
+
  09.09.2016
   - bugfix/optimization {foreach} did not execute the {foreachelse} when iterating empty objects https://github.com/smarty-php/smarty/pull/287
   - bugfix {foreach} must keep the @properties when restoring a saved $item variable as the properties might be used outside {foreach} https://github.com/smarty-php/smarty/issues/267
diff --git a/libs/Smarty.class.php b/libs/Smarty.class.php
index a77a1daa..4d3dce71 100644
--- a/libs/Smarty.class.php
+++ b/libs/Smarty.class.php
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ class Smarty extends Smarty_Internal_TemplateBase
     /**
      * smarty version
      */
-    const SMARTY_VERSION = '3.1.31-dev/17';
+    const SMARTY_VERSION = '3.1.31-dev/18';
 
     /**
      * define variable scopes
diff --git a/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_method_configload.php b/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_method_configload.php
index 2e142b79..6113eaf9 100644
--- a/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_method_configload.php
+++ b/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_method_configload.php
@@ -57,11 +57,10 @@ class Smarty_Internal_Method_ConfigLoad
     public function _loadConfigFile(Smarty_Internal_Data $data, $config_file, $sections = null, $scope = 0)
     {
         /* @var \Smarty $smarty */
-        $smarty = isset($data->smarty) ? $data->smarty : $data;
+        $smarty = $data->_getSmartyObj();
         /* @var \Smarty_Internal_Template $confObj */
-        $confObj = new Smarty_Internal_Template($config_file, $smarty, $data);
+        $confObj = new Smarty_Internal_Template($config_file, $smarty, $data, null, null, null, null, true);
         $confObj->caching = Smarty::CACHING_OFF;
-        $confObj->source = Smarty_Template_Config::load($confObj);
         $confObj->source->config_sections = $sections;
         $confObj->source->scope = $scope;
         $confObj->compiled = Smarty_Template_Compiled::load($confObj);
diff --git a/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_template.php b/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_template.php
index bb747a82..9776016f 100644
--- a/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_template.php
+++ b/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_template.php
@@ -107,19 +107,21 @@ class Smarty_Internal_Template extends Smarty_Internal_TemplateBase
      * Some of the global Smarty settings copied to template scope
      * It load the required template resources and caching plugins
      *
-     * @param string                                                  $template_resource template resource string
-     * @param Smarty                                                  $smarty            Smarty instance
-     * @param \Smarty_Internal_Template|\Smarty|\Smarty_Internal_Data $_parent           back pointer to parent object
-     *                                                                                   with variables or null
-     * @param mixed                                                   $_cache_id         cache   id or null
-     * @param mixed                                                   $_compile_id       compile id or null
-     * @param bool                                                    $_caching          use caching?
-     * @param int                                                     $_cache_lifetime   cache life-time in seconds
+     * @param string                                                       $template_resource template resource string
+     * @param Smarty                                                       $smarty            Smarty instance
+     * @param null|\Smarty_Internal_Template|\Smarty|\Smarty_Internal_Data $_parent           back pointer to parent object
+     *                                                                                        with variables or null
+     * @param mixed                                                        $_cache_id         cache   id or null
+     * @param mixed                                                        $_compile_id       compile id or null
+     * @param bool|int|null                                                $_caching          use caching?
+     * @param int|null                                                     $_cache_lifetime   cache life-time in seconds
+     * @param bool                                                         $_isConfig
      *
      * @throws \SmartyException
      */
     public function __construct($template_resource, Smarty $smarty, Smarty_Internal_Data $_parent = null,
-                                $_cache_id = null, $_compile_id = null, $_caching = null, $_cache_lifetime = null)
+                                $_cache_id = null, $_compile_id = null, $_caching = null, $_cache_lifetime = null,
+                                $_isConfig = false)
     {
         $this->smarty = $smarty;
         // Smarty parameter
@@ -133,7 +135,7 @@ class Smarty_Internal_Template extends Smarty_Internal_TemplateBase
         $this->parent = $_parent;
         // Template resource
         $this->template_resource = $template_resource;
-        $this->source = Smarty_Template_Source::load($this);
+        $this->source = $_isConfig ? Smarty_Template_Config::load($this) : Smarty_Template_Source::load($this);
         parent::__construct();
         if ($smarty->security_policy && method_exists($smarty->security_policy, 'registerCallBacks')) {
             $smarty->security_policy->registerCallBacks($this);