Index: lib/Mail/SpamAssassin.pm
===================================================================
--- lib/Mail/SpamAssassin.pm	(revision 465206)
+++ lib/Mail/SpamAssassin.pm	(working copy)
@@ -1464,6 +1464,31 @@
   # TODO -- open DNS cache etc. if necessary
 }
 
+sub in_sub_process {
+  my ($self, $code) = @_;
+  my $rand = rand();
+  my $file = ".tmp.$$.$rand.answer";
+
+use Storable;
+  my $cpid = fork;
+  if ($cpid) {
+      wait;
+      open (my $fh, $file);
+      my $data = do { local $/; <$fh> };
+      my $res = eval { Storable::thaw($data); };
+      unlink $file;
+      return $res;
+  }
+
+  my $res = $code->();
+  if (open (my $fh, ">$file.writing")) {
+      print $fh Storable::nfreeze($res);
+      CORE::close($fh);
+      rename "$file.writing", $file;
+      exit 0;
+  }
+}
+
 sub read_cf {
   my ($self, $allpaths, $desc) = @_;
   return $self->_read_cf_pre($allpaths,$desc,\&get_cf_files_in_dir);
Index: lib/Mail/SpamAssassin/Conf.pm
===================================================================
--- lib/Mail/SpamAssassin/Conf.pm	(revision 465206)
+++ lib/Mail/SpamAssassin/Conf.pm	(working copy)
@@ -2661,15 +2661,39 @@
 ###########################################################################
 
 sub parse_scores_only {
-  my ($self) = @_;
   $_[0]->{parser}->parse ($_[1], 1);
 }
 
-sub parse_rules {
-  my ($self) = @_;
+sub OLD_parse_rules {
   $_[0]->{parser}->parse ($_[1], 0);
 }
 
+sub parse_rules {
+  my ($self, $str) = @_;
+
+  my @wanted = qw( errors descriptions test_types scoreset
+    scoreset_current tflags body_tests uri_tests uri_evals head_tests
+    head_evals body_evals full_tests full_evals rawbody_tests rawbody_evals
+    meta_tests regression_tests rewrite_header user_rules_to_compile
+    user_defined_rules headers_spam headers_ham bayes_ignore_headers
+    bayes_ignore_from bayes_ignore_to whitelist_from whitelist_allows_relays
+    blacklist_from blacklist_to whitelist_to more_spam_to all_spam_to
+    trusted_networks internal_networks headers_spam headers_ham
+    num_check_received bayes_expiry_pct bayes_expiry_period
+    bayes_expiry_max_exponent encapsulated_content_description);
+
+  my $back = $self->{main}->in_sub_process(sub {
+    $self->{parser}->parse ($str, 0);
+    my %back = ();
+    foreach my $want (@wanted) { $back{$want} = $self->{$want}; }
+    warn "read config in subprocess";
+    return \%back;
+  });
+
+  foreach my $want (@wanted) { $self->{$want} = $back->{$want}; }
+
+}
+
 ###########################################################################
 
 sub set_score_set {