diff --git a/demo/MainWindow.cpp b/demo/MainWindow.cpp
index 6694e60..28eca88 100644
--- a/demo/MainWindow.cpp
+++ b/demo/MainWindow.cpp
@@ -299,6 +299,10 @@ CMainWindow::CMainWindow(QWidget *parent) :
 	d->ui.setupUi(this);
 	d->createActions();
 
+	// uncomment the following line if the tab close button should be
+	// a QToolButton instead of a QPushButton
+	//CDockManager::setConfigFlags(CDockManager::configFlags() | CDockManager::TabCloseButtonIsToolButton);
+
 	// Now create the dock manager and its content
 	d->DockManager = new CDockManager(this);
 
diff --git a/src/DockAreaTitleBar.cpp b/src/DockAreaTitleBar.cpp
index b1b0446..64e6bab 100644
--- a/src/DockAreaTitleBar.cpp
+++ b/src/DockAreaTitleBar.cpp
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ struct DockAreaTitleBarPrivate
 	 */
 	bool testConfigFlag(CDockManager::eConfigFlag Flag) const
 	{
-		return DockArea->dockManager()->configFlags().testFlag(Flag);
+		return CDockManager::configFlags().testFlag(Flag);
 	}
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/DockContainerWidget.cpp b/src/DockContainerWidget.cpp
index 66e8852..2fe5505 100644
--- a/src/DockContainerWidget.cpp
+++ b/src/DockContainerWidget.cpp
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ public:
 	CDockSplitter* newSplitter(Qt::Orientation orientation, QWidget* parent = nullptr)
 	{
 		CDockSplitter* s = new CDockSplitter(orientation, parent);
-		s->setOpaqueResize(DockManager->configFlags().testFlag(CDockManager::OpaqueSplitterResize));
+		s->setOpaqueResize(CDockManager::configFlags().testFlag(CDockManager::OpaqueSplitterResize));
 		s->setChildrenCollapsible(false);
 		return s;
 	}
diff --git a/src/DockManager.cpp b/src/DockManager.cpp
index ff69319..34e6e58 100644
--- a/src/DockManager.cpp
+++ b/src/DockManager.cpp
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@
 
 namespace ads
 {
+static CDockManager::ConfigFlags StaticConfigFlags = CDockManager::DefaultConfig;
+
 /**
  * Private data class of CDockManager class (pimpl)
  */
@@ -72,7 +74,6 @@ struct DockManagerPrivate
 	QMenu* ViewMenu;
 	CDockManager::eViewMenuInsertionOrder MenuInsertionOrder = CDockManager::MenuAlphabeticallySorted;
 	bool RestoringState = false;
-	CDockManager::ConfigFlags ConfigFlags = CDockManager::DefaultConfig;
 
 	/**
 	 * Private data constructor
@@ -498,7 +499,8 @@ QByteArray CDockManager::saveState(int version) const
 {
     QByteArray xmldata;
     QXmlStreamWriter s(&xmldata);
-	s.setAutoFormatting(d->ConfigFlags.testFlag(XmlAutoFormattingEnabled));
+    auto ConfigFlags = CDockManager::configFlags();
+	s.setAutoFormatting(ConfigFlags.testFlag(XmlAutoFormattingEnabled));
     s.writeStartDocument();
 		s.writeStartElement("QtAdvancedDockingSystem");
 		s.writeAttribute("Version", QString::number(version));
@@ -511,7 +513,8 @@ QByteArray CDockManager::saveState(int version) const
 		s.writeEndElement();
     s.writeEndDocument();
 
-    return d->ConfigFlags.testFlag(XmlCompressionEnabled) ? qCompress(xmldata, 9) : xmldata;
+    return ConfigFlags.testFlag(XmlCompressionEnabled)
+    	? qCompress(xmldata, 9) : xmldata;
 }
 
 
@@ -762,16 +765,16 @@ int CDockManager::startDragDistance()
 
 
 //===========================================================================
-CDockManager::ConfigFlags CDockManager::configFlags() const
+CDockManager::ConfigFlags CDockManager::configFlags()
 {
-	return d->ConfigFlags;
+	return StaticConfigFlags;
 }
 
 
 //===========================================================================
 void CDockManager::setConfigFlags(const ConfigFlags Flags)
 {
-	d->ConfigFlags = Flags;
+	StaticConfigFlags = Flags;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/DockManager.h b/src/DockManager.h
index 15a1641..63e1237 100644
--- a/src/DockManager.h
+++ b/src/DockManager.h
@@ -151,13 +151,13 @@ public:
 	/**
 	 * This function returns the global configuration flags
 	 */
-	ConfigFlags configFlags() const;
+	static ConfigFlags configFlags();
 
 	/**
 	 * Sets the global configuration flags for the whole docking system.
 	 * Call this function before you create your first dock widget.
 	 */
-	void setConfigFlags(const ConfigFlags Flags);
+	static void setConfigFlags(const ConfigFlags Flags);
 
 	/**
 	 * Adds dockwidget into the given area.
diff --git a/src/DockWidgetTab.cpp b/src/DockWidgetTab.cpp
index d4036e2..0d890c4 100644
--- a/src/DockWidgetTab.cpp
+++ b/src/DockWidgetTab.cpp
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ struct DockWidgetTabPrivate
 	 */
 	bool testConfigFlag(CDockManager::eConfigFlag Flag) const
 	{
-		return DockArea->dockManager()->configFlags().testFlag(Flag);
+		return CDockManager::configFlags().testFlag(Flag);
 	}
 
 	/**