diff --git a/client/common_lib/global_config.py b/client/common_lib/global_config.py
index 2bbeca0..6c801ba 100644
--- a/client/common_lib/global_config.py
+++ b/client/common_lib/global_config.py
@@ -8,12 +8,6 @@ __author__ = 'raphtee@google.com (Travis Miller)'
 import os, sys, ConfigParser
 from autotest_lib.client.common_lib import error
 
-dirname = os.path.dirname(sys.modules[__name__].__file__)
-DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(dirname,
-                                                "../../global_config.ini"))
-DEFAULT_SHADOW_FILE = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(dirname,
-                                                "../../shadow_config.ini"))
-
 
 class ConfigError(error.AutotestError):
     pass
@@ -23,12 +17,50 @@ class ConfigValueError(ConfigError):
     pass
 
 
+
+common_lib_dir = os.path.dirname(sys.modules[__name__].__file__)
+client_dir = os.path.dirname(common_lib_dir)
+root_dir = os.path.dirname(client_dir)
+
+# Check if the config files are at autotest's root dir
+# This will happen if client is executing inside a full autotest tree, or if
+# other entry points are being executed
+global_config_path_root = os.path.join(root_dir, 'global_config.ini')
+shadow_config_path_root = os.path.join(root_dir, 'shadow_config.ini')
+config_in_root = (os.path.exists(global_config_path_root) and
+                  os.path.exists(shadow_config_path_root))
+
+# Check if the config files are at autotest's client dir
+# This will happen if a client stand alone execution is happening
+global_config_path_client = os.path.join(client_dir, 'global_config.ini')
+config_in_client = os.path.exists(global_config_path_client)
+
+if config_in_root:
+    DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE = global_config_path_root
+    DEFAULT_SHADOW_FILE = shadow_config_path_root
+    RUNNING_STAND_ALONE_CLIENT = False
+elif config_in_client:
+    DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE = global_config_path_client
+    DEFAULT_SHADOW_FILE = None
+    RUNNING_STAND_ALONE_CLIENT = True
+else:
+    raise ConfigError("Could not find configuration files "
+                      "needed for this program to function. Please refer to "
+                      "http://autotest.kernel.org/wiki/GlobalConfig "
+                      "for more info.")
+
+
 class global_config(object):
     _NO_DEFAULT_SPECIFIED = object()
 
     config = None
     config_file = DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE
     shadow_file = DEFAULT_SHADOW_FILE
+    running_stand_alone_client = RUNNING_STAND_ALONE_CLIENT
+
+
+    def check_stand_alone_client_run(self):
+        return self.running_stand_alone_client
 
 
     def set_config_files(self, config_file=DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE,
@@ -47,6 +79,21 @@ class global_config(object):
             return default
 
 
+    def get_section_values(self, section):
+        """
+        Return a config parser object containing a single session of the
+        global configuration, that can be later written to a file object.
+
+        @param section: Section we want to turn into a config parser object.
+        @return: ConfigParser() object containing all the contents of session.
+        """
+        cfgparser = ConfigParser.ConfigParser()
+        cfgparser.add_section(section)
+        for option, value in self.config.items(section):
+            cfgparser.set(section, option, value)
+        return cfgparser
+
+
     def get_config_value(self, section, key, type=str,
                          default=_NO_DEFAULT_SPECIFIED, allow_blank=False):
         self._ensure_config_parsed()
@@ -106,7 +153,7 @@ class global_config(object):
         # now also read the shadow file if there is one
         # this will overwrite anything that is found in the
         # other config
-        if os.path.exists(self.shadow_file):
+        if self.shadow_file and os.path.exists(self.shadow_file):
             shadow_config = ConfigParser.ConfigParser()
             shadow_config.read(self.shadow_file)
             # now we merge shadow into global
diff --git a/client/common_lib/host_protections.py b/client/common_lib/host_protections.py
index 9457114..7c9e6a0 100644
--- a/client/common_lib/host_protections.py
+++ b/client/common_lib/host_protections.py
@@ -22,19 +22,23 @@ Protection = enum.Enum('No protection',          # Repair can do anything to
                                                  # this host
                        )
 
+running_client = global_config.global_config.check_stand_alone_client_run()
+
 try:
     _bad_value = object()
-    default = Protection.get_value(
-        global_config.global_config.get_config_value(
-            'HOSTS', 'default_protection', default=_bad_value))
-    if default == _bad_value:
-        raise global_config.ConfigError(
-            'No HOSTS.default_protection defined in global_config.ini')
+    default_protection = global_config.global_config.get_config_value(
+                            'HOSTS', 'default_protection', default=_bad_value)
+    if default_protection == _bad_value:
+        if running_client:
+            logging.debug('Client stand alone run detected. '
+                          'host_protection.default will not be set.')
+        else:
+            raise global_config.ConfigError(
+                'No HOSTS.default_protection defined in global_config.ini')
+    else:
+        default = Protection.get_value(default_protection)
+
 except global_config.ConfigError:
-    # can happen if no global_config.ini exists at all, but this can actually
-    # happen in reasonable cases (e.g. on a standalone clinet) where it's
-    # safe to ignore
-    logging.debug('No global_config.ini exists so host_protection.default '
-                  'will not be defined')
+    raise global_config.ConfigError('No global_config.ini exists, aborting')
 
 choices = Protection.choices()
diff --git a/global_config.ini b/global_config.ini
index 1cd3b4f..ac6baab 100644
--- a/global_config.ini
+++ b/global_config.ini
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ parse_failed_repair_default: 0
 # Autotest potential install paths
 client_autodir_paths: /usr/local/autotest,/home/autotest
 
+[CLIENT]
+drop_caches: True
+drop_caches_between_iterations: True
 
 [SERVER]
 hostname: autotest
diff --git a/server/autotest.py b/server/autotest.py
index 3d307a9..a915196 100644
--- a/server/autotest.py
+++ b/server/autotest.py
@@ -391,6 +391,12 @@ class BaseAutotest(installable_object.InstallableObject):
         cfile += open(tmppath).read()
         open(tmppath, "w").write(cfile)
 
+        # Create and copy configuration file based on the state of the
+        # client configuration
+        client_config_file = self._create_client_config_file(host.job)
+        host.send_file(client_config_file, atrun.config_file)
+        os.remove(client_config_file)
+
         # Create and copy state file to remote_control_file + '.state'
         sysinfo_state = {"__sysinfo": host.job.sysinfo.serialize()}
         state_file = self._create_state_file(host.job, sysinfo_state)
@@ -408,12 +414,46 @@ class BaseAutotest(installable_object.InstallableObject):
 
 
     def _create_state_file(self, job, state_dict):
-        """ Create a state file from a dictionary. Returns the path of the
-        state file. """
+        """
+        Create a temporary file with the state described by state_dict.
+
+        @param job: Autotest job.
+        @param state_dict: Dictionary containing the state we want to write to
+                the temporary file
+        @return: Path of the temporary file generated.
+        """
+        return self._create_aux_file(job, pickle.dump, state_dict)
+
+
+    def _create_client_config_file(self, job):
+        """
+        Create a temporary file with the [CLIENT] section configuration values
+        taken from the server global_config.ini.
+
+        @param job: Autotest job.
+        @return: Path of the temporary file generated.
+        """
+        client_config = global_config.global_config.get_section_values("CLIENT")
+        return self._create_aux_file(job, client_config.write)
+
+
+    def _create_aux_file(self, job, func, *args):
+        """
+        Creates a temporary file and writes content to it according to a content
+        creation function.
+
+        @param job: Autotest job instance.
+        @param func: Function that will be used to write content to the
+                temporary file.
+        @param *args: List of parameters that func takes.
+        @return: Path to the temporary file that was created.
+        """
         fd, path = tempfile.mkstemp(dir=job.tmpdir)
-        state_file = os.fdopen(fd, "w")
-        pickle.dump(state_dict, state_file)
-        state_file.close()
+        aux_file = os.fdopen(fd, "w")
+        args = list(args)
+        args.append(aux_file)
+        func(*args)
+        aux_file.close()
         return path
 
 
@@ -459,6 +499,7 @@ class _Run(object):
             control += '.' + tag
         self.manual_control_file = control
         self.remote_control_file = control + '.autoserv'
+        self.config_file = os.path.join(self.autodir, 'global_config.ini')
 
 
     def verify_machine(self):
