diff --git a/src/runmode-af-packet.c b/src/runmode-af-packet.c
index 184729a31819..edaaf4e7a9dc 100644
--- a/src/runmode-af-packet.c
+++ b/src/runmode-af-packet.c
@@ -244,14 +244,6 @@ static void *ParseAFPConfig(const char *iface)
     aconf->ebpf_t_config.cpus_count = UtilCpuGetNumProcessorsConfigured();
 #endif
 
-    if (ConfGet("bpf-filter", &bpf_filter) == 1) {
-        if (strlen(bpf_filter) > 0) {
-            aconf->bpf_filter = bpf_filter;
-            SCLogConfig(
-                    "%s: using command-line provided bpf filter '%s'", iface, aconf->bpf_filter);
-        }
-    }
-
     /* Find initial node */
     af_packet_node = ConfGetNode("af-packet");
     if (af_packet_node == NULL) {
@@ -437,11 +429,19 @@ static void *ParseAFPConfig(const char *iface)
 
     /*load af_packet bpf filter*/
     /* command line value has precedence */
-    if (ConfGet("bpf-filter", &bpf_filter) != 1) {
-        if (ConfGetChildValueWithDefault(if_root, if_default, "bpf-filter", &bpf_filter) == 1) {
-            if (strlen(bpf_filter) > 0) {
-                aconf->bpf_filter = bpf_filter;
-                SCLogConfig("%s: bpf filter %s", iface, aconf->bpf_filter);
+    if (ConfGet("bpf-filter", &bpf_filter) == 1) {
+        if (strlen(bpf_filter) > 0) {
+            aconf->bpf_filter = bpf_filter;
+            SCLogConfig(
+                    "%s: using command-line provided bpf filter '%s'", iface, aconf->bpf_filter);
+        }
+    } else { // reading from the file
+        if (aconf->bpf_filter == NULL) {
+            if (ConfGetChildValueWithDefault(if_root, if_default, "bpf-filter", &bpf_filter) == 1) {
+                if (strlen(bpf_filter) > 0) {
+                    aconf->bpf_filter = bpf_filter;
+                    SCLogConfig("%s: using file provided bpf filter %s", iface, aconf->bpf_filter);
+                }
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/runmode-netmap.c b/src/runmode-netmap.c
index dd38735e5f53..bbb5440b0875 100644
--- a/src/runmode-netmap.c
+++ b/src/runmode-netmap.c
@@ -205,14 +205,6 @@ static int ParseNetmapSettings(NetmapIfaceSettings *ns, const char *iface,
         ns->real = true;
     }
 
-    const char *bpf_filter = NULL;
-    if (ConfGet("bpf-filter", &bpf_filter) == 1) {
-        if (strlen(bpf_filter) > 0) {
-            ns->bpf_filter = bpf_filter;
-            SCLogInfo("%s: using command-line provided bpf filter '%s'", iface, ns->bpf_filter);
-        }
-    }
-
     if (if_root == NULL && if_default == NULL) {
         SCLogInfo("%s: unable to find netmap config for interface \"%s\" or \"default\", using "
                   "default values",
@@ -244,11 +236,19 @@ static int ParseNetmapSettings(NetmapIfaceSettings *ns, const char *iface,
 
     /* load netmap bpf filter */
     /* command line value has precedence */
-    if (ns->bpf_filter == NULL) {
-        if (ConfGetChildValueWithDefault(if_root, if_default, "bpf-filter", &bpf_filter) == 1) {
-            if (strlen(bpf_filter) > 0) {
-                ns->bpf_filter = bpf_filter;
-                SCLogInfo("%s: using bpf filter %s", iface, ns->bpf_filter);
+    const char *bpf_filter = NULL;
+    if (ConfGet("bpf-filter", &bpf_filter) == 1) {
+        if (strlen(bpf_filter) > 0) {
+            ns->bpf_filter = bpf_filter;
+            SCLogInfo("%s: using command-line provided bpf filter '%s'", iface, ns->bpf_filter);
+        }
+    } else { // reading from the file
+        if (ns->bpf_filter == NULL) {
+            if (ConfGetChildValueWithDefault(if_root, if_default, "bpf-filter", &bpf_filter) == 1) {
+                if (strlen(bpf_filter) > 0) {
+                    ns->bpf_filter = bpf_filter;
+                    SCLogInfo("%s: using file provided bpf filter %s", iface, ns->bpf_filter);
+                }
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/runmode-pfring.c b/src/runmode-pfring.c
index 4cadeb5492d3..a560c2827e07 100644
--- a/src/runmode-pfring.c
+++ b/src/runmode-pfring.c
@@ -323,24 +323,28 @@ static void *ParsePfringConfig(const char *iface)
             if (unlikely(pfconf->bpf_filter == NULL)) {
                 SCLogError("Can't allocate BPF filter string");
             } else {
-                SCLogDebug("Going to use command-line provided bpf filter %s",
-                           pfconf->bpf_filter);
+                SCLogConfig("%s: using to use command-line provided bpf filter %s", pfconf->iface,
+                        pfconf->bpf_filter);
             }
         }
-    } else {
+    } else if (pfconf->bpf_filter == NULL) {
         if (ConfGetChildValueWithDefault(if_root, if_default, "bpf-filter", &bpf_filter) == 1) {
             if (strlen(bpf_filter) > 0) {
                 pfconf->bpf_filter = SCStrdup(bpf_filter);
                 if (unlikely(pfconf->bpf_filter == NULL)) {
                     SCLogError("Can't allocate BPF filter string");
                 } else {
-                    SCLogDebug("Going to use bpf filter %s",
-                               pfconf->bpf_filter);
+                    SCLogConfig("%s: using file provided bpf filter %s", pfconf->iface,
+                            pfconf->bpf_filter);
                 }
             }
         }
     }
 
+    if (pfconf->bpf_filter != NULL && EngineModeIsIPS()) {
+        FatalError("BPF filter not available in IPS mode. Use firewall filtering if possible.");
+    }
+
     if (ConfGet("pfring.cluster-type", &tmpctype) == 1) {
         SCLogDebug("Going to use command-line provided cluster-type");
         getctype = 1;
diff --git a/src/runmode-unittests.c b/src/runmode-unittests.c
index 41f2b13283a5..22571f3aa330 100644
--- a/src/runmode-unittests.c
+++ b/src/runmode-unittests.c
@@ -232,6 +232,7 @@ void RunUnittests(int list_unittests, const char *regex_arg)
 #ifdef UNITTESTS
     /* Initializations for global vars, queues, etc (memsets, mutex init..) */
     GlobalsInitPreConfig();
+    EngineModeSetIDS();
 
 #ifdef HAVE_LUAJIT
     if (LuajitSetupStatesPool() != 0) {
diff --git a/src/suricata.c b/src/suricata.c
index 6a655a1e85b7..bf35cfe57ca4 100644
--- a/src/suricata.c
+++ b/src/suricata.c
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ int run_mode = RUNMODE_UNKNOWN;
 
 /** Engine mode: inline (ENGINE_MODE_IPS) or just
   * detection mode (ENGINE_MODE_IDS by default) */
-static enum EngineMode g_engine_mode = ENGINE_MODE_IDS;
+static enum EngineMode g_engine_mode = ENGINE_MODE_UNKNOWN;
 
 /** Host mode: set if box is sniffing only
  * or is a router */
@@ -208,13 +208,24 @@ int SuriHasSigFile(void)
     return (suricata.sig_file != NULL);
 }
 
+int EngineModeIsUnknown(void)
+{
+    return (g_engine_mode == ENGINE_MODE_UNKNOWN);
+}
+
 int EngineModeIsIPS(void)
 {
+#ifdef DEBUG
+    BUG_ON(g_engine_mode == ENGINE_MODE_UNKNOWN);
+#endif
     return (g_engine_mode == ENGINE_MODE_IPS);
 }
 
 int EngineModeIsIDS(void)
 {
+#ifdef DEBUG
+    BUG_ON(g_engine_mode == ENGINE_MODE_UNKNOWN);
+#endif
     return (g_engine_mode == ENGINE_MODE_IDS);
 }
 
@@ -456,15 +467,9 @@ static int SetBpfString(int argc, char *argv[])
     if (bpf_len == 0)
         return TM_ECODE_OK;
 
-    if (EngineModeIsIPS()) {
-        SCLogError("BPF filter not available in IPS mode."
-                   " Use firewall filtering if possible.");
-        return TM_ECODE_FAILED;
-    }
-
     bpf_filter = SCMalloc(bpf_len);
     if (unlikely(bpf_filter == NULL))
-        return TM_ECODE_OK;
+        return TM_ECODE_FAILED;
     memset(bpf_filter, 0x00, bpf_len);
 
     tmpindex = optind;
@@ -502,11 +507,6 @@ static void SetBpfStringFromFile(char *filename)
     FILE *fp = NULL;
     size_t nm = 0;
 
-    if (EngineModeIsIPS()) {
-        FatalError("BPF filter not available in IPS mode."
-                   " Use firewall filtering if possible.");
-    }
-
     fp = fopen(filename, "r");
     if (fp == NULL) {
         SCLogError("Failed to open file %s", filename);
@@ -2677,13 +2677,18 @@ int PostConfLoadedSetup(SCInstance *suri)
 
     MacSetRegisterFlowStorage();
 
-    SetMasterExceptionPolicy();
-
     LiveDeviceFinalize(); // must be after EBPF extension registration
 
     RunModeEngineIsIPS(
             suricata.run_mode, suricata.runmode_custom_mode, suricata.capture_plugin_name);
 
+    if (EngineModeIsUnknown()) { // if still uninitialized the set the default
+        SCLogInfo("Setting engine mode to IDS mode by default");
+        EngineModeSetIDS();
+    }
+
+    SetMasterExceptionPolicy();
+
     AppLayerSetup();
 
     /* Suricata will use this umask if provided. By default it will use the
diff --git a/src/suricata.h b/src/suricata.h
index 20c31c868243..64805476fef2 100644
--- a/src/suricata.h
+++ b/src/suricata.h
@@ -99,12 +99,14 @@ enum {
 
 /* Engine is acting as */
 enum EngineMode {
+    ENGINE_MODE_UNKNOWN,
     ENGINE_MODE_IDS,
     ENGINE_MODE_IPS,
 };
 
 void EngineModeSetIPS(void);
 void EngineModeSetIDS(void);
+int EngineModeIsUnknown(void);
 int EngineModeIsIPS(void);
 int EngineModeIsIDS(void);