diff --git a/external/timemory b/external/timemory
index ff2f23167b..e4e430931c 160000
--- a/external/timemory
+++ b/external/timemory
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit ff2f23167be5434d1e4a04e1d1dfea9240356ce3
+Subproject commit e4e430931c7c32c9e81f7eca499c5d5a757d61d1
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 55c794952e..36d1a32051 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -437,6 +437,49 @@ function(OMNITRACE_ADD_PYTHON_TEST)
     endforeach()
 endfunction()
 
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #
+#
+# general config file tests
+#
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #
+file(
+    WRITE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/invalid.cfg
+    "
+FOOBAR = ON
+")
+
+if(TARGET parallel-overhead)
+    set(_CONFIG_TEST_EXE $<TARGET_FILE:parallel-overhead>)
+else()
+    set(_CONFIG_TEST_EXE ls)
+endif()
+
+add_test(
+    NAME omnitrace-invalid-config
+    COMMAND $<TARGET_FILE:omnitrace-exe> -- ${_CONFIG_TEST_EXE}
+    WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR})
+
+set_tests_properties(
+    omnitrace-invalid-config
+    PROPERTIES ENVIRONMENT
+               "OMNITRACE_CONFIG_FILE=${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/invalid.cfg" TIMEOUT
+               120 LABELS "config" WILL_FAIL ON)
+
+add_test(
+    NAME omnitrace-missing-config
+    COMMAND $<TARGET_FILE:omnitrace-exe> -- ${_CONFIG_TEST_EXE}
+    WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR})
+
+set_tests_properties(
+    omnitrace-missing-config
+    PROPERTIES ENVIRONMENT
+               "OMNITRACE_CONFIG_FILE=${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/missing.cfg" TIMEOUT
+               120 LABELS "config" WILL_FAIL ON)
+
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #
+#
+# binary-rewrite and runtime-instrumentation tests
+#
 # -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #
 
 omnitrace_add_test(