diff --git a/example_config.yaml b/example_config.yaml
index d9eb484..beae654 100644
--- a/example_config.yaml
+++ b/example_config.yaml
@@ -12,15 +12,6 @@ chihaya:
   # For more info see: https://prometheus.io
   prometheus_addr: "0.0.0.0:6880"
 
-  # The maximum number of peers returned in an announce.
-  max_numwant: 50
-
-  # The default number of peers returned in an announce.
-  default_numwant: 25
-
-  # The number of infohashes a single scrape can request before being truncated.
-  max_scrape_infohashes: 50
-
   # This block defines configuration for the tracker's HTTP interface.
   # If you do not wish to run this, delete this section.
   http:
@@ -113,6 +104,9 @@ chihaya:
     name: memory
     config:
       # The frequency which stale peers are removed.
+      # This balances between
+      # - collecting garbage more often, potentially using more CPU time, but potentially using less memory (lower value)
+      # - collecting garbage less frequently, saving CPU time, but keeping old peers long, thus using more memory (higher value).
       gc_interval: 3m
 
       # The amount of time until a peer is considered stale.
@@ -132,6 +126,9 @@ chihaya:
   #   name: redis
   #   config:
   #     # The frequency which stale peers are removed.
+  #     # This balances between
+  #     # - collecting garbage more often, potentially using more CPU time, but potentially using less memory (lower value)
+  #     # - collecting garbage less frequently, saving CPU time, but keeping old peers long, thus using more memory (higher value).
   #     gc_interval: 14m
 
   #     # The frequency which metrics are pushed into a local Prometheus endpoint.
diff --git a/frontend/http/frontend.go b/frontend/http/frontend.go
index a70319e..43415da 100644
--- a/frontend/http/frontend.go
+++ b/frontend/http/frontend.go
@@ -100,6 +100,33 @@ func (cfg Config) Validate() Config {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if cfg.MaxNumWant <= 0 {
+		validcfg.MaxNumWant = defaultMaxNumWant
+		log.Warn("falling back to default configuration", log.Fields{
+			"name":     "http.MaxNumWant",
+			"provided": cfg.MaxNumWant,
+			"default":  validcfg.MaxNumWant,
+		})
+	}
+
+	if cfg.DefaultNumWant <= 0 {
+		validcfg.DefaultNumWant = defaultDefaultNumWant
+		log.Warn("falling back to default configuration", log.Fields{
+			"name":     "http.DefaultNumWant",
+			"provided": cfg.DefaultNumWant,
+			"default":  validcfg.DefaultNumWant,
+		})
+	}
+
+	if cfg.MaxScrapeInfoHashes <= 0 {
+		validcfg.MaxScrapeInfoHashes = defaultMaxScrapeInfoHashes
+		log.Warn("falling back to default configuration", log.Fields{
+			"name":     "http.MaxScrapeInfoHashes",
+			"provided": cfg.MaxScrapeInfoHashes,
+			"default":  validcfg.MaxScrapeInfoHashes,
+		})
+	}
+
 	return validcfg
 }
 
diff --git a/frontend/http/parser.go b/frontend/http/parser.go
index 1d276cb..ca53e87 100644
--- a/frontend/http/parser.go
+++ b/frontend/http/parser.go
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@ type ParseOptions struct {
 	MaxScrapeInfoHashes uint32 `yaml:"max_scrape_infohashes"`
 }
 
+// Default parser config constants.
+const (
+	defaultMaxNumWant          = 100
+	defaultDefaultNumWant      = 50
+	defaultMaxScrapeInfoHashes = 50
+)
+
 // ParseAnnounce parses an bittorrent.AnnounceRequest from an http.Request.
 func ParseAnnounce(r *http.Request, opts ParseOptions) (*bittorrent.AnnounceRequest, error) {
 	qp, err := bittorrent.ParseURLData(r.RequestURI)
diff --git a/frontend/udp/frontend.go b/frontend/udp/frontend.go
index a75430e..98f8b75 100644
--- a/frontend/udp/frontend.go
+++ b/frontend/udp/frontend.go
@@ -46,6 +46,55 @@ func (cfg Config) LogFields() log.Fields {
 	}
 }
 
+// Validate sanity checks values set in a config and returns a new config with
+// default values replacing anything that is invalid.
+//
+// This function warns to the logger when a value is changed.
+func (cfg Config) Validate() Config {
+	validcfg := cfg
+
+	// Generate a private key if one isn't provided by the user.
+	if cfg.PrivateKey == "" {
+		rand.Seed(time.Now().UnixNano())
+		pkeyRunes := make([]rune, 64)
+		for i := range pkeyRunes {
+			pkeyRunes[i] = allowedGeneratedPrivateKeyRunes[rand.Intn(len(allowedGeneratedPrivateKeyRunes))]
+		}
+		validcfg.PrivateKey = string(pkeyRunes)
+
+		log.Warn("UDP private key was not provided, using generated key", log.Fields{"key": validcfg.PrivateKey})
+	}
+
+	if cfg.MaxNumWant <= 0 {
+		validcfg.MaxNumWant = defaultMaxNumWant
+		log.Warn("falling back to default configuration", log.Fields{
+			"name":     "udp.MaxNumWant",
+			"provided": cfg.MaxNumWant,
+			"default":  validcfg.MaxNumWant,
+		})
+	}
+
+	if cfg.DefaultNumWant <= 0 {
+		validcfg.DefaultNumWant = defaultDefaultNumWant
+		log.Warn("falling back to default configuration", log.Fields{
+			"name":     "udp.DefaultNumWant",
+			"provided": cfg.DefaultNumWant,
+			"default":  validcfg.DefaultNumWant,
+		})
+	}
+
+	if cfg.MaxScrapeInfoHashes <= 0 {
+		validcfg.MaxScrapeInfoHashes = defaultMaxScrapeInfoHashes
+		log.Warn("falling back to default configuration", log.Fields{
+			"name":     "udp.MaxScrapeInfoHashes",
+			"provided": cfg.MaxScrapeInfoHashes,
+			"default":  validcfg.MaxScrapeInfoHashes,
+		})
+	}
+
+	return validcfg
+}
+
 // Frontend holds the state of a UDP BitTorrent Frontend.
 type Frontend struct {
 	socket  *net.UDPConn
@@ -60,18 +109,8 @@ type Frontend struct {
 
 // NewFrontend creates a new instance of an UDP Frontend that asynchronously
 // serves requests.
-func NewFrontend(logic frontend.TrackerLogic, cfg Config) (*Frontend, error) {
-	// Generate a private key if one isn't provided by the user.
-	if cfg.PrivateKey == "" {
-		rand.Seed(time.Now().UnixNano())
-		pkeyRunes := make([]rune, 64)
-		for i := range pkeyRunes {
-			pkeyRunes[i] = allowedGeneratedPrivateKeyRunes[rand.Intn(len(allowedGeneratedPrivateKeyRunes))]
-		}
-		cfg.PrivateKey = string(pkeyRunes)
-
-		log.Warn("UDP private key was not provided, using generated key", log.Fields{"key": cfg.PrivateKey})
-	}
+func NewFrontend(logic frontend.TrackerLogic, provided Config) (*Frontend, error) {
+	cfg := provided.Validate()
 
 	f := &Frontend{
 		closing: make(chan struct{}),
diff --git a/frontend/udp/parser.go b/frontend/udp/parser.go
index b5e4830..96ea9d8 100644
--- a/frontend/udp/parser.go
+++ b/frontend/udp/parser.go
@@ -58,6 +58,13 @@ type ParseOptions struct {
 	MaxScrapeInfoHashes uint32 `yaml:"max_scrape_infohashes"`
 }
 
+// Default parser config constants.
+const (
+	defaultMaxNumWant          = 100
+	defaultDefaultNumWant      = 50
+	defaultMaxScrapeInfoHashes = 50
+)
+
 // ParseAnnounce parses an AnnounceRequest from a UDP request.
 //
 // If v6Action is true, the announce is parsed the