diff --git a/src/http-api/resources/config.js b/src/http-api/resources/config.js
index 869c2bfc80..214fdeb459 100644
--- a/src/http-api/resources/config.js
+++ b/src/http-api/resources/config.js
@@ -58,6 +58,13 @@ exports.getOrSet = {
     const key = request.pre.args.key
     const value = request.pre.args.value
 
+    if (typeof value === 'object' && value.type === 'Buffer') {
+      return reply({
+        Message: 'Invalid value type',
+        Code: 0
+      }).code(500)
+    }
+
     if (value === undefined) {
       // Get the value of a given key
       return request.server.app.ipfs.config.get((err, config) => {
diff --git a/test/http-api/interface-ipfs-core-over-ipfs-api/test-config.js b/test/http-api/interface-ipfs-core-over-ipfs-api/test-config.js
index e69de29bb2..fe8cbbb667 100644
--- a/test/http-api/interface-ipfs-core-over-ipfs-api/test-config.js
+++ b/test/http-api/interface-ipfs-core-over-ipfs-api/test-config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+/* eslint-env mocha */
+
+'use strict'
+
+const test = require('interface-ipfs-core')
+const FactoryClient = require('./../../utils/factory-http')
+
+let fc
+
+const common = {
+  setup: function (callback) {
+    fc = new FactoryClient()
+    callback(null, fc)
+  },
+  teardown: function (callback) {
+    fc.dismantle(callback)
+  }
+}
+
+test.config(common)