diff --git a/voms-admin-server/src/main/java/org/glite/security/voms/admin/integration/cern/HrDbProperties.java b/voms-admin-server/src/main/java/org/glite/security/voms/admin/integration/cern/HrDbProperties.java
index 91cdc645..0ca06762 100644
--- a/voms-admin-server/src/main/java/org/glite/security/voms/admin/integration/cern/HrDbProperties.java
+++ b/voms-admin-server/src/main/java/org/glite/security/voms/admin/integration/cern/HrDbProperties.java
@@ -187,7 +187,8 @@ public static final HrDbProperties fromProperties(Properties properties) {
     }
 
     if (properties.containsKey(MEMBERSHIP_CHECK_ENABLED_KEY)) {
-      config.getMembershipCheck().setEnabled(Boolean.parseBoolean(MEMBERSHIP_CHECK_ENABLED_KEY));
+      config.getMembershipCheck()
+        .setEnabled(Boolean.parseBoolean(properties.getProperty(MEMBERSHIP_CHECK_ENABLED_KEY)));
     }
 
     config.getApi().setEndpoint(properties.getProperty(API_ENDPOINT_KEY));
diff --git a/voms-admin-server/src/test/java/integration/hr/HrDbConfiguratorTests.java b/voms-admin-server/src/test/java/integration/hr/HrDbConfiguratorTests.java
index b4eccbe6..59543dc5 100644
--- a/voms-admin-server/src/test/java/integration/hr/HrDbConfiguratorTests.java
+++ b/voms-admin-server/src/test/java/integration/hr/HrDbConfiguratorTests.java
@@ -99,19 +99,37 @@ public void setup() {
     configurator.setUserDao(dao);
     configurator.setClock(CLOCK);
 
-    when(vomsConfig.getConfigurationDirectoryPath()).thenReturn("src/test/resources/cern/config");
-    when(vomsConfig.getExternalValidatorProperty(eq("orgdb"), anyString(), anyString()))
-      .thenReturn("src/test/resources/cern/config/orgdb.properties");
+    when(vomsConfig.getConfigurationDirectoryPath())
+      .thenReturn("src/test/resources/cern/disabled-task");
+    when(vomsConfig.getExternalValidatorProperty(eq("orgdb"), eq("configFile"), anyString()))
+      .thenReturn("src/test/resources/cern/disabled-task/hr.properties");
     when(apiFactory.newHrDbApiService(any())).thenReturn(api);
     when(validatorFactory.newHrDbRequestValidator(any(), any())).thenReturn(validator);
     when(syncTaskFactory.buildSyncTask(any(), any(), any(), any())).thenReturn(syncTask);
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void testConfigurationFileIsFoundAndParsed() throws VOMSPluginConfigurationException {
+  public void testDisabledConfigurationFileIsFoundAndParsed()
+      throws VOMSPluginConfigurationException {
+    configurator.configure();
+    verifyZeroInteractions(executorService);// no interactions as periodic sync is disabled
+    verifyZeroInteractions(syncTaskFactory);// no interactions as periodic sync is disabled
+    verify(manager).setRequestValidationContext(Mockito.eq(validator));
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testEnabledConfigurationFileIsFoundAndParsed()
+      throws VOMSPluginConfigurationException {
+    when(vomsConfig.getConfigurationDirectoryPath())
+      .thenReturn("src/test/resources/cern/enabled-task");
+    when(vomsConfig.getExternalValidatorProperty(eq("orgdb"), eq("configFile"), anyString()))
+      .thenReturn("src/test/resources/cern/enabled-task/hr.properties");
     configurator.configure();
-    verifyZeroInteractions(executorService);
-    verifyZeroInteractions(syncTaskFactory);
+
+    verify(executorService).scheduleAtFixedRate(isA(DatabaseTransactionTaskWrapper.class),
+        Mockito.anyLong(), Mockito.eq(TimeUnit.HOURS.toSeconds(12)),
+        Mockito.eq(TimeUnit.SECONDS));
+
     verify(manager).setRequestValidationContext(Mockito.eq(validator));
   }
 
diff --git a/voms-admin-server/src/test/java/integration/hr/HrDbPropertiesTest.java b/voms-admin-server/src/test/java/integration/hr/HrDbPropertiesTest.java
index 53fca7f3..3ce72f94 100644
--- a/voms-admin-server/src/test/java/integration/hr/HrDbPropertiesTest.java
+++ b/voms-admin-server/src/test/java/integration/hr/HrDbPropertiesTest.java
@@ -71,6 +71,12 @@ public void testValueParsing() {
     assertThat(hrConfig.getMembershipCheck().getPeriodInSeconds(), is(86400L));
   }
   
+
+  @Test
+  public void testFileParsing() {
+
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testApiTimeoutChecks() {
     Properties props = new Properties();
diff --git a/voms-admin-server/src/test/resources/cern/config/orgdb.properties b/voms-admin-server/src/test/resources/cern/disabled-task/hr.properties
similarity index 100%
rename from voms-admin-server/src/test/resources/cern/config/orgdb.properties
rename to voms-admin-server/src/test/resources/cern/disabled-task/hr.properties
diff --git a/voms-admin-server/src/test/resources/cern/enabled-task/hr.properties b/voms-admin-server/src/test/resources/cern/enabled-task/hr.properties
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6556749f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/voms-admin-server/src/test/resources/cern/enabled-task/hr.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+ experiment=cms
+ membership_check.enabled=true
+ membership_check.start_hour=4
+ membership_check.run_at_startup=false
+ api.endpoint=http://localhost:8080
+ api.username=user
+ api.password=password
+ api.timeout_secs=2
\ No newline at end of file