diff --git a/htlcswitch/hodl/config.go b/htlcswitch/hodl/config.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e14eb7ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/htlcswitch/hodl/config.go
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+package hodl
+
+// Config is a struct enumerating the possible command line flags that are used
+// to activate specific hodl modes.
+//
+// NOTE: THESE FLAGS ARE INTENDED FOR TESTING PURPOSES ONLY. ACTIVATING THESE
+// FLAGS IN PRODUCTION WILL VIOLATE CRITICAL ASSUMPTIONS MADE BY THIS SOFTWARE.
+type Config struct {
+	ExitSettle bool `long:"exit-settle" description:"Instructs the node to drop ADDs for which it is the exit node, and to not settle back to the sender"`
+
+	AddIncoming bool `long:"add-incoming" description:"Instructs the node to drop incoming ADDs before processing them in the incoming link"`
+
+	SettleIncoming bool `long:"settle-incoming" description:"Instructs the node to drop incoming SETTLEs before processing them in the incoming link"`
+
+	FailIncoming bool `long:"fail-incoming" description:"Instructs the node to drop incoming FAILs before processing them in the incoming link"`
+
+	AddOutgoing bool `long:"add-outgoing" description:"Instructs the node to drop outgoing ADDs before applying them to the channel state"`
+
+	SettleOutgoing bool `long:"settle-outgoing" description:"Instructs the node to drop outgoing SETTLEs before applying them to the channel state"`
+
+	FailOutgoing bool `long:"fail-outgoing" description:"Instructs the node to drop outgoing FAILs before applying them to the channel state"`
+
+	Commit bool `long:"commit" description:"Instructs the node to add HTLCs to its local commitment state and to open circuits for any ADDs, but abort before committing the changes"`
+}
+
+// Mask extracts the flags specified in the configuration, composing a Mask from
+// the active flags.
+func (c *Config) Mask() Mask {
+	var flags []Flag
+
+	if c.ExitSettle {
+		flags = append(flags, ExitSettle)
+	}
+	if c.AddIncoming {
+		flags = append(flags, AddIncoming)
+	}
+	if c.SettleIncoming {
+		flags = append(flags, SettleIncoming)
+	}
+	if c.FailIncoming {
+		flags = append(flags, FailIncoming)
+	}
+	if c.AddOutgoing {
+		flags = append(flags, AddOutgoing)
+	}
+	if c.SettleOutgoing {
+		flags = append(flags, SettleOutgoing)
+	}
+	if c.FailOutgoing {
+		flags = append(flags, FailOutgoing)
+	}
+	if c.Commit {
+		flags = append(flags, Commit)
+	}
+
+	// NOTE: The value returned here will only honor the configuration if
+	// the debug build flag is present. In production, this method always
+	// returns hodl.MaskNone and Active(*) always returns false.
+	return MaskFromFlags(flags...)
+}