diff --git a/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/config/NodeConfiguration.kt b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/config/NodeConfiguration.kt
index a47a9bc1d5..353b76eb77 100644
--- a/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/config/NodeConfiguration.kt
+++ b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/config/NodeConfiguration.kt
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ import java.net.URL
 import java.nio.file.Path
 import java.util.*
 
+data class DevModeOptions(val disableCheckpointChecker: Boolean?)
+
 interface NodeConfiguration : NodeSSLConfiguration {
     // myLegalName should be only used in the initial network registration, we should use the name from the certificate instead of this.
     // TODO: Remove this so we don't accidentally use this identity in the code?
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@ interface NodeConfiguration : NodeSSLConfiguration {
     val database: Properties?
     val rpcUsers: List<User>
     val devMode: Boolean
-    val devModeOptions: Properties?
+    val devModeOptions: DevModeOptions?
     val certificateSigningService: URL
     val certificateChainCheckPolicies: List<CertChainPolicyConfig>
     val verifierType: VerifierType
@@ -42,10 +44,6 @@ interface NodeConfiguration : NodeSSLConfiguration {
     }
 }
 
-fun NodeConfiguration.isDevModeOptionsFlagSet(flag: String): Boolean {
-    return this.devModeOptions?.get(flag).toString().toLowerCase() == "true"
-}
-
 data class NotaryConfig(val validating: Boolean,
                         val raft: RaftConfig? = null,
                         val bftSMaRt: BFTSMaRtConfiguration? = null,
@@ -102,7 +100,7 @@ data class FullNodeConfiguration(
         override val notary: NotaryConfig?,
         override val certificateChainCheckPolicies: List<CertChainPolicyConfig>,
         override val devMode: Boolean = false,
-        override val devModeOptions: Properties? = null,
+        override val devModeOptions: DevModeOptions? = null,
         val useTestClock: Boolean = false,
         val detectPublicIp: Boolean = true,
         override val activeMQServer: ActiveMqServerConfiguration,
diff --git a/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/statemachine/StateMachineManagerImpl.kt b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/statemachine/StateMachineManagerImpl.kt
index 3e05a45e1f..04f9390e91 100644
--- a/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/statemachine/StateMachineManagerImpl.kt
+++ b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/statemachine/StateMachineManagerImpl.kt
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ import net.corda.node.services.api.Checkpoint
 import net.corda.node.services.api.CheckpointStorage
 import net.corda.node.services.api.ServiceHubInternal
 import net.corda.node.services.config.NodeConfiguration
-import net.corda.node.services.config.isDevModeOptionsFlagSet
 import net.corda.node.services.messaging.ReceivedMessage
 import net.corda.node.services.messaging.TopicSession
 import net.corda.node.utilities.*
@@ -91,7 +90,7 @@ class StateMachineManagerImpl(
     private val mutex = ThreadBox(InnerState())
     // This thread (only enabled in dev mode) deserialises checkpoints in the background to shake out bugs in checkpoint restore.
     private val checkpointCheckerThread = if (serviceHub.configuration.devMode
-            && !serviceHub.configuration.isDevModeOptionsFlagSet(NodeConfiguration.DISABLE_CHECKPOINT_CHECKER))
+            && serviceHub.configuration.devModeOptions?.disableCheckpointChecker != true)
         newNamedSingleThreadExecutor("CheckpointChecker") else null
 
     @Volatile private var unrestorableCheckpoints = false
diff --git a/node/src/test/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/config/FullNodeConfigurationTest.kt b/node/src/test/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/config/FullNodeConfigurationTest.kt
index db1a61b6fb..d4090e2cee 100644
--- a/node/src/test/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/config/FullNodeConfigurationTest.kt
+++ b/node/src/test/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/config/FullNodeConfigurationTest.kt
@@ -70,10 +70,10 @@ class FullNodeConfigurationTest {
                 activeMQServer = ActiveMqServerConfiguration(BridgeConfiguration(0, 0, 0.0)),
                 additionalNodeInfoPollingFrequencyMsec = 5.seconds.toMillis())
 
-        fun configDebugOptions(devMode: Boolean, debugOptions: Properties?) {
+        fun configDebugOptions(devMode: Boolean, debugOptions: DevModeOptions?) {
             testConfiguration.copy(devMode = devMode, devModeOptions = debugOptions)
         }
-        val debugOptions = Properties()
+        val debugOptions = DevModeOptions(null)
         configDebugOptions(true, debugOptions)
         configDebugOptions(true,null)
         assertThatThrownBy{configDebugOptions(false, debugOptions)}.hasMessageMatching( "Cannot use devModeOptions outside of dev mode" )
@@ -105,14 +105,13 @@ class FullNodeConfigurationTest {
                 activeMQServer = ActiveMqServerConfiguration(BridgeConfiguration(0, 0, 0.0)),
                 additionalNodeInfoPollingFrequencyMsec = 5.seconds.toMillis())
 
-        fun configDebugOptions(devMode: Boolean, debugOptions: Properties?) : NodeConfiguration {
-            return testConfiguration.copy(devMode = devMode, devModeOptions = debugOptions)
+        fun configDebugOptions(devMode: Boolean, devModeOptions: DevModeOptions?) : NodeConfiguration {
+            return testConfiguration.copy(devMode = devMode, devModeOptions = devModeOptions)
         }
-        val debugOptions = Properties()
-        assertFalse { configDebugOptions(true,null).isDevModeOptionsFlagSet("foo")}
-        assertFalse { configDebugOptions(true,debugOptions).isDevModeOptionsFlagSet("foo")}
-        debugOptions.setProperty("foo", "tRuE")
-        assert( configDebugOptions(true, debugOptions).isDevModeOptionsFlagSet("foo"))
+        assertFalse { configDebugOptions(true,null).devModeOptions?.disableCheckpointChecker == true}
+        assertFalse { configDebugOptions(true,DevModeOptions(null)).devModeOptions?.disableCheckpointChecker == true}
+        assertFalse { configDebugOptions(true,DevModeOptions(false)).devModeOptions?.disableCheckpointChecker == true}
+        assert ( configDebugOptions(true,DevModeOptions(true)).devModeOptions?.disableCheckpointChecker == true)
     }
 
 }