diff --git a/core/includes/config.inc b/core/includes/config.inc
index 2925b99..e704d04 100644
--- a/core/includes/config.inc
+++ b/core/includes/config.inc
@@ -87,5 +87,7 @@ function config_get_storage_names_with_prefix($prefix = '') {
  * @todo Replace with DI container.
  */
 function config($name, $class = 'Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigObject') {
+  // @todo Do not reload an already loaded config object.
+  // @todo Make it possible to skip load for known to be new config objects?
   return ConfigFactory::get($name, $class)->load();
 }
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/ConfigFactory.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/ConfigFactory.php
index 4667618..8ca8c5d 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/ConfigFactory.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/ConfigFactory.php
@@ -2,13 +2,64 @@
 
 namespace Drupal\Core\Config;
 
+/**
+ * Defines the configuration object factory.
+ *
+ * The configuration object factory instantiates a configuration object for each
+ * configuration object name that is accessed and returns the configuration
+ * object to callers.
+ *
+ * Each configuration object is wrapped by a configuration manager object, which
+ * is used to determine the storage controller to use for reading and writing
+ * the configuration object data.
+ *
+ * @see Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigObject
+ */
 class ConfigFactory {
-  protected static $arbiters;
+  /**
+   * Instantiated storage manager objects.
+   *
+   * @var array
+   */
+  protected static $storageManagers = array();
 
-  static function get($name, $class = 'Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigObject', $arbiter_class = 'Drupal\Core\Config\DrupalConfig') {
-    if (!isset(self::$arbiters[$arbiter_class])) {
-      self::$arbiters[$class] = new $arbiter_class();
+  /**
+   * Instantiated configuration objects.
+   *
+   * @todo Implement ConfigCacheArray to cache and preload config objects per
+   *   request.
+   *
+   * @var array
+   */
+  protected static $configObjects = array();
+
+  /**
+   * Returns a configuration object for a given name.
+   *
+   * Configuration objects are instantiated once only.
+   *
+   * @param string $name
+   *   The name of the configuration object to construct.
+   * @param string $class
+   *   (optional) The name of the class to use for the configuration object.
+   *   Defaults to Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigObject.
+   * @param string $manager_class
+   *   (optional) The name of the storage manager class to use. Defaults to
+   *   Drupal\Core\Config\DrupalConfig.
+   *
+   * @return Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigObject
+   *   A configuration object with the given $name.
+   *
+   * @todo Allow to instantiante a custom ConfigObject class for configuration
+   *   data.
+   */
+  public static function get($name, $class = 'Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigObject', $manager_class = 'Drupal\Core\Config\DrupalConfig') {
+    if (!isset(self::$storageManagers[$manager_class])) {
+      self::$storageManagers[$class] = new $manager_class();
+    }
+    if (!isset(self::$configObjects[$name])) {
+      self::$configObjects[$name] = new $class($name, self::$storageManagers[$class]);
     }
-    return new $class($name, self::$arbiters[$class]);
+    return self::$configObjects[$name];
   }
 }
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/ConfigObject.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/ConfigObject.php
index 9438edd..b083c45 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/ConfigObject.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/ConfigObject.php
@@ -22,16 +22,23 @@ class ConfigObject {
   protected $data = array();
 
   /**
+   * The wrapping storage manager object.
+   *
+   * @var Drupal\Core\Config\DrupalConfig
+   */
+  protected $drupalConfig;
+
+  /**
    * Constructs a configuration object.
    *
    * @param string $name
    *   The name of the configuration object.
-   * @param Drupal\Core\Config\DrupalConfig $arbiter
+   * @param Drupal\Core\Config\DrupalConfig $drupalConfig
    *   The wrapping configuration manager object.
    */
-  public function __construct($name, DrupalConfig $arbiter) {
+  public function __construct($name, DrupalConfig $drupalConfig) {
     $this->setName($name);
-    $this->storageArbiter = $arbiter;
+    $this->drupalConfig = $drupalConfig;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -198,7 +205,7 @@ class ConfigObject {
    * Loads configuration data into this object.
    */
   public function load() {
-    $data = $this->storageArbiter->selectStorage('read', $this->name)->read($this->name);
+    $data = $this->drupalConfig->selectStorage('read', $this->name)->read($this->name);
     $this->setData($data !== FALSE ? $data : array());
     return $this;
   }
@@ -207,7 +214,7 @@ class ConfigObject {
    * Saves the configuration object.
    */
   public function save() {
-    $this->storageArbiter->selectStorage('write', $this->name)->write($this->name, $this->data);
+    $this->drupalConfig->selectStorage('write', $this->name)->write($this->name, $this->data);
     return $this;
   }
 
@@ -216,7 +223,7 @@ class ConfigObject {
    */
   public function delete() {
     $this->data = array();
-    $this->storageArbiter->selectStorage('write', $this->name)->delete($this->name);
+    $this->drupalConfig->selectStorage('write', $this->name)->delete($this->name);
     return $this;
   }
 }
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/DrupalConfig.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/DrupalConfig.php
index f281263..92dc61f 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/DrupalConfig.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/DrupalConfig.php
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 namespace Drupal\Core\Config;
 
 /**
- * Arbiters configuration storage engines.
+ * Manages configuration storage controllers.
  *
  * A high-level storage manager that determines which storage out of multiple
  * is configured and allowed to handle a particular configuration object,
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class DrupalConfig {
   protected $storageInstances;
 
   /**
-   * Instantiated storage controller objects.
+   * Constructs the storage manager object.
    *
    * @param array $storage_info
    *   An associative array defining the storage controllers to use and any
@@ -59,12 +59,10 @@ class DrupalConfig {
    *   )
    *   @endcode
    */
-  public function __construct($storage_info = NULL) {
-    if (isset($storage_info)) {
-      $this->storageInfo = $storage_info;
-    }
-    else {
-      $this->storageInfo = array(
+  public function __construct(array $storage_info = NULL) {
+    // @todo This is the wrong place to supply defaults.
+    if (!isset($storage_info)) {
+      $storage_info = array(
         'Drupal\Core\Config\DatabaseStorage' => array(
          'target' => 'default',
          'read' => TRUE,
@@ -77,6 +75,7 @@ class DrupalConfig {
         ),
       );
     }
+    $this->storageInfo = $storage_info;
   }
 
   /**