diff --git a/core/includes/config.inc b/core/includes/config.inc
index 95d4d83..8649256 100644
--- a/core/includes/config.inc
+++ b/core/includes/config.inc
@@ -79,14 +79,20 @@ function config_get_storage_names_with_prefix($prefix = '') {
  *   object returned will contain the contents of book.admin configuration file.
  * @param string $class
  *   (optional) The name of the class to use for the configuration object.
+ *   Defaults to Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigObject.
  *
- * @return
+ * @return Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigObject
  *   An instance of the class specified in the $class parameter.
- *
- * @todo Replace with DI container.
  */
-function config($name, $class = NULL) {
+function config($name, $class = 'Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigObject') {
+  // @todo Factory needs to be instantiated to prevent statics from being shared
+  //   with parent environment in tests. Replace with DI container.
+  $factory = &drupal_static(__FUNCTION__);
+
+  if (!isset($factory)) {
+    $factory = new ConfigFactory();
+  }
   // @todo Do not reload an already loaded config object.
   // @todo Make it possible to skip load for known to be new config objects?
-  return ConfigFactory::get($name, $class);
+  return $factory->get($name, $class)->load();
 }
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/ConfigFactory.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/ConfigFactory.php
index 1004fdd..3490582 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/ConfigFactory.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Config/ConfigFactory.php
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class ConfigFactory {
    *
    * @var array
    */
-  protected static $storageManagers = array();
+  protected $storageManagers = array();
 
   /**
    * Instantiated configuration objects.
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class ConfigFactory {
    *
    * @var array
    */
-  protected static $configObjects = array();
+  protected $configObjects = array();
 
   /**
    * Returns a configuration object for a given name.
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ class ConfigFactory {
    *   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.
@@ -54,39 +55,15 @@ class ConfigFactory {
    * @return Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigObject
    *   A configuration object with the given $name.
    */
-  public static function get($name, $class = NULL, $manager_class = 'Drupal\Core\Config\DrupalConfig') {
+  public function get($name, $class = 'Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigObject', $manager_class = 'Drupal\Core\Config\DrupalConfig') {
     // Instantiate the storage manager.
-    if (!isset(self::$storageManagers[$manager_class])) {
-      self::$storageManagers[$manager_class] = new $manager_class();
+    if (!isset($this->storageManagers[$manager_class])) {
+      $this->storageManagers[$manager_class] = new $manager_class();
     }
-
     // Instantiate the configuration object, specific to the storage manager.
-    // @todo Config objects may need to be removed from this stack when deleted.
-    if (!isset(self::$configObjects[$manager_class][$name])) {
-      // If no explicit configuration object class was passed, determine the class
-      // name to use based on the configuration data.
-      if (!isset($class)) {
-        $storage = self::$storageManagers[$manager_class]->selectStorage('read', $name);
-        $data = $storage->read($name);
-        if (!empty($data['config_class'])) {
-          $class = $data['config_class'];
-        }
-        else {
-          $class = 'Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigObject';
-        }
-      }
-
-      self::$configObjects[$manager_class][$name] = new $class($name, self::$storageManagers[$manager_class]);
-
-      // If we loaded data already, set it.
-      if (isset($data)) {
-        self::$configObjects[$manager_class][$name]->setData($data !== FALSE ? $data : array());
-      }
-      // Otherwise, load it.
-      else {
-        self::$configObjects[$manager_class][$name]->load();
-      }
+    if (!isset($this->configObjects[$manager_class][$name])) {
+      $this->configObjects[$manager_class][$name] = new $class($name, $this->storageManagers[$manager_class]);
     }
-    return self::$configObjects[$manager_class][$name];
+    return $this->configObjects[$manager_class][$name];
   }
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/ConfigCRUDTest.php b/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/ConfigCRUDTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5e5b926
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/config/lib/Drupal/config/Tests/ConfigCRUDTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Definition of Drupal\config\Tests\ConfigUpgradeTest.
+ */
+
+namespace Drupal\config\Tests;
+
+use Drupal\Core\Config\DatabaseStorage;
+use Drupal\simpletest\WebTestBase;
+
+/**
+ * Tests CRUD operations on configuration objects.
+ */
+class ConfigCRUDTest extends WebTestBase {
+  public static function getInfo() {
+    return array(
+      'name' => 'CRUD operations',
+      'description' => 'Tests CRUD operations on configuration objects.',
+      'group' => 'Configuration',
+    );
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Tests CRUD operations.
+   */
+  function testCRUD() {
+    $storage = new DatabaseStorage();
+    $name = 'config_test.crud';
+
+    // Create a new configuration object.
+    $config = config($name);
+    $config->set('value', 'initial');
+    $config->save();
+
+    // Verify the active store contains the saved value.
+    $actual_data = $storage->read($name);
+    $this->assertIdentical($actual_data, array('value' => 'initial'));
+
+    // Update the configuration object instance.
+    $config->set('value', 'instance-update');
+    $config->save();
+
+    // Verify the active store contains the updated value.
+    $actual_data = $storage->read($name);
+    $this->assertIdentical($actual_data, array('value' => 'instance-update'));
+
+    // Verify a call to config() immediately returns the updated value.
+    $new_config = config($name);
+    $this->assertIdentical($new_config->get(), $config->get());
+
+    // Verify config() returned the existing config instance.
+    $this->assertIdentical($new_config, $config);
+
+    // Delete the configuration object.
+    $config->delete();
+
+    // Verify the configuration object is empty.
+    $this->assertIdentical($config->get(), array());
+
+    // Verify the active store contains no value.
+    $actual_data = $storage->read($name);
+    $this->assertIdentical($actual_data, array());
+
+    // Verify config() returns no data.
+    $new_config = config($name);
+    $this->assertIdentical($new_config->get(), $config->get());
+
+    // Verify config() returned the existing config instance.
+    $this->assertIdentical($new_config, $config);
+
+    // Re-create the configuration object.
+    $config->set('value', 're-created');
+    $config->save();
+
+    // Verify the active store contains the updated value.
+    $actual_data = $storage->read($name);
+    $this->assertIdentical($actual_data, array('value' => 're-created'));
+
+    // Verify a call to config() immediately returns the updated value.
+    $new_config = config($name);
+    $this->assertIdentical($new_config->get(), $config->get());
+
+    // Verify config() returned the existing config instance.
+    $this->assertIdentical($new_config, $config);
+  }
+}