diff --git a/coredns_plugin/coredns_plugin.go b/coredns_plugin/coredns_plugin.go
index dcdb50c8..2db776ac 100644
--- a/coredns_plugin/coredns_plugin.go
+++ b/coredns_plugin/coredns_plugin.go
@@ -45,21 +45,24 @@ func init() {
 	})
 }
 
+type plugSettings struct {
+	SafeBrowsingBlockHost string
+	ParentalBlockHost     string
+	QueryLogEnabled       bool
+	BlockedTTL            uint32 // in seconds, default 3600
+}
+
 type plug struct {
 	d        *dnsfilter.Dnsfilter
 	Next     plugin.Handler
 	upstream upstream.Upstream
 	hosts    map[string]net.IP
-
-	SafeBrowsingBlockHost string
-	ParentalBlockHost     string
-	QueryLogEnabled       bool
-	BlockedTTL            uint32 // in seconds, default 3600
+	settings plugSettings
 
 	sync.RWMutex
 }
 
-var defaultPlugin = plug{
+var defaultPluginSettings = plugSettings{
 	SafeBrowsingBlockHost: "safebrowsing.block.dns.adguard.com",
 	ParentalBlockHost:     "family.block.dns.adguard.com",
 	BlockedTTL:            3600, // in seconds
@@ -91,10 +94,11 @@ var (
 //
 func setupPlugin(c *caddy.Controller) (*plug, error) {
 	// create new Plugin and copy default values
-	var p = new(plug)
-	*p = defaultPlugin
-	p.d = dnsfilter.New()
-	p.hosts = make(map[string]net.IP)
+	p := &plug{
+		settings: defaultPluginSettings,
+		d:        dnsfilter.New(),
+		hosts:    make(map[string]net.IP),
+	}
 
 	filterFileNames := []string{}
 	for c.Next() {
@@ -130,7 +134,7 @@ func setupPlugin(c *caddy.Controller) (*plug, error) {
 					if len(c.Val()) == 0 {
 						return nil, c.ArgErr()
 					}
-					p.ParentalBlockHost = c.Val()
+					p.settings.ParentalBlockHost = c.Val()
 				}
 			case "blocked_ttl":
 				if !c.NextArg() {
@@ -140,9 +144,9 @@ func setupPlugin(c *caddy.Controller) (*plug, error) {
 				if err != nil {
 					return nil, c.ArgErr()
 				}
-				p.BlockedTTL = uint32(blockttl)
+				p.settings.BlockedTTL = uint32(blockttl)
 			case "querylog":
-				p.QueryLogEnabled = true
+				p.settings.QueryLogEnabled = true
 				onceQueryLog.Do(func() {
 					go startQueryLogServer() // TODO: how to handle errors?
 				})
@@ -323,7 +327,7 @@ func (p *plug) replaceHostWithValAndReply(ctx context.Context, w dns.ResponseWri
 	log.Println("Will give", val, "instead of", host)
 	if addr != nil {
 		// this is an IP address, return it
-		result, err := dns.NewRR(fmt.Sprintf("%s %d A %s", host, p.BlockedTTL, val))
+		result, err := dns.NewRR(fmt.Sprintf("%s %d A %s", host, p.settings.BlockedTTL, val))
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Printf("Got error %s\n", err)
 			return dns.RcodeServerFailure, fmt.Errorf("plugin/dnsfilter: %s", err)
@@ -365,7 +369,7 @@ func (p *plug) replaceHostWithValAndReply(ctx context.Context, w dns.ResponseWri
 // the only value that is important is TTL in header, other values like refresh, retry, expire and minttl are irrelevant
 func (p *plug) genSOA(r *dns.Msg) []dns.RR {
 	zone := r.Question[0].Name
-	header := dns.RR_Header{Name: zone, Rrtype: dns.TypeSOA, Ttl: p.BlockedTTL, Class: dns.ClassINET}
+	header := dns.RR_Header{Name: zone, Rrtype: dns.TypeSOA, Ttl: p.settings.BlockedTTL, Class: dns.ClassINET}
 
 	Mbox := "hostmaster."
 	if zone[0] != '.' {
@@ -450,7 +454,7 @@ func (p *plug) serveDNSInternal(ctx context.Context, w dns.ResponseWriter, r *dn
 			switch result.Reason {
 			case dnsfilter.FilteredSafeBrowsing:
 				// return cname safebrowsing.block.dns.adguard.com
-				val := p.SafeBrowsingBlockHost
+				val := p.settings.SafeBrowsingBlockHost
 				rcode, err := p.replaceHostWithValAndReply(ctx, w, r, host, val, question)
 				if err != nil {
 					return rcode, dnsfilter.Result{}, err
@@ -458,7 +462,7 @@ func (p *plug) serveDNSInternal(ctx context.Context, w dns.ResponseWriter, r *dn
 				return rcode, result, err
 			case dnsfilter.FilteredParental:
 				// return cname family.block.dns.adguard.com
-				val := p.ParentalBlockHost
+				val := p.settings.ParentalBlockHost
 				rcode, err := p.replaceHostWithValAndReply(ctx, w, r, host, val, question)
 				if err != nil {
 					return rcode, dnsfilter.Result{}, err
@@ -549,7 +553,7 @@ func (p *plug) ServeDNS(ctx context.Context, w dns.ResponseWriter, r *dns.Msg) (
 	}
 
 	// log
-	if p.QueryLogEnabled {
+	if p.settings.QueryLogEnabled {
 		logRequest(r, rrw.Msg, result, time.Since(start), ip)
 	}
 	return rcode, err
diff --git a/stats.go b/stats.go
index a3231faf..f06380d2 100644
--- a/stats.go
+++ b/stats.go
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ func writeStats() error {
 	statsFile := filepath.Join(config.ourBinaryDir, "stats.json")
 	log.Printf("Writing JSON file: %s", statsFile)
 	statistics.RLock()
-	json, err := json.MarshalIndent(statistics, "", "  ")
+	json, err := json.MarshalIndent(&statistics, "", "  ")
 	statistics.RUnlock()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("Couldn't generate JSON: %s", err)