diff --git a/config_app/config_endpoints/api/tar_config_loader.py b/config_app/config_endpoints/api/tar_config_loader.py
index d235dad3b..d7e41d446 100644
--- a/config_app/config_endpoints/api/tar_config_loader.py
+++ b/config_app/config_endpoints/api/tar_config_loader.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import logging
+import tarfile
+import cStringIO
 
 from flask import request, make_response
 
@@ -17,9 +19,10 @@ class TarConfigLoader(ApiResource):
         input_stream = request.stream
 
         # since we're working with a tar file, shouldn't be larger than ~20KB, so just read the whole thing into mem
-        buf = input_stream.read(-1)
+        buf = input_stream.read()
+        config = tarfile.open(mode="r:gz", fileobj=cStringIO.StringIO(buf))
 
         # TODO(sam): refactor config provider to accept a stream write to avoid loading into memory
-        config_provider.write_volume_file('test_tar.tar.gz', buf)
+        config_provider.load_from_tarball(config)
 
         return make_response('OK')
diff --git a/config_app/config_util/config/__init__.py b/config_app/config_util/config/__init__.py
index d32c159d8..018d5cc8c 100644
--- a/config_app/config_util/config/__init__.py
+++ b/config_app/config_util/config/__init__.py
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 from config_app.config_util.config.fileprovider import FileConfigProvider
 from config_app.config_util.config.testprovider import TestConfigProvider
+from config_app.config_util.config.inmemoryprovider import InMemoryProvider
 
 
 def get_config_provider(config_volume, yaml_filename, py_filename, testing=False):
     """ Loads and returns the config provider for the current environment. """
+    if True:
+        return InMemoryProvider()
+
     if testing:
         return TestConfigProvider()
 
diff --git a/config_app/config_util/config/inmemoryprovider.py b/config_app/config_util/config/inmemoryprovider.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..750cf1aed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config_app/config_util/config/inmemoryprovider.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import logging
+import yaml
+
+from config_app.config_util.config.baseprovider import BaseProvider
+
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+CONFIG_FILENAME = 'config.yaml'
+
+class InMemoryProvider(BaseProvider):
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.files = {}
+        self.config = {}
+
+    @property
+    def provider_id(self):
+        return 'memory'
+
+    def update_app_config(self, app_config):
+        self.config = app_config
+
+    def get_config(self):
+        return self.config
+
+    def save_config(self, config_object):
+        raise Exception('Not implemented yet')
+
+    def config_exists(self):
+        raise Exception('Not implemented yet')
+
+    def volume_exists(self):
+        raise Exception('Not implemented yet')
+
+    def volume_file_exists(self, filename):
+        return filename in self.files
+
+    def get_volume_file(self, filename, mode='r'):
+        return self.files[filename]
+
+    def write_volume_file(self, filename, contents):
+        raise Exception('Not implemented yet')
+
+    def remove_volume_file(self, filename):
+        raise Exception('Not implemented yet')
+
+    def list_volume_directory(self, path):
+        return [ name for name in self.files ]
+
+    def save_volume_file(self, filename, flask_file):
+        raise Exception('Not implemented yet')
+
+    def requires_restart(self, app_config):
+        raise Exception('Not implemented yet')
+
+    def get_volume_path(self, directory, filename):
+        raise Exception('Not implemented yet')
+
+    def load_from_tarball(self, tarfile):
+        for tarinfo in tarfile.getmembers():
+            if tarinfo.isfile():
+                if tarinfo.name == CONFIG_FILENAME:
+                    self.config = yaml.load(tarfile.extractfile(tarinfo.name).read())
+                else:
+                    self.files[tarinfo.name] = tarfile.extractfile(tarinfo.name).read()
+
diff --git a/config_app/js/components/load-config/load-config.component.ts b/config_app/js/components/load-config/load-config.component.ts
index 892958e03..a4d745af2 100644
--- a/config_app/js/components/load-config/load-config.component.ts
+++ b/config_app/js/components/load-config/load-config.component.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ const styleUrl = require('./load-config.css');
     styleUrls: [ styleUrl ],
 })
 export class LoadConfigComponent {
-    private isReady: boolean = false;
+    private readyToSubmit: boolean = false;
     private uploadFunc: Function;
     private state: 'load' | 'validate' = 'load';
 
@@ -16,12 +16,12 @@ export class LoadConfigComponent {
     }
 
     private handleTarballSelected(files: File[], callback: Function) {
-        this.isReady = true;
+        this.readyToSubmit = true;
         callback(true)
     }
 
     private handleTarballCleared() {
-        this.isReady = false;
+        this.readyToSubmit = false;
     }
 
     private uploadTarball() {
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ export class LoadConfigComponent {
                 this.state = 'validate';
             }
             else {
-                this.apiService.errorDisplay('Could not upload configuration. Please reload the page and try again.\n' +
+                this.apiService.errorDisplay('Error loading configuration',
+                    'Could not upload configuration. Please reload the page and try again.\n' +
                     'If this problem persists, please contact support')();
             }
         });
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ export class LoadConfigComponent {
      * @param files: files to upload
      * @param uploadFiles: function to call to upload files
      */
-    private filesValidated(files, uploadFiles) {
+    private tarballValidatedByUploadBox(files, uploadFiles) {
         this.uploadFunc = uploadFiles;
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config_app/js/components/load-config/load-config.html b/config_app/js/components/load-config/load-config.html
index 3dd982f0d..bc1aee793 100644
--- a/config_app/js/components/load-config/load-config.html
+++ b/config_app/js/components/load-config/load-config.html
@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@
                          select-message="Select a previous configuration to modify. Must be in tar.gz format"
                          files-selected="$ctrl.handleTarballSelected(files, callback)"
                          files-cleared="$ctrl.handleFilesCleared()"
-                         files-validated="$ctrl.filesValidated(files, uploadFiles)"
+                         files-validated="$ctrl.tarballValidatedByUploadBox(files, uploadFiles)"
                          extensions="['application/gzip', '.gz']"></div>
                 </div>
                 <div class="modal-footer">
-                    <button type="button" class="btn btn-primary" ng-click="$ctrl.uploadTarball()" ng-disabled="!$ctrl.isReady">
+                    <button type="button" class="btn btn-primary" ng-click="$ctrl.uploadTarball()" ng-disabled="!$ctrl.readyToSubmit">
                         Upload Configuration
                     </button>
                 </div>