diff --git a/src/suricata.c b/src/suricata.c
index 007ca7b329e0..bda94e478d43 100644
--- a/src/suricata.c
+++ b/src/suricata.c
@@ -241,6 +241,11 @@ void EngineModeSetIDS(void)
     g_engine_mode = ENGINE_MODE_IDS;
 }
 
+void EngineModeSetList(void)
+{
+    g_engine_mode = ENGINE_MODE_LIST;
+}
+
 #ifdef UNITTESTS
 int RunmodeIsUnittests(void)
 {
diff --git a/src/suricata.h b/src/suricata.h
index f4ce718f7eb3..443002cec3c1 100644
--- a/src/suricata.h
+++ b/src/suricata.h
@@ -102,10 +102,12 @@ enum EngineMode {
     ENGINE_MODE_UNKNOWN,
     ENGINE_MODE_IDS,
     ENGINE_MODE_IPS,
+    ENGINE_MODE_LIST,
 };
 
 void EngineModeSetIPS(void);
 void EngineModeSetIDS(void);
+void EngineModeSetList(void);
 int EngineModeIsUnknown(void);
 int EngineModeIsIPS(void);
 int EngineModeIsIDS(void);
diff --git a/src/util-running-modes.c b/src/util-running-modes.c
index a88885c0a26f..c97b04d1ad27 100644
--- a/src/util-running-modes.c
+++ b/src/util-running-modes.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 
 int ListKeywords(const char *keyword_info)
 {
+    EngineModeSetList();
     SCLogLoadConfig(0, 0, 0, 0);
     MpmTableSetup();
     SpmTableSetup();
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ int ListKeywords(const char *keyword_info)
 
 int ListAppLayerProtocols(const char *conf_filename)
 {
+    EngineModeSetList();
     if (ConfYamlLoadFile(conf_filename) != -1)
         SCLogLoadConfig(0, 0, 0, 0);
     MpmTableSetup();