diff --git a/pyethapp/config.py b/pyethapp/config.py
index 2928bbd1..42c3dbf8 100644
--- a/pyethapp/config.py
+++ b/pyethapp/config.py
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ def set_config_param(config, s, strict=True):
         raise ValueError('Invalid config parameter')
     d = config
     for key in keys[:-1]:
+        key = key.strip()
         if strict and key not in d:
             raise KeyError('Unknown config option %s' % param)
         d = d.setdefault(key, {})
diff --git a/pyethapp/tests/test_rpc_tests.py b/pyethapp/tests/test_rpc_tests.py
index 3484f67c..5b02ccc8 100644
--- a/pyethapp/tests/test_rpc_tests.py
+++ b/pyethapp/tests/test_rpc_tests.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import os
 import pytest
-from subprocess import Popen
+from subprocess import Popen, PIPE
+import time
+import re
 
 #def test_externally(test_app, tmpdir):
 
@@ -26,7 +28,6 @@ def test_setup(request, tmpdir):
     rpc_tests_dir = prepare_rpc_tests(tmpdir)
 
     test_data = rpc_tests_dir.join('lib/tests/BlockchainTests/bcRPC_API_Test.json')
-
     test_app = Popen([
         'pyethapp',
         '-d', str(tmpdir),
@@ -46,12 +47,36 @@ def fin():
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(os.getenv('TRAVIS') != None, reason="don't start external test on travis")
 def test_eth(test_setup):
-    # The results of the external rpc-tests are not evaluated as:
+    # Some of the errors of the external rpc-tests are ignored as:
     #  1) the Whisper protocol is not implemented and its tests fail;
     #  2) the eth_accounts method should be skipped;
     #  3) the eth_getFilterLogs fails due to the invalid test data;
 
+    ignored_errors = [
+        'eth_accounts PYTHON should return an array with accounts:',
+        'eth_getFilterLogs PYTHON should return a list of logs, when asking without defining an address and using toBlock "latest":',
+        'eth_getFilterLogs PYTHON should return a list of logs, when asking without defining an address and using toBlock "pending":',
+        'eth_getFilterLogs PYTHON should return a list of logs, when filtering with defining an address and using toBlock "latest":',
+        'eth_getFilterLogs PYTHON should return a list of logs, when filtering with defining an address and using toBlock "pending":',
+        'eth_getFilterLogs PYTHON should return a list of logs, when filtering by topic "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001":',
+        'eth_getFilterLogs PYTHON should return a list of anonymous logs, when filtering by topic "0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff":',
+        'eth_getFilterLogs PYTHON should return a list of logs, when filtering by topic "0xffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff":',
+        # The following error is fixed in the PR rpc-tests#9
+        'eth_getTransactionByBlockNumberAndIndex PYTHON should return transactions for the pending block when using "pending" and sending transactions before:',
+        'eth_uninstallFilter PYTHON should return a boolean when uninstalling a block filter:']
+
     (test_app, rpc_tests_dir) = test_setup
-    tests = Popen(['make', 'test.eth'], cwd=str(rpc_tests_dir)).wait()
-    assert False, tests.stdout
-    #FIXME: parse test results and generate report in a pytest compatible format
+    time.sleep(60)
+    tests = Popen(['make', 'test.eth'], stdout=PIPE, cwd=str(rpc_tests_dir))
+    output = tests.communicate()[0]
+    rpc_errors = re.finditer(r'  (\d+)\)(.+)\n', output)
+    success = True
+    err_string = ''
+    for e in rpc_errors:
+        if e.groups()[1].strip() in ignored_errors:
+            err_string += '\nSkipping: ' + e.groups()[1]
+        else:
+            err_string += '\nERROR: ' + e.groups()[1]
+            success = False
+    assert success, err_string
+    #FIXME: generate a report in a pytest compatible format