diff --git a/nfv/nfv-common/nfv_common/debug/_debug_config.py b/nfv/nfv-common/nfv_common/debug/_debug_config.py
index 6b8d62b8..72ecf8cd 100755
--- a/nfv/nfv-common/nfv_common/debug/_debug_config.py
+++ b/nfv/nfv-common/nfv_common/debug/_debug_config.py
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 #
-# Copyright (c) 2015-2016 Wind River Systems, Inc.
+# Copyright (c) 2015-2023 Wind River Systems, Inc.
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 #
+import configparser
 import six
-from six.moves import configparser
 
 from nfv_common.debug._debug_defs import DEBUG_LEVEL
 
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ class DebugConfig(object):
         Load debug configuration
         """
         if self._config is None:
-            self._config = configparser.SafeConfigParser()
+            self._config = configparser.ConfigParser()
         self._config.read(self._filename)
 
     @property
diff --git a/nfv/nfv-tests/nfv_unit_tests/tests/test_debug_config.py b/nfv/nfv-tests/nfv_unit_tests/tests/test_debug_config.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..dc02c9e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nfv/nfv-tests/nfv_unit_tests/tests/test_debug_config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2023 Wind River Systems, Inc.
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+#
+import os
+
+from nfv_common import debug
+from nfv_common.debug._debug_defs import DEBUG_LEVEL
+from nfv_common.debug._debug_module import Debug
+
+from nfv_unit_tests.tests import testcase
+
+
+class TestDebugConfig(testcase.NFVTestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        """Setup for testing."""
+        super(TestDebugConfig, self).setUp()
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        """Cleanup testing setup."""
+        super(TestDebugConfig, self).tearDown()
+
+    def test_create_debug_config(self):
+        # Debug is a singleton.  Its default value is VERBOSE
+        self.assertEqual(Debug()._debug_level, DEBUG_LEVEL.VERBOSE)
+
+        # Parse a debug.ini and see if it changes
+        dirname = os.path.dirname(__file__)
+        debug_ini = os.path.join(dirname, '../../../nfv-vim/nfv_vim/debug.ini')
+        CONF = dict()
+        CONF['debug'] = dict()
+        CONF['debug']['config_file'] = debug_ini
+        debug.debug_initialize(CONF['debug'])
+
+        config = debug.debug_get_config()
+        # assert that the debug CONF was populated
+        self.assertEqual(CONF['debug']['config_file'], config.get('config_file'))
+
+        # assert that the _debug_level has changed
+        self.assertNotEqual(Debug()._debug_level, DEBUG_LEVEL.VERBOSE)
+
+        # locally modify the debug_level
+        Debug()._debug_level = DEBUG_LEVEL.VERBOSE
+        self.assertEqual(Debug()._debug_level, DEBUG_LEVEL.VERBOSE)
+
+        # call reload_config to undo the local modification
+        config = debug.debug_reload_config()
+        self.assertNotEqual(Debug()._debug_level, DEBUG_LEVEL.VERBOSE)
diff --git a/nfv/pylint.rc b/nfv/pylint.rc
index 020e223f..60d6827e 100755
--- a/nfv/pylint.rc
+++ b/nfv/pylint.rc
@@ -97,7 +97,6 @@ disable=
   W1505, # deprecated-method
   W1514, # unspecified-encoding
   W0237, # arguments-renamed
-  W4904, # deprecated-class
   W4905, # deprecated-decorator
   E1101, # no-member
   E1111, # assignment-from-no-return