diff --git a/openbsc/include/openbsc/mgcp.h b/openbsc/include/openbsc/mgcp.h
index 811dcfd..4e22e0f 100644
--- a/openbsc/include/openbsc/mgcp.h
+++ b/openbsc/include/openbsc/mgcp.h
@@ -125,6 +125,11 @@
 	struct mgcp_endpoint *endpoints;
 };
 
+enum mgcp_role {
+	MGCP_BSC = 0,
+	MGCP_BSC_NAT,
+};
+
 struct mgcp_config {
 	int source_port;
 	char *local_ip;
@@ -162,11 +167,14 @@
 	/* only used for start with a static configuration */
 	int last_net_port;
 	int last_bts_port;
+
+	enum mgcp_role role;
 };
 
 /* config management */
 struct mgcp_config *mgcp_config_alloc(void);
-int mgcp_parse_config(const char *config_file, struct mgcp_config *cfg);
+int mgcp_parse_config(const char *config_file, struct mgcp_config *cfg,
+		      enum mgcp_role role);
 int mgcp_vty_init(void);
 int mgcp_endpoints_allocate(struct mgcp_trunk_config *cfg);
 void mgcp_free_endp(struct mgcp_endpoint *endp);
diff --git a/openbsc/src/libmgcp/mgcp_vty.c b/openbsc/src/libmgcp/mgcp_vty.c
index 69984ee..833908a 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/libmgcp/mgcp_vty.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/libmgcp/mgcp_vty.c
@@ -898,7 +898,8 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int mgcp_parse_config(const char *config_file, struct mgcp_config *cfg)
+int mgcp_parse_config(const char *config_file, struct mgcp_config *cfg,
+		      enum mgcp_role role)
 {
 	int rc;
 	struct mgcp_trunk_config *trunk;
@@ -935,6 +936,7 @@
 			return -1;
 		}
 	}
+	cfg->role = role;
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc_mgcp/mgcp_main.c b/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc_mgcp/mgcp_main.c
index 540f760..596ea8a 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc_mgcp/mgcp_main.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc_mgcp/mgcp_main.c
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@
 
 	handle_options(argc, argv);
 
-        rc = mgcp_parse_config(config_file, cfg);
+	rc = mgcp_parse_config(config_file, cfg, MGCP_BSC);
 	if (rc < 0)
 		return rc;
 
diff --git a/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc_nat/bsc_nat.c b/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc_nat/bsc_nat.c
index 897c657..1eac983 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc_nat/bsc_nat.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc_nat/bsc_nat.c
@@ -1515,7 +1515,7 @@
 
 	/* init vty and parse */
 	telnet_init(tall_bsc_ctx, NULL, 4244);
-	if (mgcp_parse_config(config_file, nat->mgcp_cfg) < 0) {
+	if (mgcp_parse_config(config_file, nat->mgcp_cfg, MGCP_BSC_NAT) < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Failed to parse the config file: '%s'\n", config_file);
 		return -3;
 	}