diff --git a/lib/tcp/client/loadconfig_test.go b/lib/tcp/client/loadconfig_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..92d0c75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/tcp/client/loadconfig_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,257 @@
+package tcpclient
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	i2pconv "github.com/go-i2p/go-i2ptunnel-config/lib"
+	i2ptunnel "github.com/go-i2p/go-i2ptunnel/lib/core"
+)
+
+// TestLoadConfig_Success verifies LoadConfig correctly loads and applies configuration
+func TestLoadConfig_Success(t *testing.T) {
+	// Create temporary config file
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+	configPath := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "tunnel.yaml")
+
+	// YAML format requires tunnels: map with tunnel name as key
+	configContent := `tunnels:
+  test-tcp-client:
+    name: test-tcp-client
+    type: tcpclient
+    interface: 127.0.0.1
+    port: 9999
+    target: ukeu3k5oycgaauneqgtnvselmt4yemvoilkln7jpvamvfx7dnkdq.b32.i2p
+`
+	if err := os.WriteFile(configPath, []byte(configContent), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create config file: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Create a stopped tunnel
+	initialConfig := i2pconv.TunnelConfig{
+		Name:      "initial-tunnel",
+		Type:      "tcpclient",
+		Interface: "0.0.0.0",
+		Port:      8888,
+		Target:    "ukeu3k5oycgaauneqgtnvselmt4yemvoilkln7jpvamvfx7dnkdq.b32.i2p",
+	}
+
+	tunnel, err := NewTCPClient(initialConfig, "localhost:7656")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create tunnel: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Ensure tunnel is stopped
+	tunnel.I2PTunnelStatus = i2ptunnel.I2PTunnelStatusStopped
+
+	// Load new configuration
+	if err := tunnel.LoadConfig(configPath); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("LoadConfig failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Verify configuration was updated
+	if tunnel.TunnelConfig.Name != "test-tcp-client" {
+		t.Errorf("Expected name 'test-tcp-client', got '%s'", tunnel.TunnelConfig.Name)
+	}
+	if tunnel.TunnelConfig.Port != 9999 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected port 9999, got %d", tunnel.TunnelConfig.Port)
+	}
+	if tunnel.TunnelConfig.Interface != "127.0.0.1" {
+		t.Errorf("Expected interface '127.0.0.1', got '%s'", tunnel.TunnelConfig.Interface)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestLoadConfig_RunningTunnel verifies LoadConfig fails when tunnel is running
+func TestLoadConfig_RunningTunnel(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+	configPath := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "tunnel.yaml")
+
+	configContent := `tunnels:
+  test-tunnel:
+    name: test-tunnel
+    type: tcpclient
+    interface: 127.0.0.1
+    port: 9999
+    target: ukeu3k5oycgaauneqgtnvselmt4yemvoilkln7jpvamvfx7dnkdq.b32.i2p
+`
+	if err := os.WriteFile(configPath, []byte(configContent), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create config file: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	initialConfig := i2pconv.TunnelConfig{
+		Name:      "running-tunnel",
+		Type:      "tcpclient",
+		Interface: "0.0.0.0",
+		Port:      8888,
+		Target:    "ukeu3k5oycgaauneqgtnvselmt4yemvoilkln7jpvamvfx7dnkdq.b32.i2p",
+	}
+
+	tunnel, err := NewTCPClient(initialConfig, "localhost:7656")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create tunnel: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Set tunnel to running state
+	tunnel.I2PTunnelStatus = i2ptunnel.I2PTunnelStatusRunning
+
+	// Attempt to load config should fail
+	err = tunnel.LoadConfig(configPath)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected LoadConfig to fail for running tunnel, but it succeeded")
+	}
+
+	// Verify error message contains expected text
+	if err.Error() != "cannot load config while tunnel is running - stop tunnel first" {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected error message: %s", err.Error())
+	}
+} // TestLoadConfig_InvalidFile verifies LoadConfig handles missing files gracefully
+func TestLoadConfig_InvalidFile(t *testing.T) {
+	initialConfig := i2pconv.TunnelConfig{
+		Name:      "test-tunnel",
+		Type:      "tcpclient",
+		Interface: "0.0.0.0",
+		Port:      8888,
+		Target:    "ukeu3k5oycgaauneqgtnvselmt4yemvoilkln7jpvamvfx7dnkdq.b32.i2p",
+	}
+
+	tunnel, err := NewTCPClient(initialConfig, "localhost:7656")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create tunnel: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	tunnel.I2PTunnelStatus = i2ptunnel.I2PTunnelStatusStopped
+
+	// Try to load non-existent file
+	err = tunnel.LoadConfig("/nonexistent/path/tunnel.yaml")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected LoadConfig to fail for non-existent file, but it succeeded")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestLoadConfig_WrongType verifies LoadConfig rejects config with wrong tunnel type
+func TestLoadConfig_WrongType(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+	configPath := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "tunnel.yaml")
+
+	// Create config with tcpserver type instead of tcpclient
+	configContent := `tunnels:
+  test-tunnel:
+    name: test-tunnel
+    type: tcpserver
+    interface: 127.0.0.1
+    port: 9999
+    target: localhost:80
+`
+	if err := os.WriteFile(configPath, []byte(configContent), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create config file: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	initialConfig := i2pconv.TunnelConfig{
+		Name:      "test-tunnel",
+		Type:      "tcpclient",
+		Interface: "0.0.0.0",
+		Port:      8888,
+		Target:    "ukeu3k5oycgaauneqgtnvselmt4yemvoilkln7jpvamvfx7dnkdq.b32.i2p",
+	}
+
+	tunnel, err := NewTCPClient(initialConfig, "localhost:7656")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create tunnel: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	tunnel.I2PTunnelStatus = i2ptunnel.I2PTunnelStatusStopped
+
+	// Try to load config with wrong type
+	err = tunnel.LoadConfig(configPath)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected LoadConfig to fail for wrong tunnel type, but it succeeded")
+	}
+
+	// Verify error message mentions type mismatch
+	expectedMsg := "config file contains tcpserver tunnel, expected tcpclient"
+	if err.Error() != expectedMsg {
+		t.Errorf("Expected error message '%s', got '%s'", expectedMsg, err.Error())
+	}
+} // TestLoadConfig_InvalidTarget verifies LoadConfig validates target addresses
+func TestLoadConfig_InvalidTarget(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+	configPath := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "tunnel.yaml")
+
+	// Create config with invalid I2P address
+	configContent := `tunnels:
+  test-tunnel:
+    name: test-tunnel
+    type: tcpclient
+    interface: 127.0.0.1
+    port: 9999
+    target: invalid-address-not-base32
+`
+	if err := os.WriteFile(configPath, []byte(configContent), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create config file: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	initialConfig := i2pconv.TunnelConfig{
+		Name:      "test-tunnel",
+		Type:      "tcpclient",
+		Interface: "0.0.0.0",
+		Port:      8888,
+		Target:    "ukeu3k5oycgaauneqgtnvselmt4yemvoilkln7jpvamvfx7dnkdq.b32.i2p",
+	}
+
+	tunnel, err := NewTCPClient(initialConfig, "localhost:7656")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create tunnel: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	tunnel.I2PTunnelStatus = i2ptunnel.I2PTunnelStatusStopped
+
+	// Try to load config with invalid target
+	err = tunnel.LoadConfig(configPath)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected LoadConfig to fail for invalid target address, but it succeeded")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestLoadConfig_PropertiesFormat verifies LoadConfig works with .properties format
+func TestLoadConfig_PropertiesFormat(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+	configPath := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "tunnel.properties")
+
+	// Create .properties format config
+	// Properties format uses different field names: listenPort instead of port
+	configContent := `type=tcpclient
+name=test-properties-tunnel
+interface=127.0.0.1
+listenPort=7777
+targetDestination=ukeu3k5oycgaauneqgtnvselmt4yemvoilkln7jpvamvfx7dnkdq.b32.i2p
+`
+	if err := os.WriteFile(configPath, []byte(configContent), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create config file: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	initialConfig := i2pconv.TunnelConfig{
+		Name:      "initial-tunnel",
+		Type:      "tcpclient",
+		Interface: "0.0.0.0",
+		Port:      8888,
+		Target:    "ukeu3k5oycgaauneqgtnvselmt4yemvoilkln7jpvamvfx7dnkdq.b32.i2p",
+	}
+
+	tunnel, err := NewTCPClient(initialConfig, "localhost:7656")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create tunnel: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	tunnel.I2PTunnelStatus = i2ptunnel.I2PTunnelStatusStopped
+
+	// Load properties config
+	if err := tunnel.LoadConfig(configPath); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("LoadConfig failed for .properties format: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Verify config was loaded
+	if tunnel.TunnelConfig.Port != 7777 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected port 7777, got %d", tunnel.TunnelConfig.Port)
+	}
+}