diff --git a/irods/client_configuration/__init__.py b/irods/client_configuration/__init__.py
index 505b48b0d..9e836a8d2 100644
--- a/irods/client_configuration/__init__.py
+++ b/irods/client_configuration/__init__.py
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ def __new__(meta, name, bases, attrs):
 
 
 class ConnectionsProperties(iRODSConfiguration, metaclass=iRODSConfigAliasMetaclass):
+
+    __slots__=()
+
     @property
     def xml_parser_default(self):
         from irods.message import get_default_XML_by_name
@@ -59,11 +62,15 @@ def xml_parser_default(self, str_value):
 
 connections = ConnectionsProperties()
 
+
 class ConfigurationError(BaseException): pass
 class ConfigurationValueError(ValueError,ConfigurationError): pass
 
+
 class Genquery1_Properties(iRODSConfiguration, metaclass=iRODSConfigAliasMetaclass):
 
+    __slots__ = ()
+
     @property
     def irods_query_limit(self):
         import irods.query
@@ -89,6 +96,7 @@ def irods_query_limit(self, target_value):
 
 
 class DataObjects(iRODSConfiguration):
+
     __slots__ = (
         "auto_close",
         "allow_redirect",
diff --git a/irods/test/client_configuration_test.py b/irods/test/client_configuration_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..892deab5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/irods/test/client_configuration_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import unittest
+import irods
+import irods.client_configuration as cfg
+
+# Test assignments on the negative and positive space of the
+# client configuration.
+
+class TestClientConfigurationAttributes(unittest.TestCase):
+    
+    def test_hits_and_misses__issue_708(self):
+        # For caching configuration objects
+        configuration_level = {}
+
+        #count=0; success=0
+        for dotted_name, value, is_conf in cfg._var_items_as_generator():
+            with self.subTest(dotted_name=dotted_name):
+                name_parts=dotted_name.split('.')
+                namespace='.'.join(name_parts[:-1])
+                attribute_name=name_parts[-1]
+                if isinstance(value, cfg.iRODSConfiguration):
+                    configuration_level[dotted_name]=value
+                else:
+                    if is_conf:
+                        #count += 1
+                        try:
+                            # Test the positive space, i.e. the 'hit'
+                            setattr(configuration_level[namespace],attribute_name,value)
+
+                            #print(namespace, attribute_name, value)
+
+                            # Test the negative space, i.e. the 'miss'
+                            with self.assertRaises(AttributeError):
+                                setattr(configuration_level[namespace],attribute_name+'_1',value)
+                        except Exception as exc:
+                            self.fail(f"shouldn't fail but raised {exc = }")
+                        else:
+                            pass
+                            #success += 1
+        #print(f'{count = }/{success = }')