diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 722d5e71d..6a8bc10ae 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 .vscode
+build
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index f7fe56fa5..ad59b0f9c 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-5.13.101
+5.13.103
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/fdb5/api/FDB.cc b/src/fdb5/api/FDB.cc
index 9faa56016..77ff1ffcd 100644
--- a/src/fdb5/api/FDB.cc
+++ b/src/fdb5/api/FDB.cc
@@ -300,13 +300,17 @@ void FDB::flush() {
 IndexAxis FDB::axes(const FDBToolRequest& request, int level) {
     IndexAxis axes;
     AxesElement elem;
-    auto it = internal_->axes(request, level);
+    auto it = axesIterator(request, level);
     while (it.next(elem)) {
         axes.merge(elem.axes());
     }
     return axes;
 }
 
+AxesIterator FDB::axesIterator(const FDBToolRequest& request, int level) {
+    return internal_->axesIterator(request, level);
+}
+
 bool FDB::dirty() const {
     return dirty_;
 }
diff --git a/src/fdb5/api/FDB.h b/src/fdb5/api/FDB.h
index a443d6c2a..d6ec236f3 100644
--- a/src/fdb5/api/FDB.h
+++ b/src/fdb5/api/FDB.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "fdb5/api/helpers/StatusIterator.h"
 #include "fdb5/api/helpers/WipeIterator.h"
 #include "fdb5/api/helpers/MoveIterator.h"
+#include "fdb5/api/helpers/AxesIterator.h"
 #include "fdb5/config/Config.h"
 #include "fdb5/api/helpers/Callback.h"
 
@@ -115,6 +116,8 @@ class FDB {
 
     IndexAxis axes(const FDBToolRequest& request, int level=3);
 
+    AxesIterator axesIterator(const FDBToolRequest& request, int level=3);
+
     bool enabled(const ControlIdentifier& controlIdentifier) const;
 
     bool dirty() const;
diff --git a/src/fdb5/api/FDBFactory.h b/src/fdb5/api/FDBFactory.h
index 66e74fb53..9ff9739ff 100644
--- a/src/fdb5/api/FDBFactory.h
+++ b/src/fdb5/api/FDBFactory.h
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ class FDBBase : private eckit::NonCopyable {
 
     virtual MoveIterator move(const FDBToolRequest& request, const eckit::URI& dest) = 0;
 
-    virtual AxesIterator axes(const FDBToolRequest& request, int axes) { NOTIMP; }
+    virtual AxesIterator axesIterator(const FDBToolRequest& request, int axes) { NOTIMP; }
 
     void registerArchiveCallback(ArchiveCallback callback) {callback_ = callback;}
 
diff --git a/src/fdb5/api/LocalFDB.cc b/src/fdb5/api/LocalFDB.cc
index e9d7bfbab..8c2d680a7 100644
--- a/src/fdb5/api/LocalFDB.cc
+++ b/src/fdb5/api/LocalFDB.cc
@@ -125,8 +125,8 @@ ControlIterator LocalFDB::control(const FDBToolRequest& request,
     return queryInternal<ControlVisitor>(request, action, identifiers);
 }
 
-AxesIterator LocalFDB::axes(const FDBToolRequest& request, int level) {
-    LOG_DEBUG_LIB(LibFdb5) << "LocalFDB::axes() : " << request << std::endl;
+AxesIterator LocalFDB::axesIterator(const FDBToolRequest& request, int level) {
+    LOG_DEBUG_LIB(LibFdb5) << "LocalFDB::axesIterator() : " << request << std::endl;
     return queryInternal<AxesVisitor>(request, config_, level);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/fdb5/api/LocalFDB.h b/src/fdb5/api/LocalFDB.h
index 6f36faf9d..05c4d3c8f 100644
--- a/src/fdb5/api/LocalFDB.h
+++ b/src/fdb5/api/LocalFDB.h
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class LocalFDB : public FDBBase {
 
     MoveIterator move(const FDBToolRequest& request, const eckit::URI& dest) override;
 
-    AxesIterator axes(const FDBToolRequest& request, int axes) override;
+    AxesIterator axesIterator(const FDBToolRequest& request, int axes) override;
 
     void flush() override;
 
diff --git a/src/fdb5/api/SelectFDB.cc b/src/fdb5/api/SelectFDB.cc
index 3bbd7c641..5e704e2ab 100644
--- a/src/fdb5/api/SelectFDB.cc
+++ b/src/fdb5/api/SelectFDB.cc
@@ -196,6 +196,14 @@ ControlIterator SelectFDB::control(const FDBToolRequest& request,
     });
 }
 
+AxesIterator SelectFDB::axesIterator(const FDBToolRequest& request, int level) {
+    LOG_DEBUG_LIB(LibFdb5) << "SelectFDB::axesIterator() >> " << request << std::endl;
+    return queryInternal(request,
+                         [level](FDB& fdb, const FDBToolRequest& request) {
+                            return fdb.axesIterator(request, level);
+    });
+}
+
 void SelectFDB::flush() {
     for (auto& iter : subFdbs_) {
         FDB& fdb(iter.second);
diff --git a/src/fdb5/api/SelectFDB.h b/src/fdb5/api/SelectFDB.h
index 78937c358..b8678d9ab 100644
--- a/src/fdb5/api/SelectFDB.h
+++ b/src/fdb5/api/SelectFDB.h
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ class SelectFDB : public FDBBase {
     
     MoveIterator move(const FDBToolRequest& request, const eckit::URI& dest) override { NOTIMP; }
 
+    AxesIterator axesIterator(const FDBToolRequest& request, int level) override;
+
     void flush() override;
 
 private: // methods
diff --git a/src/fdb5/api/fdb_c.cc b/src/fdb5/api/fdb_c.cc
index 3fcc0f43e..12f4f6b6b 100644
--- a/src/fdb5/api/fdb_c.cc
+++ b/src/fdb5/api/fdb_c.cc
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "eckit/io/FileDescHandle.h"
 #include "eckit/message/Message.h"
 #include "eckit/runtime/Main.h"
+#include "eckit/config/YAMLConfiguration.h"
 
 #include "metkit/mars/MarsRequest.h"
 #include "metkit/mars/MarsExpension.h"
@@ -331,6 +332,16 @@ int fdb_new_handle(fdb_handle_t** fdb) {
     });
 }
 
+int fdb_new_handle_from_yaml(fdb_handle_t** fdb, const char* system_config, const char* user_config) {
+    return wrapApiFunction([fdb, system_config, user_config] {
+        Config cfg{YAMLConfiguration(std::string(system_config)), YAMLConfiguration(std::string(user_config))};
+        cfg.set("configSource", "yaml");
+        cfg.expandConfig();
+        *fdb = new fdb_handle_t(cfg);
+    });
+
+}
+
 int fdb_archive(fdb_handle_t* fdb, fdb_key_t* key, const char* data, size_t length) {
     return wrapApiFunction([fdb, key, data, length] {
         ASSERT(fdb);
diff --git a/src/fdb5/api/fdb_c.h b/src/fdb5/api/fdb_c.h
index e3371c61a..df569fabe 100644
--- a/src/fdb5/api/fdb_c.h
+++ b/src/fdb5/api/fdb_c.h
@@ -310,6 +310,14 @@ typedef struct fdb_handle_t fdb_handle_t;
  */
 int fdb_new_handle(fdb_handle_t** fdb);
 
+/** Creates a FDB instance from a YAML configuration.
+ * \param fdb FDB instance. Returned instance must be deleted using #fdb_delete_handle.
+ * \param system_config Override the system config with this YAML string
+ * \param user_config Supply user level config with this YAML string
+ * \returns Return code (#FdbErrorValues)
+ */
+int fdb_new_handle_from_yaml(fdb_handle_t** fdb, const char* system_config, const char* user_config);
+
 /** Archives binary data to a FDB instance.
  * \warning this is a low-level API. The provided key and the corresponding data are not checked for consistency
  * \param fdb FDB instance.