diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 03ce5739..5842113e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ find_package(nlohmann_json CONFIG REQUIRED)
 list(APPEND LIBS nlohmann_json)
 list(APPEND package_deps nlohmann_json)
 
+option(JAEGERTRACING_BUILD_EXAMPLES "Build examples" ON)
+
 option(JAEGERTRACING_COVERAGE "Build with coverage" $ENV{COVERAGE})
 option(JAEGERTRACING_BUILD_CROSSDOCK "Build crossdock" $ENV{CROSSDOCK})
 cmake_dependent_option(
@@ -240,6 +242,11 @@ configure_file(
   src/jaegertracing/Constants.h
   @ONLY)
 
+if(JAEGERTRACING_BUILD_EXAMPLES)
+  add_executable(app examples/App.cpp)
+  target_link_libraries(app PUBLIC ${JAEGERTRACING_LIB})
+endif()
+
 if(BUILD_TESTING)
   add_library(testutils
       src/jaegertracing/testutils/TUDPTransport.cpp
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d3b0e2b0..76a0b51c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -10,20 +10,15 @@ Please see [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md).
 ## Generated files
 
 This project uses Apache Thrift for wire-format protocol support code
-generation. It currently requires exactly Thrift 0.9.2 or 0.9.3. Patches have
-been applied to the generated code so it cannot be directly re-generated from
-the IDL in the `idl` submodule
-
-(see https://github.com/jaegertracing/jaeger-client-cpp/issues/45)
+generation. It currently requires Thrift 0.11.0.
 
 The code can be re-generated with
 
-    git submodule init
-    git submodule update
-    find idl/thrift/ -type f -name \*.thrift -exec thrift -gen cpp -out src/jaegertracing/thrift-gen {} \;
-
-but at time of writing (Thrift 0.11.0) the resulting code is invalid due to
-https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/THRIFT-4484.
+```bash
+    $ git submodule update --init
+    $ find idl/thrift/ -type f -name \*.thrift -exec thrift -gen cpp -out src/jaegertracing/thrift-gen {} \;
+    $ git apply scripts/thrift-gen.patch
+```
 
 ## License
 
@@ -35,4 +30,3 @@ https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/THRIFT-4484.
 [cov]: https://codecov.io/gh/jaegertracing/jaeger-client-cpp
 [ot-img]: https://img.shields.io/badge/OpenTracing--1.0-enabled-blue.svg
 [ot-url]: http://opentracing.io
-
diff --git a/examples/App.cpp b/examples/App.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f7df8a2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/App.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+#include <iostream>
+
+#include <yaml-cpp/yaml.h>
+
+#include <jaegertracing/Tracer.h>
+
+namespace {
+
+void setUpTracer(const char* configFilePath)
+{
+    auto configYAML = YAML::LoadFile(configFilePath);
+    auto config = jaegertracing::Config::parse(configYAML);
+    auto tracer = jaegertracing::Tracer::make(
+        "example-service", config, jaegertracing::logging::consoleLogger());
+    opentracing::Tracer::InitGlobal(
+        std::static_pointer_cast<opentracing::Tracer>(tracer));
+}
+
+void tracedSubroutine(const std::unique_ptr<opentracing::Span>& parentSpan)
+{
+    auto span = opentracing::Tracer::Global()->StartSpan(
+        "tracedSubroutine", { opentracing::ChildOf(&parentSpan->context()) });
+}
+
+void tracedFunction()
+{
+    auto span = opentracing::Tracer::Global()->StartSpan("tracedFunction");
+    tracedSubroutine(span);
+}
+
+}  // anonymous namespace
+
+int main(int argc, char* argv[])
+{
+    if (argc < 2) {
+        std::cerr << "usage: " << argv[0] << " <config-yaml-path>\n";
+        return 1;
+    }
+    setUpTracer(argv[1]);
+    tracedFunction();
+    // Not stricly necessary to close tracer, but might flush any buffered
+    // spans. See more details in opentracing::Tracer::Close() documentation.
+    opentracing::Tracer::Global()->Close();
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/examples/config.yml b/examples/config.yml
index 4f1d85f4..340eb511 100644
--- a/examples/config.yml
+++ b/examples/config.yml
@@ -1,19 +1,6 @@
-service_name: test-service
 disabled: false
-sampler:
-    type: probabilistic
-    param: 0.001
 reporter:
-    queueSize: 100
-    bufferFlushInterval: 10
-    logSpans: false
-    localAgentHostPort: 127.0.0.1:6831
-headers:
-    jaegerDebugHeader: debug-id
-    jaegerBaggageHeader: baggage
-    TraceContextHeaderName: trace-id
-    traceBaggageHeaderPrefix: testctx-
-baggage_restrictions:
-    denyBaggageOnInitializationFailure: false
-    hostPort: 127.0.0.1:5778
-    refreshInterval: 60
+    logSpans: true
+sampler:
+  type: const
+  param: 1
diff --git a/src/jaegertracing/Config.h b/src/jaegertracing/Config.h
index 943d78b3..75282dbc 100644
--- a/src/jaegertracing/Config.h
+++ b/src/jaegertracing/Config.h
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class Config {
 
     static Config parse(const YAML::Node& configYAML)
     {
-        if (!configYAML.IsMap()) {
+        if (!configYAML.IsDefined() || !configYAML.IsMap()) {
             return Config();
         }
 
diff --git a/src/jaegertracing/TracerFactoryTest.cpp b/src/jaegertracing/TracerFactoryTest.cpp
index 0e83bd40..cc6a3e31 100644
--- a/src/jaegertracing/TracerFactoryTest.cpp
+++ b/src/jaegertracing/TracerFactoryTest.cpp
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-#include "jaegertracing/Constants.h"
 #include "jaegertracing/TracerFactory.h"
+#include "jaegertracing/Constants.h"
 #include <gtest/gtest.h>
 
 namespace jaegertracing {
@@ -26,10 +26,6 @@ TEST(TracerFactory, testInvalidConfig)
                                              "abc: {",
                                              R"({
       "service_name": {}
-    })",
-                                             R"({
-      "service_name": "t",
-      "badField": 97
     })" };
     TracerFactory tracerFactory;
     for (auto&& invalidConfig : invalidConfigTestCases) {
diff --git a/src/jaegertracing/baggage/RestrictionsConfig.h b/src/jaegertracing/baggage/RestrictionsConfig.h
index 3828f72c..6fe2f673 100644
--- a/src/jaegertracing/baggage/RestrictionsConfig.h
+++ b/src/jaegertracing/baggage/RestrictionsConfig.h
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class RestrictionsConfig {
 
     static RestrictionsConfig parse(const YAML::Node& configYAML)
     {
-        if (!configYAML.IsMap()) {
+        if (!configYAML.IsDefined() || !configYAML.IsMap()) {
             return RestrictionsConfig();
         }
 
diff --git a/src/jaegertracing/propagation/HeadersConfig.h b/src/jaegertracing/propagation/HeadersConfig.h
index 537fed28..4ae21355 100644
--- a/src/jaegertracing/propagation/HeadersConfig.h
+++ b/src/jaegertracing/propagation/HeadersConfig.h
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class HeadersConfig {
 
     static HeadersConfig parse(const YAML::Node& configYAML)
     {
-        if (!configYAML.IsMap()) {
+        if (!configYAML.IsDefined() || !configYAML.IsMap()) {
             return HeadersConfig();
         }
 
diff --git a/src/jaegertracing/reporters/Config.h b/src/jaegertracing/reporters/Config.h
index ee5663c4..40b19019 100644
--- a/src/jaegertracing/reporters/Config.h
+++ b/src/jaegertracing/reporters/Config.h
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class Config {
 
     static Config parse(const YAML::Node& configYAML)
     {
-        if (!configYAML.IsMap()) {
+        if (!configYAML.IsDefined() || !configYAML.IsMap()) {
             return Config();
         }
 
diff --git a/src/jaegertracing/samplers/Config.h b/src/jaegertracing/samplers/Config.h
index f43b9608..3fe55c79 100644
--- a/src/jaegertracing/samplers/Config.h
+++ b/src/jaegertracing/samplers/Config.h
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ class Config {
 
     static Config parse(const YAML::Node& configYAML)
     {
-        if (!configYAML.IsMap()) {
+        if (!configYAML.IsDefined() || !configYAML.IsMap()) {
             return Config();
         }