A medical device such as an infusion system detects that an accessory has been coupled to the device. The medical device initially operates in a first mode of operation. The medical device, in response to the detecting, associates the accessory with a different mode of operation for the medical device that requires changes to at least one of the operating parameters for the infusion system or elements within a graphical user interface. The medical device then automatically changes the mode of operation from the first mode of operation to the associated different mode of operation to reflect the coupling of the accessory to the infusion system. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.