diff --git a/keystone/test.py b/keystone/test.py
index ccd43940cd..6b100d77f3 100644
--- a/keystone/test.py
+++ b/keystone/test.py
@@ -19,11 +19,25 @@ from keystone import wsgi
 ROOTDIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(__file__))
 VENDOR = os.path.join(ROOTDIR, 'vendor')
 TESTSDIR = os.path.join(ROOTDIR, 'tests')
+ETCDIR = os.path.join(ROOTDIR, 'etc')
 CONF = config.CONF
 
+
 cd = os.chdir
 
 
+def rootdir(*p):
+  return os.path.join(ROOTDIR, *p)
+
+
+def etcdir(*p):
+  return os.path.join(ETCDIR, *p)
+
+
+def testsdir(*p):
+  return os.path.join(TESTSDIR, *p)
+
+
 def checkout_vendor(repo, rev):
   name = repo.split('/')[-1]
   if name.endswith('.git'):
@@ -142,15 +156,20 @@ class TestCase(unittest.TestCase):
               'metadata_%s%s' % (metadata['user_id'],
                                  metadata['tenant_id']), rv)
 
-  def loadapp(self, config, name='main'):
+  def _paste_config(self, config):
     if not config.startswith('config:'):
-      config = 'config:%s.conf' % os.path.join(TESTSDIR, config)
-    return deploy.loadapp(config, name=name)
+      test_path = os.path.join(TESTSDIR, config)
+      etc_path = os.path.join(ROOTDIR, 'etc', config)
+      for path in [test_path, etc_path]:
+        if os.path.exists('%s.conf' % path):
+          return 'config:%s.conf' % path
+    return config
+
+  def loadapp(self, config, name='main'):
+    return deploy.loadapp(self._paste_config(config), name=name)
 
   def appconfig(self, config):
-    if not config.startswith('config:'):
-      config = 'config:%s.conf' % os.path.join(TESTSDIR, config)
-    return deploy.appconfig(config)
+    return deploy.appconfig(self._paste_config(config))
 
   def serveapp(self, config, name=None):
     app = self.loadapp(config, name=name)
diff --git a/tests/default.conf b/tests/default.conf
deleted file mode 100644
index c2a716beb9..0000000000
--- a/tests/default.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,62 +0,0 @@
-[DEFAULT]
-public_port = 5000
-admin_port = 35357
-admin_token = ADMIN
-compute_port = 3000
-
-[sql]
-connection = sqlite:///bla.db
-idle_timeout = 200
-min_pool_size = 5
-max_pool_size = 10
-pool_timeout = 200
-
-[identity]
-driver = keystone.backends.kvs.KvsIdentity
-
-[catalog]
-driver = keystone.backends.templated.TemplatedCatalog
-template_file = default_catalog.templates
-
-[token]
-driver = keystone.backends.kvs.KvsToken
-
-[policy]
-driver = keystone.backends.policy.SimpleMatch
-
-
-[filter:debug]
-paste.filter_factory = keystone.wsgi:Debug.factory
-
-[filter:token_auth]
-paste.filter_factory = keystone.middleware:TokenAuthMiddleware.factory
-
-[filter:admin_token_auth]
-paste.filter_factory = keystone.middleware:AdminTokenAuthMiddleware.factory
-
-[filter:json_body]
-paste.filter_factory = keystone.middleware:JsonBodyMiddleware.factory
-
-[filter:crud_extension]
-paste.filter_factory = keystone.service:AdminCrudExtension.factory
-
-
-[app:public_service]
-paste.app_factory = keystone.service:public_app_factory
-
-[app:admin_service]
-paste.app_factory = keystone.service:admin_app_factory
-
-[pipeline:public_api]
-pipeline = token_auth admin_token_auth json_body debug public_service
-
-[pipeline:admin_api]
-pipeline = token_auth admin_token_auth json_body debug crud_extension admin_service
-
-[composite:main]
-use = egg:Paste#urlmap
-/v2.0 = public_api
-
-[composite:admin]
-use = egg:Paste#urlmap
-/v2.0 = admin_api
diff --git a/tests/test_backend_sql.py b/tests/test_backend_sql.py
index 3dac570484..24cb4a81b2 100644
--- a/tests/test_backend_sql.py
+++ b/tests/test_backend_sql.py
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ class SqlIdentity(test.TestCase, test_backend.IdentityTests):
       os.unlink('bla.db')
     except Exception:
       pass
-    CONF(config_files=['default.conf', 'backend_sql.conf'])
+    CONF(config_files=[test.etcdir('keystone.conf'),
+                       test.testsdir('test_overrides.conf'),
+                       test.testsdir('backend_sql.conf')])
     sql_util.setup_test_database()
     self.identity_api = sql.SqlIdentity()
     self.load_fixtures(default_fixtures)
diff --git a/tests/test_keystoneclient.py b/tests/test_keystoneclient.py
index fb464153be..8073a00619 100644
--- a/tests/test_keystoneclient.py
+++ b/tests/test_keystoneclient.py
@@ -44,14 +44,14 @@ class KcMasterTestCase(CompatTestCase):
         reload(ks_client)
 
         self._config()
-        self.public_app = self.loadapp('default', name='main')
-        self.admin_app = self.loadapp('default', name='admin')
+        self.public_app = self.loadapp('keystone', name='main')
+        self.admin_app = self.loadapp('keystone', name='admin')
 
         self.load_backends()
         self.load_fixtures(default_fixtures)
 
-        self.public_server = self.serveapp('default', name='main')
-        self.admin_server = self.serveapp('default', name='admin')
+        self.public_server = self.serveapp('keystone', name='main')
+        self.admin_server = self.serveapp('keystone', name='admin')
 
         # TODO(termie): is_admin is being deprecated once the policy stuff
         #               is all working
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ class KcMasterTestCase(CompatTestCase):
             dict(roles=['keystone_admin'], is_admin='1'))
 
     def _config(self):
-        CONF(config_files=['default.conf'])
+        CONF(config_files=[test.etcdir('keystone.conf'),
+                           test.testsdir('test_overrides.conf')])
 
     def foo_client(self):
         return self._client(username='FOO',
diff --git a/tests/test_keystoneclient_sql.py b/tests/test_keystoneclient_sql.py
index b19aff8fb4..2adcc745d9 100644
--- a/tests/test_keystoneclient_sql.py
+++ b/tests/test_keystoneclient_sql.py
@@ -12,5 +12,7 @@ CONF = config.CONF
 
 class KcMasterSqlTestCase(test_keystoneclient.KcMasterTestCase):
     def _config(self):
-        CONF(config_files=['default.conf', 'backend_sql.conf'])
+        CONF(config_files=[test.etcdir('keystone.conf'),
+                           test.testsdir('test_overrides.conf'),
+                           test.testsdir('backend_sql.conf')])
         sql_util.setup_test_database()
diff --git a/tests/test_legacy_compat.py b/tests/test_legacy_compat.py
index 765b9dab90..fef2b8a46f 100644
--- a/tests/test_legacy_compat.py
+++ b/tests/test_legacy_compat.py
@@ -117,11 +117,12 @@ class CompatTestCase(test.TestCase):
 
 class DiabloCompatTestCase(CompatTestCase):
   def setUp(self):
-    CONF(config_files=['default.conf'])
+    CONF(config_files=[test.etcdir('keystone.conf'),
+                       test.testsdir('test_overrides.conf')])
 
     revdir = test.checkout_vendor(KEYSTONE_REPO, 'stable/diablo')
     self.sampledir = os.path.join(revdir, KEYSTONE_SAMPLE_DIR)
-    self.app = self.loadapp('default')
+    self.app = self.loadapp('keystone')
 
     self.load_backends()
     super(DiabloCompatTestCase, self).setUp()
diff --git a/tests/test_novaclient_compat.py b/tests/test_novaclient_compat.py
index d762c5f1e2..8aa6e344af 100644
--- a/tests/test_novaclient_compat.py
+++ b/tests/test_novaclient_compat.py
@@ -32,11 +32,12 @@ class NovaClientCompatMasterTestCase(CompatTestCase):
     reload(ks_client)
     reload(base_client)
 
-    CONF(config_files=['default.conf'])
-    self.app = self.loadapp('default')
+    CONF(config_files=[test.etcdir('keystone.conf'),
+                       test.testsdir('test_overrides.conf')])
+    self.app = self.loadapp('keystone')
     self.load_backends()
     self.load_fixtures(default_fixtures)
-    self.server = self.serveapp('default')
+    self.server = self.serveapp('keystone')
 
   def test_authenticate_and_tenants(self):
     from novaclient.keystone import client as ks_client
diff --git a/tests/test_overrides.conf b/tests/test_overrides.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fdeb6e4b2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_overrides.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+[catalog]
+template_file = default_catalog.templates