diff --git a/keystone/cmd/cli.py b/keystone/cmd/cli.py
index 7def1c8e9f..ba699ca990 100644
--- a/keystone/cmd/cli.py
+++ b/keystone/cmd/cli.py
@@ -1173,19 +1173,44 @@ command_opt = cfg.SubCommandOpt('command',
                                 handler=add_command_parsers)
 
 
-def main(argv=None, config_files=None):
+def main(argv=None, developer_config_file=None):
+    """Main entry point into the keystone-manage CLI utility.
+
+    :param argv: Arguments supplied via the command line using the ``sys``
+                 standard library.
+    :type argv: list
+    :param developer_config_file: The location of a configuration file normally
+                                  found in development environments.
+    :type developer_config_file: string
+
+    """
     CONF.register_cli_opt(command_opt)
 
     keystone.conf.configure()
     sql.initialize()
     keystone.conf.set_default_for_default_log_levels()
 
+    user_supplied_config_file = False
+    if argv:
+        for argument in argv:
+            if argument == '--config-file':
+                user_supplied_config_file = True
+
+    if developer_config_file:
+        developer_config_file = [developer_config_file]
+
+    # NOTE(lbragstad): At this point in processing, the first element of argv
+    # is the binary location of keystone-manage, which oslo.config doesn't need
+    # and is keystone specific. Only pass a list of arguments so that
+    # oslo.config can determine configuration file locations based on user
+    # provided arguments, if present.
     CONF(args=argv[1:],
          project='keystone',
          version=pbr.version.VersionInfo('keystone').version_string(),
          usage='%(prog)s [' + '|'.join([cmd.name for cmd in CMDS]) + ']',
-         default_config_files=config_files)
-    if not CONF.default_config_files:
+         default_config_files=developer_config_file)
+
+    if not CONF.default_config_files and not user_supplied_config_file:
         LOG.warning('Config file not found, using default configs.')
     keystone.conf.setup_logging()
     CONF.command.cmd_class.main()
diff --git a/keystone/cmd/manage.py b/keystone/cmd/manage.py
index bcae3dfce1..f8c9f3bfea 100644
--- a/keystone/cmd/manage.py
+++ b/keystone/cmd/manage.py
@@ -35,11 +35,7 @@ if os.path.exists(os.path.join(possible_topdir,
 
 # entry point.
 def main():
-    dev_conf = os.path.join(possible_topdir,
-                            'etc',
-                            'keystone.conf')
-    config_files = None
-    if os.path.exists(dev_conf):
-        config_files = [dev_conf]
-
-    cli.main(argv=sys.argv, config_files=config_files)
+    developer_config = os.path.join(possible_topdir, 'etc', 'keystone.conf')
+    if not os.path.exists(developer_config):
+        developer_config = None
+    cli.main(argv=sys.argv, developer_config_file=developer_config)
diff --git a/keystone/tests/unit/test_cli.py b/keystone/tests/unit/test_cli.py
index bd60a8ac6e..5cccc7d92c 100644
--- a/keystone/tests/unit/test_cli.py
+++ b/keystone/tests/unit/test_cli.py
@@ -48,20 +48,23 @@ from keystone.tests import unit
 from keystone.tests.unit import default_fixtures
 from keystone.tests.unit.ksfixtures import database
 from keystone.tests.unit.ksfixtures import ldapdb
+from keystone.tests.unit.ksfixtures import temporaryfile
 
 
 CONF = keystone.conf.CONF
 PROVIDERS = provider_api.ProviderAPIs
 
 
-class CliNoConfigTestCase(unit.BaseTestCase):
+class CliLoggingTestCase(unit.BaseTestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
         self.config_fixture = self.useFixture(oslo_config.fixture.Config(CONF))
         self.config_fixture.register_cli_opt(cli.command_opt)
         self.useFixture(fixtures.MockPatch(
             'oslo_config.cfg.find_config_files', return_value=[]))
-        super(CliNoConfigTestCase, self).setUp()
+        fd = self.useFixture(temporaryfile.SecureTempFile())
+        self.fake_config_file = fd.file_name
+        super(CliLoggingTestCase, self).setUp()
 
         # NOTE(crinkle): the command call doesn't have to actually work,
         # that's what the other unit tests are for. So just mock it out.
@@ -73,11 +76,19 @@ class CliNoConfigTestCase(unit.BaseTestCase):
 
         self.logging = self.useFixture(fixtures.FakeLogger(level=log.WARN))
 
-    def test_cli(self):
+    def test_absent_config_logs_warning(self):
         expected_msg = 'Config file not found, using default configs.'
         cli.main(argv=['keystone-manage', 'db_sync'])
         self.assertThat(self.logging.output, matchers.Contains(expected_msg))
 
+    def test_present_config_does_not_log_warning(self):
+        fake_argv = [
+            'keystone-manage', '--config-file', self.fake_config_file, 'doctor'
+        ]
+        cli.main(argv=fake_argv)
+        expected_msg = 'Config file not found, using default configs.'
+        self.assertNotIn(expected_msg, self.logging.output)
+
 
 class CliBootStrapTestCase(unit.SQLDriverOverrides, unit.TestCase):
 
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/bug-1782704-0b053eaf5d801dee.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/bug-1782704-0b053eaf5d801dee.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f036c8a447
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/bug-1782704-0b053eaf5d801dee.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    [`bug 1782704 <https://bugs.launchpad.net/keystone/+bug/1782704>`_]
+    Checking for non-existant configuration files is more robust to ensure
+    proper logging to users when passing configuration information to
+    ``keystone-manage``.