diff --git a/oslo_policy/generator.py b/oslo_policy/generator.py
index 9e283d9e..fad156e8 100644
--- a/oslo_policy/generator.py
+++ b/oslo_policy/generator.py
@@ -334,9 +334,11 @@ def on_load_failure_callback(*args, **kwargs):
     raise
 
 
-def generate_sample(args=None):
+def generate_sample(args=None, conf=None):
     logging.basicConfig(level=logging.WARN)
-    conf = cfg.ConfigOpts()
+    # Allow the caller to pass in a local conf object for unit testing
+    if conf is None:
+        conf = cfg.CONF
     conf.register_cli_opts(GENERATOR_OPTS + RULE_OPTS)
     conf.register_opts(GENERATOR_OPTS + RULE_OPTS)
     conf(args)
@@ -345,7 +347,7 @@ def generate_sample(args=None):
 
 def generate_policy(args=None):
     logging.basicConfig(level=logging.WARN)
-    conf = cfg.ConfigOpts()
+    conf = cfg.CONF
     conf.register_cli_opts(GENERATOR_OPTS + ENFORCER_OPTS)
     conf.register_opts(GENERATOR_OPTS + ENFORCER_OPTS)
     conf(args)
@@ -367,9 +369,11 @@ def _upgrade_policies(policies, default_policies):
                           'new_name': rule_default.name})
 
 
-def upgrade_policy(args=None):
+def upgrade_policy(args=None, conf=None):
     logging.basicConfig(level=logging.WARN)
-    conf = cfg.ConfigOpts()
+    # Allow the caller to pass in a local conf object for unit testing
+    if conf is None:
+        conf = cfg.CONF
     conf.register_cli_opts(GENERATOR_OPTS + RULE_OPTS + UPGRADE_OPTS)
     conf.register_opts(GENERATOR_OPTS + RULE_OPTS + UPGRADE_OPTS)
     conf(args)
@@ -396,7 +400,7 @@ def upgrade_policy(args=None):
 
 def list_redundant(args=None):
     logging.basicConfig(level=logging.WARN)
-    conf = cfg.ConfigOpts()
+    conf = cfg.CONF
     conf.register_cli_opts(ENFORCER_OPTS)
     conf.register_opts(ENFORCER_OPTS)
     conf(args)
diff --git a/oslo_policy/tests/test_generator.py b/oslo_policy/tests/test_generator.py
index a0beeaee..147ef2d7 100644
--- a/oslo_policy/tests/test_generator.py
+++ b/oslo_policy/tests/test_generator.py
@@ -500,8 +500,9 @@ class GeneratorRaiseErrorTestCase(testtools.TestCase):
     def test_generator_call_with_no_arguments_raises_error(self):
         testargs = ['oslopolicy-sample-generator']
         with mock.patch('sys.argv', testargs):
+            local_conf = cfg.ConfigOpts()
             self.assertRaises(cfg.RequiredOptError, generator.generate_sample,
-                              [])
+                              [], local_conf)
 
 
 class GeneratePolicyTestCase(base.PolicyBaseTestCase):
@@ -655,6 +656,8 @@ class UpgradePolicyTestCase(base.PolicyBaseTestCase):
                                             plugin=None,
                                             obj=[self.new_policy])
         self.extensions.append(ext)
+        # Just used for cli opt parsing
+        self.local_conf = cfg.ConfigOpts()
 
     def test_upgrade_policy_json_file(self):
         test_mgr = stevedore.named.NamedExtensionManager.make_test_instance(
@@ -669,7 +672,7 @@ class UpgradePolicyTestCase(base.PolicyBaseTestCase):
                         self.get_config_file_fullname('new_policy.json'),
                         '--format', 'json']
             with mock.patch('sys.argv', testargs):
-                generator.upgrade_policy()
+                generator.upgrade_policy(conf=self.local_conf)
                 new_file = self.get_config_file_fullname('new_policy.json')
                 new_policy = jsonutils.loads(open(new_file, 'r').read())
                 self.assertIsNotNone(new_policy.get('new_policy_name'))
@@ -688,7 +691,7 @@ class UpgradePolicyTestCase(base.PolicyBaseTestCase):
                         self.get_config_file_fullname('new_policy.yaml'),
                         '--format', 'yaml']
             with mock.patch('sys.argv', testargs):
-                generator.upgrade_policy()
+                generator.upgrade_policy(conf=self.local_conf)
                 new_file = self.get_config_file_fullname('new_policy.yaml')
                 new_policy = yaml.safe_load(open(new_file, 'r'))
                 self.assertIsNotNone(new_policy.get('new_policy_name'))
@@ -706,7 +709,7 @@ class UpgradePolicyTestCase(base.PolicyBaseTestCase):
                         '--namespace', 'test_upgrade',
                         '--format', 'json']
             with mock.patch('sys.argv', testargs):
-                generator.upgrade_policy()
+                generator.upgrade_policy(conf=self.local_conf)
                 expected = '''{
     "new_policy_name": "rule:admin"
 }'''
@@ -724,7 +727,7 @@ class UpgradePolicyTestCase(base.PolicyBaseTestCase):
                         '--namespace', 'test_upgrade',
                         '--format', 'yaml']
             with mock.patch('sys.argv', testargs):
-                generator.upgrade_policy()
+                generator.upgrade_policy(conf=self.local_conf)
                 expected = '''new_policy_name: rule:admin
 '''
                 self.assertEqual(expected, stdout.getvalue())