diff --git a/test/__init__.py b/test/__init__.py
index db145240dc..a4a71853eb 100644
--- a/test/__init__.py
+++ b/test/__init__.py
@@ -2,6 +2,25 @@
 # The code below enables nosetests to work with i18n _() blocks
 
 import __builtin__
+import os
+from ConfigParser import MissingSectionHeaderError
+
+from swift.common.utils import readconf
 
 setattr(__builtin__, '_', lambda x: x)
 
+def get_func_test_config():
+    config_file = os.environ.get('SWIFT_TEST_CONFIG_FILE',
+                                 '/etc/swift/func_test.conf')
+    config = {}
+    try:
+        config = readconf(config_file, 'func_test')
+    except SystemExit:
+        print >>sys.stderr, 'SKIPPING FUNCTIONAL TESTS DUE TO NO CONFIG'
+    except MissingSectionHeaderError:
+        # rather than mock the stream to spoof a section header, display an
+        # error to the user and let them fix it.
+        print >>sys.stderr, 'SKIPPING FUNCTIONAL TESTS DUE TO NO ' \
+                '[func_test] CONFIG SECTION'
+    return config
+
diff --git a/test/functional/__init__.py b/test/functional/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/test/functional/sample.conf b/test/functional/sample.conf
index 4067269af2..602d7a4f29 100644
--- a/test/functional/sample.conf
+++ b/test/functional/sample.conf
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+[func_test]
 # sample config
 auth_host = 127.0.0.1
 # For DevAuth:
diff --git a/test/functional/swift.py b/test/functional/swift.py
index b251bcc047..465af202a7 100644
--- a/test/functional/swift.py
+++ b/test/functional/swift.py
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ def listing_items(method):
 
 class Connection(object):
     def __init__(self, config):
-        for key in 'auth_host auth_port auth_ssl account username password'.split():
+        for key in 'auth_host auth_port auth_ssl username password'.split():
             if not config.has_key(key):
                 raise SkipTest
 
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ class Connection(object):
         self.auth_ssl = config['auth_ssl'] in ('on', 'true', 'yes', '1')
         self.auth_prefix = config.get('auth_prefix', '/')
 
-        self.account = config['account']
+        self.account = config.get('account')
         self.username = config['username']
         self.password = config['password']
 
@@ -110,8 +110,12 @@ class Connection(object):
             self.storage_token = clone_conn.storage_token
             return
 
+        if self.account:
+            auth_user = '%s:%s' % (self.account, self.username)
+        else:
+            auth_user = self.username
         headers = {
-            'x-auth-user': '%s:%s' % (self.account, self.username),
+            'x-auth-user': auth_user,
             'x-auth-key': self.password,
         }
 
diff --git a/test/functional/tests.py b/test/functional/tests.py
index 482b507b52..6afcd22a0e 100644
--- a/test/functional/tests.py
+++ b/test/functional/tests.py
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 import array
-import configobj
 from datetime import datetime
 import locale
 import os
@@ -29,20 +28,13 @@ import uuid
 import unittest
 import urllib
 
+from test import get_func_test_config
+
 from swift import Account, AuthenticationFailed, Connection, Container, \
      File, ResponseError
 
-config_file_env_var = 'SWIFT_TEST_CONFIG_FILE'
-default_config_file = '/etc/swift/func_test.conf'
+config = get_func_test_config()
 
-if os.environ.has_key(config_file_env_var):
-    config_file = os.environ[config_file_env_var]
-elif os.path.isfile(default_config_file):
-    config_file = default_config_file
-else:
-    print >>sys.stderr, 'SKIPPING FUNCTIONAL TESTS DUE TO NO CONFIG'
-
-config = configobj.ConfigObj(config_file)
 locale.setlocale(locale.LC_COLLATE, config.get('collate', 'C'))
 
 class Base:
@@ -136,7 +128,8 @@ class TestAccountEnv:
     def setUp(cls):
         cls.conn = Connection(config)
         cls.conn.authenticate()
-        cls.account = Account(cls.conn, config['account'])
+        cls.account = Account(cls.conn, config.get('account',
+                                                   config['username']))
         cls.account.delete_containers()
 
         cls.containers = []
@@ -314,7 +307,8 @@ class TestAccountNoContainersEnv:
     def setUp(cls):
         cls.conn = Connection(config)
         cls.conn.authenticate()
-        cls.account = Account(cls.conn, config['account'])
+        cls.account = Account(cls.conn, config.get('account',
+                                                   config['username']))
         cls.account.delete_containers()
 
 class TestAccountNoContainers(Base):
@@ -339,7 +333,8 @@ class TestContainerEnv:
     def setUp(cls):
         cls.conn = Connection(config)
         cls.conn.authenticate()
-        cls.account = Account(cls.conn, config['account'])
+        cls.account = Account(cls.conn, config.get('account',
+                                                   config['username']))
         cls.account.delete_containers()
 
         cls.container = cls.account.container(Utils.create_name())
@@ -624,7 +619,8 @@ class TestContainerPathsEnv:
     def setUp(cls):
         cls.conn = Connection(config)
         cls.conn.authenticate()
-        cls.account = Account(cls.conn, config['account'])
+        cls.account = Account(cls.conn, config.get('account',
+                                                   config['username']))
         cls.account.delete_containers()
 
         cls.file_size = 8
@@ -784,7 +780,8 @@ class TestFileEnv:
     def setUp(cls):
         cls.conn = Connection(config)
         cls.conn.authenticate()
-        cls.account = Account(cls.conn, config['account'])
+        cls.account = Account(cls.conn, config.get('account',
+                                                   config['username']))
         cls.account.delete_containers()
 
         cls.container = cls.account.container(Utils.create_name())
@@ -1430,7 +1427,8 @@ class TestFileComparisonEnv:
     def setUp(cls):
         cls.conn = Connection(config)
         cls.conn.authenticate()
-        cls.account = Account(cls.conn, config['account'])
+        cls.account = Account(cls.conn, config.get('account',
+                                                   config['username']))
         cls.account.delete_containers()
 
         cls.container = cls.account.container(Utils.create_name())