diff --git a/diceware/config.py b/diceware/config.py
index 60d245434f01c0c0c8d0efbc3be49b1e6aa84fda..0a50456f356a46d57c537da9e29ed0a8ad1d3eb1 100644
--- a/diceware/config.py
+++ b/diceware/config.py
@@ -49,10 +49,12 @@ def valid_locations():
 def get_configparser(path_list=None):
     """Parse `path_list` for config values.
 
+    If no list is given we use `valid_locations()`.
+
     Return a list of paths read and a config parser instance.
     """
     if path_list is None:
-        path_list = []
+        path_list = valid_locations()
     parser = configparser.SafeConfigParser()
     found = parser.read(path_list)
     return found, parser
diff --git a/tests/test_config.py b/tests/test_config.py
index 2a5f4b3937447b8b7a04b640c82d9e66601484a0..0034c54de625843b8850beddc17db9f8a814336e 100644
--- a/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/test_config.py
@@ -31,7 +31,10 @@ class TestConfigModule(object):
         found, config = get_configparser([])
         assert found == []
 
-    def test_get_configparser_no_list(self):
+    def test_get_configparser_no_list(self, tmpdir, monkeypatch):
         # we cope with no list at all
+        new_home = tmpdir / "home"
+        new_home.ensure_dir()
+        monkeypatch.setenv("HOME", str(new_home))
         found, config = get_configparser()
         assert found == []