diff --git a/src/keyevents.c b/src/keyevents.c
index 8e7251d181b34ac8d576f138877c033d805dab0e..f3a6624c77f74da2eed258e5684a6630c136d132 100644
--- a/src/keyevents.c
+++ b/src/keyevents.c
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ void init_keyevents(void) {
 
 	free(confpath);
 
-	if (!conf)
+	if (!conf && ((conf = fopen("/etc/feh/keys", "r")) == NULL))
 		return;
 
 	while (fgets(line, sizeof(line), conf)) {
diff --git a/test/feh-bg.i b/test/feh-bg.i
index eeff8363f52b8c1ccec54fc9661a23e2f323e0ee..e7b2f0b978b07598a93e0b34f005a4820baa540f 100755
--- a/test/feh-bg.i
+++ b/test/feh-bg.i
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ use Time::HiRes qw/sleep/;
 
 my ($pid_xnest, $pid_twm);
 
+$ENV{XDG_CONFIG_HOME} = "/tmp/feh-test-$$";
+
 sub set_bg {
 	my ($mode, $file) = @_;
 
diff --git a/test/feh-scr.i b/test/feh-scr.i
index 098f1c022c83a2a002cb04dc02473e07dba15c13..9f6d804efeb8ffbca81805849e41d69ad84e4dc2 100755
--- a/test/feh-scr.i
+++ b/test/feh-scr.i
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ my ($width, $height);
 my $pwd = getcwd();
 my $test_id = 0;
 
+$ENV{XDG_CONFIG_HOME} = "/tmp/feh-test-$$";
+
 sub waitfor(&) {
 	my ($sub) = @_;
 	my $out;
diff --git a/test/feh.i b/test/feh.i
index ffa9c5a560721d137cb3b5250c874771ee7ae438..748d20e4bdd23528017d5b49512e712ca025ab78 100755
--- a/test/feh.i
+++ b/test/feh.i
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ my $win;
 my ($width, $height);
 my $pwd = getcwd();
 
+$ENV{XDG_CONFIG_HOME} = "/tmp/feh-test-$$";
+
 sub waitfor(&) {
 	my ($sub) = @_;
 	my $out;
diff --git a/test/feh.t b/test/feh.t
index a3a56506b50e377c50a4fb51b2bff21e3f024f70..cff34c7dc730d1f53904de5081da91162bd9f248 100644
--- a/test/feh.t
+++ b/test/feh.t
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ use warnings;
 use 5.010;
 use Test::Command tests => 48;
 
-my $fehrc = "/tmp/.fehrc-$$";
-my $feh = "src/feh --rcfile $fehrc";
+$ENV{XDG_CONFIG_HOME} = "/tmp/feh-test-$$";
+my $feh = "src/feh";
 my $images = 'test/ok/gif test/ok/jpg test/ok/png test/ok/pnm '
            . 'test/fail/gif test/fail/jpg test/fail/png test/fail/pnm';
 
@@ -15,11 +15,6 @@ my ($feh_name, $feh_version) = @ENV{'PACKAGE', 'VERSION'};
 # make sure they are capable of doing so.
 delete $ENV{'DISPLAY'};
 
-# Create empty fehrc so that feh does not create one in $HOME
-# (mostly for build servers)
-open(my $fh, '>', $fehrc) or die("Can't create $fehrc: $!");
-close($fh) or die("Can't close $fehrc: $!");
-
 my $err_no_env = <<'EOF';
 
 Unable to determine feh PACKAGE or VERSION.
@@ -109,5 +104,3 @@ $cmd = Test::Command->new(cmd =>
 $cmd->exit_is_num(0);
 $cmd->stdout_is_file('test/list/default');
 $cmd->stderr_like($re_list_action);
-
-unlink($fehrc);