diff --git a/src/libstore/globals.cc b/src/libstore/globals.cc
index 8fec10d51..7e1d7ea6d 100644
--- a/src/libstore/globals.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/globals.cc
@@ -124,12 +124,12 @@ Settings::Settings()
     };
 }
 
-void loadConfFile()
+void loadConfFile(AbstractConfig & config)
 {
     auto applyConfigFile = [&](const Path & path) {
         try {
             std::string contents = readFile(path);
-            globalConfig.applyConfig(contents, path);
+            config.applyConfig(contents, path);
         } catch (SystemError &) { }
     };
 
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ void loadConfFile()
 
     /* We only want to send overrides to the daemon, i.e. stuff from
        ~/.nix/nix.conf or the command line. */
-    globalConfig.resetOverridden();
+    config.resetOverridden();
 
     auto files = settings.nixUserConfFiles;
     for (auto file = files.rbegin(); file != files.rend(); file++) {
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ void loadConfFile()
 
     auto nixConfEnv = getEnv("NIX_CONFIG");
     if (nixConfEnv.has_value()) {
-        globalConfig.applyConfig(nixConfEnv.value(), "NIX_CONFIG");
+        config.applyConfig(nixConfEnv.value(), "NIX_CONFIG");
     }
 
 }
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ void initLibStore(bool loadConfig) {
     initLibUtil();
 
     if (loadConfig)
-        loadConfFile();
+        loadConfFile(globalConfig);
 
     preloadNSS();
 
diff --git a/src/libstore/globals.hh b/src/libstore/globals.hh
index 843e77bcf..439e9f4fc 100644
--- a/src/libstore/globals.hh
+++ b/src/libstore/globals.hh
@@ -1284,7 +1284,13 @@ extern Settings settings;
  */
 void initPlugins();
 
-void loadConfFile();
+/**
+ * Load the configuration (from `nix.conf`, `NIX_CONFIG`, etc.) into the
+ * given configuration object.
+ *
+ * Usually called with `globalConfig`.
+ */
+void loadConfFile(AbstractConfig & config);
 
 // Used by the Settings constructor
 std::vector<Path> getUserConfigFiles();