diff --git a/cmd/config/set_management_configuration_test.go b/cmd/config/set_management_configuration_test.go
index 4e208f4e0..071a2e85e 100644
--- a/cmd/config/set_management_configuration_test.go
+++ b/cmd/config/set_management_configuration_test.go
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ func TestConfigSetManagementConfigurationInsecure(t *testing.T) {
 	conf, cleanup := testutil.InitConfig(t)
 	defer cleanup(t)
 
+	conf.ManagementConfiguration[config.AirshipDefaultManagementConfiguration] = config.NewManagementConfiguration()
+
 	settings := func() (*config.Config, error) {
 		return conf, nil
 	}
@@ -96,6 +98,8 @@ func TestConfigSetManagementConfigurationType(t *testing.T) {
 	conf, cleanup := testutil.InitConfig(t)
 	defer cleanup(t)
 
+	conf.ManagementConfiguration[config.AirshipDefaultManagementConfiguration] = config.NewManagementConfiguration()
+
 	settings := func() (*config.Config, error) {
 		return conf, nil
 	}
@@ -130,6 +134,8 @@ func TestConfigSetManagementConfigurationUseProxy(t *testing.T) {
 	conf, cleanup := testutil.InitConfig(t)
 	defer cleanup(t)
 
+	conf.ManagementConfiguration[config.AirshipDefaultManagementConfiguration] = config.NewManagementConfiguration()
+
 	settings := func() (*config.Config, error) {
 		return conf, nil
 	}
@@ -149,6 +155,8 @@ func TestConfigSetManagementConfigurationMultipleOptions(t *testing.T) {
 	conf, cleanup := testutil.InitConfig(t)
 	defer cleanup(t)
 
+	conf.ManagementConfiguration[config.AirshipDefaultManagementConfiguration] = config.NewManagementConfiguration()
+
 	settings := func() (*config.Config, error) {
 		return conf, nil
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/config/set_manifest_test.go b/cmd/config/set_manifest_test.go
index 2e1725b7b..3d61a09d7 100644
--- a/cmd/config/set_manifest_test.go
+++ b/cmd/config/set_manifest_test.go
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ func (test setManifestTest) run(t *testing.T) {
 
 	afterRunConf := test.inputConfig
 	// Find the Manifest Created or Modified
-	afterRunManifest, _ := afterRunConf.Manifests[test.manifestName]
+	afterRunManifest := afterRunConf.Manifests[test.manifestName]
 	require.NotNil(t, afterRunManifest)
 	assert.EqualValues(t, afterRunManifest.TargetPath, test.manifestTargetPath)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index f53c0cc24..425741564 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ type Factory func() (*Config, error)
 // CreateFactory returns function which creates ready to use Config object
 func CreateFactory(airshipConfigPath *string) Factory {
 	return func() (*Config, error) {
-		cfg := NewConfig()
+		cfg := NewEmptyConfig()
 
 		var acp string
 		if airshipConfigPath != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/config/config_test.go b/pkg/config/config_test.go
index 3d4daf991..03add579c 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config_test.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config_test.go
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func TestLoadConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	conf, cleanup := testutil.InitConfig(t)
 	defer cleanup(t)
 
-	assert.Len(t, conf.Contexts, 4)
+	assert.Len(t, conf.Contexts, 3)
 }
 
 func TestPersistConfig(t *testing.T) {
@@ -183,13 +183,14 @@ func TestCurrentContextManagementConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	conf, cleanup := testutil.InitConfig(t)
 	defer cleanup(t)
 
+	conf.ManagementConfiguration[defaultString] = testutil.DummyManagementConfiguration()
+
 	managementConfig, err := conf.CurrentContextManagementConfig()
 	require.Error(t, err)
 	assert.Nil(t, managementConfig)
 
 	conf.CurrentContext = currentContextName
 	conf.Contexts[currentContextName].ManagementConfiguration = defaultString
-	conf.Contexts[currentContextName].Manifest = defaultString
 
 	managementConfig, err = conf.CurrentContextManagementConfig()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -234,7 +235,7 @@ func TestGetContexts(t *testing.T) {
 	defer cleanup(t)
 
 	contexts := conf.GetContexts()
-	assert.Len(t, contexts, 4)
+	assert.Len(t, contexts, 3)
 }
 
 func TestGetContext(t *testing.T) {
@@ -292,6 +293,8 @@ func TestCurrentContextManifest(t *testing.T) {
 	conf, cleanup := testutil.InitConfig(t)
 	defer cleanup(t)
 
+	conf.Manifests[defaultString] = testutil.DummyManifest()
+
 	conf.CurrentContext = currentContextName
 	conf.Contexts[currentContextName].Manifest = defaultString
 
@@ -304,6 +307,8 @@ func TestCurrentTargetPath(t *testing.T) {
 	conf, cleanup := testutil.InitConfig(t)
 	defer cleanup(t)
 
+	conf.Manifests[defaultString] = testutil.DummyManifest()
+
 	conf.CurrentContext = currentContextName
 	conf.Contexts[currentContextName].Manifest = defaultString
 
@@ -316,6 +321,8 @@ func TestCurrentPhaseRepositoryDir(t *testing.T) {
 	conf, cleanup := testutil.InitConfig(t)
 	defer cleanup(t)
 
+	conf.Manifests[defaultString] = testutil.DummyManifest()
+
 	conf.CurrentContext = currentContextName
 	conf.Contexts[currentContextName].Manifest = defaultString
 
@@ -336,6 +343,8 @@ func TestCurrentInventoryRepositoryDir(t *testing.T) {
 	conf, cleanup := testutil.InitConfig(t)
 	defer cleanup(t)
 
+	conf.Manifests[defaultString] = testutil.DummyManifest()
+
 	conf.CurrentContext = currentContextName
 	conf.Contexts[currentContextName].Manifest = defaultString
 
@@ -454,6 +463,8 @@ func TestManagementConfigurationByName(t *testing.T) {
 	conf, cleanupConfig := testutil.InitConfig(t)
 	defer cleanupConfig(t)
 
+	conf.ManagementConfiguration[defaultString] = testutil.DummyManagementConfiguration()
+
 	mgmtCfg, err := conf.GetManagementConfiguration(config.AirshipDefaultContext)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, conf.ManagementConfiguration[config.AirshipDefaultContext], mgmtCfg)
@@ -471,6 +482,8 @@ func TestGetManifests(t *testing.T) {
 	conf, cleanup := testutil.InitConfig(t)
 	defer cleanup(t)
 
+	conf.Manifests["dummy_manifest"] = testutil.DummyManifest()
+
 	manifests := conf.GetManifests()
 	require.NotNil(t, manifests)
 
diff --git a/pkg/config/utils.go b/pkg/config/utils.go
index b2e135db9..98b38ccfb 100644
--- a/pkg/config/utils.go
+++ b/pkg/config/utils.go
@@ -59,6 +59,16 @@ func NewConfig() *Config {
 	}
 }
 
+// NewEmptyConfig returns an initialized Config object with no default values
+func NewEmptyConfig() *Config {
+	return &Config{
+		ManagementConfiguration: map[string]*ManagementConfiguration{},
+		Manifests:               map[string]*Manifest{},
+		Contexts:                map[string]*Context{},
+		fileSystem:              fs.NewDocumentFs(),
+	}
+}
+
 // NewContext is a convenience function that returns a new Context
 func NewContext() *Context {
 	return &Context{}
diff --git a/testutil/testconfig.go b/testutil/testconfig.go
index 2af1f8086..893d3b2e0 100644
--- a/testutil/testconfig.go
+++ b/testutil/testconfig.go
@@ -115,11 +115,14 @@ func InitConfig(t *testing.T) (conf *config.Config, cleanup func(*testing.T)) {
 	err := ioutil.WriteFile(configPath, []byte(testConfigYAML), 0600)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	conf = config.NewConfig()
-
 	cfg, err := config.CreateFactory(&configPath)()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
+	cfg.Permissions = config.Permissions{
+		DirectoryPermission: config.AirshipDefaultDirectoryPermission,
+		FilePermission:      config.AirshipDefaultFilePermission,
+	}
+
 	return cfg, cleanup
 }