diff --git a/playbooks/inventory/dynamic_inventory.py b/playbooks/inventory/dynamic_inventory.py
index 5b45bb8075..5054d58529 100755
--- a/playbooks/inventory/dynamic_inventory.py
+++ b/playbooks/inventory/dynamic_inventory.py
@@ -899,15 +899,12 @@ def _check_config_settings(cidr_networks, config, container_skel):
                     )
 
 
-def main():
-    """Run the main application."""
-    all_args = args()
-    user_defined_config = dict()
+def load_user_configuration(config_path):
+    """Create a user configuration dictionary from config files
 
-    # Get the path to the user configuration files
-    config_path = find_config_path(
-        user_config_path=all_args.get('config')
-    )
+    :param config_path: ``str`` path where the configuration files are kept
+    """
+    user_defined_config = dict()
 
     # Load the user defined configuration file
     user_config_file = os.path.join(config_path, 'openstack_user_config.yml')
@@ -927,6 +924,18 @@ def main():
             'No openstack_user_config files are available in either \n%s'
             '\nor \n%s/conf.d directory' % (config_path, config_path)
         )
+    return user_defined_config
+
+
+def main():
+    """Run the main application."""
+    all_args = args()
+    # Get the path to the user configuration files
+    config_path = find_config_path(
+        user_config_path=all_args.get('config')
+    )
+
+    user_defined_config = load_user_configuration(config_path)
 
     environment = dict()
 
diff --git a/tests/test_inventory.py b/tests/test_inventory.py
index 6c8eefed5e..54bd3eb030 100644
--- a/tests/test_inventory.py
+++ b/tests/test_inventory.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import json
 import os
 from os import path
 import subprocess
+import sys
 import unittest
 import yaml
 
@@ -12,6 +13,10 @@ INV_DIR = 'playbooks/inventory'
 SCRIPT_FILENAME = 'dynamic_inventory.py'
 INV_SCRIPT = path.join(os.getcwd(), INV_DIR, SCRIPT_FILENAME)
 
+sys.path.append(path.join(os.getcwd(), INV_DIR))
+
+import dynamic_inventory as di
+
 TARGET_DIR = path.join(os.getcwd(), 'tests', 'inventory')
 USER_CONFIG_FILE = path.join(TARGET_DIR, "openstack_user_config.yml")
 
@@ -246,6 +251,16 @@ class TestAnsibleInventoryFormatConstraints(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(set(all_keys), set(self.inventory.keys()))
 
 
+class TestUserConfiguration(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.longMessage = True
+        self.loaded_user_configuration = di.load_user_configuration(TARGET_DIR)
+
+    def test_loading_user_configuration(self):
+        """Test that the user configuration can be loaded"""
+        self.assertIsInstance(self.loaded_user_configuration, dict)
+
+
 class TestDuplicateIps(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         # Allow custom assertion errors.