diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 945277f4c1..df4ec8e79e 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ def testing_config(testing_workdir):
     def boolify(v):
         return v == "true"
 
-    result = Config(
+    testing_config_kwargs = dict(
         croot=testing_workdir,
         anaconda_upload=False,
         verbose=True,
@@ -102,6 +102,8 @@ def boolify(v):
         exit_on_verify_error=exit_on_verify_error_default,
         conda_pkg_format=conda_pkg_format_default,
     )
+    result = Config(**testing_config_kwargs)
+    result._testing_config_kwargs = testing_config_kwargs
     assert result.no_rewrite_stdout_env is False
     assert result._src_cache_root is None
     assert result.src_cache_root == testing_workdir
@@ -121,7 +123,11 @@ def default_testing_config(testing_config, monkeypatch, request):
         return
 
     def get_or_merge_testing_config(config, variant=None, **kwargs):
-        return _get_or_merge_config(config or testing_config, variant, **kwargs)
+        merged_kwargs = {}
+        if not config:
+            merged_kwargs.update(testing_config._testing_config_kwargs)
+        merged_kwargs.update(kwargs)
+        return _get_or_merge_config(config, variant, **merged_kwargs)
 
     monkeypatch.setattr(
         conda_build.config,