diff --git a/.github/workflows/ccpp.yml b/.github/workflows/ccpp.yml
index 9251ce4a..e2ddbd6d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ccpp.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ccpp.yml
@@ -75,10 +75,7 @@ jobs:
       run:  scripts/build_ci.bash
 
     - name: run check
-      run: env TESTS="$(find test/functional/{autoupdate,bundleinfo,verify-legacy,checkupdate,hashdump,mirror,usability,signature} -name *.bats \( ! -name usa-config-file.bats \) -printf '%p ')" make -e -j2 check
-
-    - name: run check - config file
-      run: env TESTS="$(find test/functional/usability -name usa-config-file.bats -printf '%p ')" make -e -j2 check
+      run: env TESTS="$(find test/functional/{autoupdate,bundleinfo,verify-legacy,checkupdate,hashdump,mirror,usability,signature} -name *.bats -printf '%p ')" make -e -j2 check
 
     - name: print status
       if: failure()
diff --git a/test/functional/testlib.bash b/test/functional/testlib.bash
index 86f3de31..186e286e 100644
--- a/test/functional/testlib.bash
+++ b/test/functional/testlib.bash
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ export TEST_NAME_SHORT="$TEST_NAME"
 export THEME_DIRNAME
 export FUNC_DIR
 export SWUPD_DIR="$FUNC_DIR/../.."
-export SWUPD_CONFIG_DIR="$SWUPD_DIR"/testconfig
+export SWUPD_CONFIG_DIR="$TEST_NAME"/testconfig
 export SWUPD_CONFIG_FILE="$SWUPD_CONFIG_DIR"/config
 
 # detect where the swupd binary is
@@ -1784,14 +1784,14 @@ create_config_file() { # swupd_function
 		destroy_config_file
 	fi
 
-	mkdir -p "$SWUPD_CONFIG_DIR"
-	touch "$SWUPD_CONFIG_FILE"
+	sudo mkdir -p "$SWUPD_CONFIG_DIR"
+	sudo touch "$SWUPD_CONFIG_FILE"
 
 }
 
 destroy_config_file() { # swupd_function
 
-	rm -rf "$SWUPD_CONFIG_DIR"
+	sudo rm -rf "$SWUPD_CONFIG_DIR"
 	# we need to make sure the config file is deleted before
 	# another test is run so it does not interfere with it since
 	# the config file is common and shared by all commands
@@ -1818,9 +1818,9 @@ add_option_to_config_file() { # swupd_function
 	validate_param "$value"
 
 	if [ -n "$section" ]; then
-		echo "[$section]" >> "$SWUPD_CONFIG_FILE"
+		write_to_protected_file -a "$SWUPD_CONFIG_FILE" "[$section]\n"
 	fi
-	echo "$option"="$value" >> "$SWUPD_CONFIG_FILE"
+	write_to_protected_file -a "$SWUPD_CONFIG_FILE" "$option=$value\n"
 
 }
 
diff --git a/test/functional/usability/usa-config-file.bats b/test/functional/usability/usa-config-file.bats
index 3dba5d55..8fd46597 100755
--- a/test/functional/usability/usa-config-file.bats
+++ b/test/functional/usability/usa-config-file.bats
@@ -7,13 +7,6 @@ load "../testlib"
 
 global_setup() {
 
-	# Skip this test for local development because it needs an special config
-	# flag. To run this test locally, configure swupd with
-	# --with-config-file-path=./testconfig and run: TRAVIS=true make check
-	if [ -z "${TRAVIS}" ]; then
-		return
-	fi
-
 	create_test_environment "$TEST_NAME"
 	create_bundle -n test-bundle -f /file_1 "$TEST_NAME"
 
@@ -21,9 +14,6 @@ global_setup() {
 
 test_setup() {
 
-	if [ -z "$TRAVIS" ]; then
-		skip "This test is intended to run only in Travis (use TRAVIS=true to run it anyway)..."
-	fi
 	create_config_file
 
 }
@@ -46,6 +36,7 @@ global_teardown() {
 
 	add_option_to_config_file json_output true
 
+	cd "$TEST_NAME" || exit 1
 	run sudo sh -c "$SWUPD bundle-add $SWUPD_OPTS test-bundle"
 
 	assert_status_is "$SWUPD_OK"
@@ -71,6 +62,7 @@ global_teardown() {
 
 	add_option_to_config_file json_output true GLOBAL
 
+	cd "$TEST_NAME" || exit 1
 	run sudo sh -c "$SWUPD info $SWUPD_OPTS"
 
 	assert_status_is "$SWUPD_OK"
@@ -96,6 +88,7 @@ global_teardown() {
 
 	add_option_to_config_file json_output true info
 
+	cd "$TEST_NAME" || exit 1
 	run sudo sh -c "$SWUPD info $SWUPD_OPTS"
 
 	assert_status_is "$SWUPD_OK"
@@ -124,6 +117,7 @@ global_teardown() {
 	add_option_to_config_file json_output true global
 	add_option_to_config_file json_output false check-update
 
+	cd "$TEST_NAME" || exit 1
 	run sudo sh -c "$SWUPD info $SWUPD_OPTS"
 
 	assert_status_is 0
@@ -151,6 +145,7 @@ global_teardown() {
 
 	add_option_to_config_file picky true diagnose
 
+	cd "$TEST_NAME" || exit 1
 	run sudo sh -c "$SWUPD diagnose $SWUPD_OPTS"
 	assert_status_is "$SWUPD_NO"
 	expected_output=$(cat <<-EOM
@@ -167,6 +162,7 @@ global_teardown() {
 
 	add_option_to_config_file url https://someurl.com global
 
+	cd "$TEST_NAME" || exit 1
 	run sudo sh -c "$SWUPD info $SWUPD_OPTS -v https://anotherurl.com"
 	assert_status_is "$SWUPD_OK"
 	expected_output=$(cat <<-EOM
@@ -187,6 +183,7 @@ global_teardown() {
 	add_option_to_config_file picky true diagnose
 	add_option_to_config_file picky_tree /fake/path
 
+	cd "$TEST_NAME" || exit 1
 	run sudo sh -c "$SWUPD diagnose $SWUPD_OPTS --picky-tree /usr/lib"
 	assert_status_is "$SWUPD_NO"
 	expected_output=$(cat <<-EOM
@@ -203,6 +200,7 @@ global_teardown() {
 
 	add_option_to_config_file json_output true invalid_section
 
+	cd "$TEST_NAME" || exit 1
 	run sudo sh -c "$SWUPD info $SWUPD_OPTS"
 	assert_status_is "$SWUPD_OK"
 	expected_output=$(cat <<-EOM
@@ -223,6 +221,7 @@ global_teardown() {
 
 	add_option_to_config_file invalid_option true global
 
+	cd "$TEST_NAME" || exit 1
 	run sudo sh -c "$SWUPD info $SWUPD_OPTS"
 	assert_status_is "$SWUPD_OK"
 	expected_output=$(cat <<-EOM
@@ -243,8 +242,9 @@ global_teardown() {
 	# a warning should be generated and the option should be ignored
 
 	add_option_to_config_file picky true diagnose
-	{ echo "picky-tree="; echo "=true"; echo "picky-tree=/some/path=/usr"; } >> "$SWUPD_CONFIG_FILE"
+	sudo sh -c "{ echo 'picky-tree='; echo '=true'; echo 'picky-tree=/some/path=/usr'; } >> $SWUPD_CONFIG_FILE"
 
+	cd "$TEST_NAME" || exit 1
 	run sudo sh -c "$SWUPD diagnose $SWUPD_OPTS"
 	assert_status_is "$SWUPD_NO"
 	expected_output=$(cat <<-EOM