diff --git a/tools/testing/kunit/kunit.py b/tools/testing/kunit/kunit.py
index 787b6d4ad716..2ece17e9eab5 100755
--- a/tools/testing/kunit/kunit.py
+++ b/tools/testing/kunit/kunit.py
@@ -238,12 +238,6 @@ def main(argv, linux=None):
 	if cli_args.subcommand == 'run':
 		if not os.path.exists(cli_args.build_dir):
 			os.mkdir(cli_args.build_dir)
-		kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path = os.path.join(
-			cli_args.build_dir,
-			kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path)
-
-		if not os.path.exists(kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path):
-			create_default_kunitconfig()
 
 		if not linux:
 			linux = kunit_kernel.LinuxSourceTree()
@@ -261,12 +255,6 @@ def main(argv, linux=None):
 		if cli_args.build_dir:
 			if not os.path.exists(cli_args.build_dir):
 				os.mkdir(cli_args.build_dir)
-			kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path = os.path.join(
-				cli_args.build_dir,
-				kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path)
-
-		if not os.path.exists(kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path):
-			create_default_kunitconfig()
 
 		if not linux:
 			linux = kunit_kernel.LinuxSourceTree()
@@ -283,12 +271,6 @@ def main(argv, linux=None):
 		if cli_args.build_dir:
 			if not os.path.exists(cli_args.build_dir):
 				os.mkdir(cli_args.build_dir)
-			kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path = os.path.join(
-				cli_args.build_dir,
-				kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path)
-
-		if not os.path.exists(kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path):
-			create_default_kunitconfig()
 
 		if not linux:
 			linux = kunit_kernel.LinuxSourceTree()
@@ -307,12 +289,6 @@ def main(argv, linux=None):
 		if cli_args.build_dir:
 			if not os.path.exists(cli_args.build_dir):
 				os.mkdir(cli_args.build_dir)
-			kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path = os.path.join(
-				cli_args.build_dir,
-				kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path)
-
-		if not os.path.exists(kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path):
-			create_default_kunitconfig()
 
 		if not linux:
 			linux = kunit_kernel.LinuxSourceTree()
diff --git a/tools/testing/kunit/kunit_tool_test.py b/tools/testing/kunit/kunit_tool_test.py
index f0da3f565577..ebedfc57a39b 100755
--- a/tools/testing/kunit/kunit_tool_test.py
+++ b/tools/testing/kunit/kunit_tool_test.py
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ class KUnitMainTest(unittest.TestCase):
 		pass
 
 	def test_config_passes_args_pass(self):
-		kunit.main(['config'], self.linux_source_mock)
+		kunit.main(['config', '--build_dir=.kunit'], self.linux_source_mock)
 		assert self.linux_source_mock.build_reconfig.call_count == 1
 		assert self.linux_source_mock.run_kernel.call_count == 0
 
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ class KUnitMainTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
 	def test_run_builddir(self):
 		build_dir = '.kunit'
-		kunit.main(['run', '--build_dir', build_dir], self.linux_source_mock)
+		kunit.main(['run', '--build_dir=.kunit'], self.linux_source_mock)
 		assert self.linux_source_mock.build_reconfig.call_count == 1
 		self.linux_source_mock.run_kernel.assert_called_once_with(
 			build_dir=build_dir, timeout=300)