diff --git a/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp b/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp
index ed20942ba9..0d1d92390e 100644
--- a/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp
+++ b/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ static int AppInitRPC(int argc, char* argv[])
         }
         return EXIT_SUCCESS;
     }
-    if (!CheckDataDirOption()) {
+    if (!CheckDataDirOption(gArgs)) {
         tfm::format(std::cerr, "Error: Specified data directory \"%s\" does not exist.\n", gArgs.GetArg("-datadir", ""));
         return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
@@ -817,7 +817,7 @@ static UniValue CallRPC(BaseRequestHandler* rh, const std::string& strMethod, co
         if (failedToGetAuthCookie) {
             throw std::runtime_error(strprintf(
                 "Could not locate RPC credentials. No authentication cookie could be found, and RPC password is not set.  See -rpcpassword and -stdinrpcpass.  Configuration file: (%s)",
-                fs::PathToString(GetConfigFile(gArgs.GetPathArg("-conf", BITCOIN_CONF_FILENAME)))));
+                fs::PathToString(gArgs.GetConfigFilePath())));
         } else {
             throw std::runtime_error("Authorization failed: Incorrect rpcuser or rpcpassword");
         }
diff --git a/src/bitcoin-wallet.cpp b/src/bitcoin-wallet.cpp
index b515f88b3d..596ac3c130 100644
--- a/src/bitcoin-wallet.cpp
+++ b/src/bitcoin-wallet.cpp
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ static std::optional<int> WalletAppInit(ArgsManager& args, int argc, char* argv[
     // check for printtoconsole, allow -debug
     LogInstance().m_print_to_console = args.GetBoolArg("-printtoconsole", args.GetBoolArg("-debug", false));
 
-    if (!CheckDataDirOption()) {
+    if (!CheckDataDirOption(args)) {
         tfm::format(std::cerr, "Error: Specified data directory \"%s\" does not exist.\n", args.GetArg("-datadir", ""));
         return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
diff --git a/src/bitcoind.cpp b/src/bitcoind.cpp
index e17fda8b9c..6b7f64b9b3 100644
--- a/src/bitcoind.cpp
+++ b/src/bitcoind.cpp
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ static bool AppInit(NodeContext& node, int argc, char* argv[])
     std::any context{&node};
     try
     {
-        if (!CheckDataDirOption()) {
+        if (!CheckDataDirOption(args)) {
             return InitError(Untranslated(strprintf("Specified data directory \"%s\" does not exist.\n", args.GetArg("-datadir", ""))));
         }
         if (!args.ReadConfigFiles(error, true)) {
diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index 505a9c2773..7c2ca708b7 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ const char * const BITCOIN_PID_FILENAME = "elementsd.pid";
 
 static fs::path GetPidFile(const ArgsManager& args)
 {
-    return AbsPathForConfigVal(args.GetPathArg("-pid", BITCOIN_PID_FILENAME));
+    return AbsPathForConfigVal(args, args.GetPathArg("-pid", BITCOIN_PID_FILENAME));
 }
 
 [[nodiscard]] static bool CreatePidFile(const ArgsManager& args)
diff --git a/src/init/common.cpp b/src/init/common.cpp
index e1a37d7db9..791424f5f6 100644
--- a/src/init/common.cpp
+++ b/src/init/common.cpp
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ void AddLoggingArgs(ArgsManager& argsman)
 void SetLoggingOptions(const ArgsManager& args)
 {
     LogInstance().m_print_to_file = !args.IsArgNegated("-debuglogfile");
-    LogInstance().m_file_path = AbsPathForConfigVal(args.GetPathArg("-debuglogfile", DEFAULT_DEBUGLOGFILE));
+    LogInstance().m_file_path = AbsPathForConfigVal(args, args.GetPathArg("-debuglogfile", DEFAULT_DEBUGLOGFILE));
     LogInstance().m_print_to_console = args.GetBoolArg("-printtoconsole", !args.GetBoolArg("-daemon", false));
     LogInstance().m_log_timestamps = args.GetBoolArg("-logtimestamps", DEFAULT_LOGTIMESTAMPS);
     LogInstance().m_log_time_micros = args.GetBoolArg("-logtimemicros", DEFAULT_LOGTIMEMICROS);
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ bool StartLogging(const ArgsManager& args)
     LogPrintf("Using data directory %s\n", fs::PathToString(gArgs.GetDataDirNet()));
 
     // Only log conf file usage message if conf file actually exists.
-    fs::path config_file_path = GetConfigFile(args.GetPathArg("-conf", BITCOIN_CONF_FILENAME));
+    fs::path config_file_path = args.GetConfigFilePath();
     if (fs::exists(config_file_path)) {
         LogPrintf("Config file: %s\n", fs::PathToString(config_file_path));
     } else if (args.IsArgSet("-conf")) {
diff --git a/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp b/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp
index 726ff78c71..a5378e84b8 100644
--- a/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ int GuiMain(int argc, char* argv[])
     if (!Intro::showIfNeeded(did_show_intro, prune_MiB)) return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 
     /// 6a. Determine availability of data directory
-    if (!CheckDataDirOption()) {
+    if (!CheckDataDirOption(gArgs)) {
         InitError(strprintf(Untranslated("Specified data directory \"%s\" does not exist.\n"), gArgs.GetArg("-datadir", "")));
         QMessageBox::critical(nullptr, PACKAGE_NAME,
             QObject::tr("Error: Specified data directory \"%1\" does not exist.").arg(QString::fromStdString(gArgs.GetArg("-datadir", ""))));
diff --git a/src/qt/guiutil.cpp b/src/qt/guiutil.cpp
index c9106bda92..f7206b1cb6 100644
--- a/src/qt/guiutil.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/guiutil.cpp
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ void openDebugLogfile()
 
 bool openBitcoinConf()
 {
-    fs::path pathConfig = GetConfigFile(gArgs.GetPathArg("-conf", BITCOIN_CONF_FILENAME));
+    fs::path pathConfig = gArgs.GetConfigFilePath();
 
     /* Create the file */
     std::ofstream configFile{pathConfig, std::ios_base::app};
diff --git a/src/rpc/request.cpp b/src/rpc/request.cpp
index 96b56ce8d1..8ac7eff94c 100644
--- a/src/rpc/request.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/request.cpp
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ static fs::path GetAuthCookieFile(bool temp=false)
     if (temp) {
         arg += ".tmp";
     }
-    return AbsPathForConfigVal(arg);
+    return AbsPathForConfigVal(gArgs, arg);
 }
 
 bool GenerateAuthCookie(std::string *cookie_out)
diff --git a/src/util/system.cpp b/src/util/system.cpp
index 4c7bb47c0e..0cc31fde3e 100644
--- a/src/util/system.cpp
+++ b/src/util/system.cpp
@@ -937,15 +937,15 @@ fs::path GetMainchainDefaultDataDir()
 #endif
 }
 
-bool CheckDataDirOption()
+bool CheckDataDirOption(const ArgsManager& args)
 {
-    const fs::path datadir{gArgs.GetPathArg("-datadir")};
+    const fs::path datadir{args.GetPathArg("-datadir")};
     return datadir.empty() || fs::is_directory(fs::absolute(datadir));
 }
 
-fs::path GetConfigFile(const fs::path& configuration_file_path)
+fs::path GetConfigFile(const ArgsManager& args, const fs::path& configuration_file_path)
 {
-    return AbsPathForConfigVal(configuration_file_path, /*net_specific=*/false);
+    return AbsPathForConfigVal(args, configuration_file_path, /*net_specific=*/false);
 }
 
 static bool GetConfigOptions(std::istream& stream, const std::string& filepath, std::string& error, std::vector<std::pair<std::string, std::string>>& options, std::list<SectionInfo>& sections)
@@ -1038,7 +1038,7 @@ bool ArgsManager::ReadConfigStream(std::istream& stream, const std::string& file
 
 fs::path ArgsManager::GetConfigFilePath() const
 {
-    return GetConfigFile(GetPathArg("-conf", BITCOIN_CONF_FILENAME));
+    return GetConfigFile(*this, GetPathArg("-conf", BITCOIN_CONF_FILENAME));
 }
 
 bool ArgsManager::ReadConfigFiles(std::string& error, bool ignore_invalid_keys)
@@ -1097,7 +1097,7 @@ bool ArgsManager::ReadConfigFiles(std::string& error, bool ignore_invalid_keys)
             const size_t default_includes = add_includes({});
 
             for (const std::string& conf_file_name : conf_file_names) {
-                std::ifstream conf_file_stream{GetConfigFile(fs::PathFromString(conf_file_name))};
+                std::ifstream conf_file_stream{GetConfigFile(*this, fs::PathFromString(conf_file_name))};
                 if (conf_file_stream.good()) {
                     if (!ReadConfigStream(conf_file_stream, conf_file_name, error, ignore_invalid_keys)) {
                         return false;
@@ -1125,8 +1125,8 @@ bool ArgsManager::ReadConfigFiles(std::string& error, bool ignore_invalid_keys)
     }
 
     // If datadir is changed in .conf file:
-    gArgs.ClearPathCache();
-    if (!CheckDataDirOption()) {
+    ClearPathCache();
+    if (!CheckDataDirOption(*this)) {
         error = strprintf("specified data directory \"%s\" does not exist.", GetArg("-datadir", ""));
         return false;
     }
@@ -1467,12 +1467,12 @@ int64_t GetStartupTime()
     return nStartupTime;
 }
 
-fs::path AbsPathForConfigVal(const fs::path& path, bool net_specific)
+fs::path AbsPathForConfigVal(const ArgsManager& args, const fs::path& path, bool net_specific)
 {
     if (path.is_absolute()) {
         return path;
     }
-    return fsbridge::AbsPathJoin(net_specific ? gArgs.GetDataDirNet() : gArgs.GetDataDirBase(), path);
+    return fsbridge::AbsPathJoin(net_specific ? args.GetDataDirNet() : args.GetDataDirBase(), path);
 }
 
 void ScheduleBatchPriority()
diff --git a/src/util/system.h b/src/util/system.h
index 6c9648e9ea..b3f6a23e12 100644
--- a/src/util/system.h
+++ b/src/util/system.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include <utility>
 #include <vector>
 
+class ArgsManager;
 class UniValue;
 
 // Application startup time (used for uptime calculation)
@@ -97,8 +98,8 @@ bool TryCreateDirectories(const fs::path& p);
 fs::path GetDefaultDataDir();
 fs::path GetMainchainDefaultDataDir();
 // Return true if -datadir option points to a valid directory or is not specified.
-bool CheckDataDirOption();
-fs::path GetConfigFile(const fs::path& configuration_file_path);
+bool CheckDataDirOption(const ArgsManager& args);
+fs::path GetConfigFile(const ArgsManager& args, const fs::path& configuration_file_path);
 #ifdef WIN32
 fs::path GetSpecialFolderPath(int nFolder, bool fCreate = true);
 #endif
@@ -113,11 +114,12 @@ void runCommand(const std::string& strCommand);
  * Most paths passed as configuration arguments are treated as relative to
  * the datadir if they are not absolute.
  *
+ * @param args Parsed arguments and settings.
  * @param path The path to be conditionally prefixed with datadir.
  * @param net_specific Use network specific datadir variant
  * @return The normalized path.
  */
-fs::path AbsPathForConfigVal(const fs::path& path, bool net_specific = true);
+fs::path AbsPathForConfigVal(const ArgsManager& args, const fs::path& path, bool net_specific = true);
 
 inline bool IsSwitchChar(char c)
 {