diff --git a/clients/desktop-shell.c b/clients/desktop-shell.c
index 381f387e..599c0a5b 100644
--- a/clients/desktop-shell.c
+++ b/clients/desktop-shell.c
@@ -1280,17 +1280,13 @@ panel_add_launchers(struct panel *panel, struct desktop *desktop)
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	struct desktop desktop = { 0 };
-	int config_fd;
 	struct output *output;
 	struct weston_config_section *s;
 
 	desktop.unlock_task.run = unlock_dialog_finish;
 	wl_list_init(&desktop.outputs);
 
-	config_fd = open_config_file("weston.ini");
-	desktop.config = weston_config_parse(config_fd);
-	close(config_fd);
-
+	desktop.config = weston_config_parse("weston.ini");
 	s = weston_config_get_section(desktop.config, "shell", NULL, NULL);
 	weston_config_section_get_bool(s, "locking", &desktop.locking, 1);
 
diff --git a/clients/tablet-shell.c b/clients/tablet-shell.c
index 7af6ac8e..094823c4 100644
--- a/clients/tablet-shell.c
+++ b/clients/tablet-shell.c
@@ -412,7 +412,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	struct tablet tablet = { 0 };
 	struct display *display;
-	int config_fd;
 	struct output *output;
 	struct weston_config *config;
 	struct weston_config_section *s;
@@ -438,10 +437,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	wl_list_init(&tablet.homescreen->launcher_list);
 
-	config_fd = open_config_file("weston.ini");
-	config = weston_config_parse(config_fd);
-	close(config_fd);
-
+	config = weston_config_parse("weston.ini");
 	s = weston_config_get_section(config, "shell", NULL, NULL);
 	weston_config_section_get_string(s, "lockscreen-icon",
 					 &key_lockscreen_icon, NULL);
diff --git a/clients/terminal.c b/clients/terminal.c
index c45c7764..cec1d67e 100644
--- a/clients/terminal.c
+++ b/clients/terminal.c
@@ -2793,7 +2793,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	struct terminal *terminal;
 	struct weston_config *config;
 	struct weston_config_section *s;
-	int config_fd;
 
 	/* as wcwidth is locale-dependent,
 	   wcwidth needs setlocale call to function properly. */
@@ -2803,10 +2802,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (!option_shell)
 		option_shell = "/bin/bash";
 
-	config_fd = open_config_file("weston.ini");
-	config = weston_config_parse(config_fd);
-	close(config_fd);
-
+	config = weston_config_parse("weston.ini");
 	s = weston_config_get_section(config, "terminal", NULL, NULL);
 	weston_config_section_get_string(s, "font", &option_font, "mono");
 	weston_config_section_get_int(s, "font-size", &option_font_size, 14);
diff --git a/clients/window.c b/clients/window.c
index 8d4ee3a7..5b20da57 100644
--- a/clients/window.c
+++ b/clients/window.c
@@ -1309,15 +1309,12 @@ create_cursors(struct display *display)
 {
 	struct weston_config *config;
 	struct weston_config_section *s;
-	int config_fd, size;
+	int size;
 	char *theme = NULL;
 	unsigned int i, j;
 	struct wl_cursor *cursor;
 
-	config_fd = open_config_file("weston.ini");
-	config = weston_config_parse(config_fd);
-	close(config_fd);
-
+	config = weston_config_parse("weston.ini");
 	s = weston_config_get_section(config, "shell", NULL, NULL);
 	weston_config_section_get_string(s, "cursor-theme", &theme, NULL);
 	weston_config_section_get_int(s, "cursor-size", &size, 32);
diff --git a/shared/config-parser.c b/shared/config-parser.c
index d5491c27..1cee946b 100644
--- a/shared/config-parser.c
+++ b/shared/config-parser.c
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 	const __typeof__( ((type *)0)->member ) *__mptr = (ptr);	\
 	(type *)( (char *)__mptr - offsetof(type,member) );})
 
-int
+static int
 open_config_file(const char *name)
 {
 	const char *config_dir  = getenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME");
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ open_config_file(const char *name)
 	const char *p, *next;
 	int fd;
 
+	if (name[0] == '/')
+		return open(name, O_RDONLY | O_CLOEXEC);
+
 	/* Precedence is given to config files in the home directory,
 	 * and then to directories listed in XDG_CONFIG_DIRS and
 	 * finally to the current working directory. */
@@ -312,13 +315,13 @@ section_add_entry(struct weston_config_section *section,
 }
 
 struct weston_config *
-weston_config_parse(int fd)
+weston_config_parse(const char *name)
 {
 	FILE *fp;
 	char line[512], *p;
 	struct weston_config *config;
 	struct weston_config_section *section = NULL;
-	int i;
+	int i, fd;
 
 	config = malloc(sizeof *config);
 	if (config == NULL)
@@ -326,13 +329,17 @@ weston_config_parse(int fd)
 
 	wl_list_init(&config->section_list);
 
-	fp = fdopen(dup(fd), "r");
-	if (fp == NULL) {
+	fd = open_config_file(name);
+	if (fd == -1) {
 		free(config);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	rewind(fp);
+	fp = fdopen(fd, "r");
+	if (fp == NULL) {
+		free(config);
+		return NULL;
+	}
 
 	while (fgets(line, sizeof line, fp)) {
 		switch (line[0]) {
diff --git a/shared/config-parser.h b/shared/config-parser.h
index fc6195b0..56e390f6 100644
--- a/shared/config-parser.h
+++ b/shared/config-parser.h
@@ -47,9 +47,6 @@ struct config_section {
 	void (*done)(void *data);
 };
 
-int
-open_config_file(const char *name);
-
 enum weston_option_type {
 	WESTON_OPTION_INTEGER,
 	WESTON_OPTION_UNSIGNED_INTEGER,
@@ -96,7 +93,7 @@ weston_config_section_get_bool(struct weston_config_section *section,
 			       const char *key,
 			       int *value, int default_value);
 struct weston_config *
-weston_config_parse(int fd);
+weston_config_parse(const char *name);
 
 void
 weston_config_destroy(struct weston_config *config);
diff --git a/src/compositor.c b/src/compositor.c
index f94392c0..0abc93bf 100644
--- a/src/compositor.c
+++ b/src/compositor.c
@@ -3418,7 +3418,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		*(*backend_init)(struct wl_display *display,
 				 int *argc, char *argv[],
 				 struct weston_config *config);
-	int i, config_fd;
+	int i;
 	char *backend = NULL;
 	char *shell = NULL;
 	char *modules, *option_modules = NULL;
@@ -3486,10 +3486,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			backend = WESTON_NATIVE_BACKEND;
 	}
 
-	config_fd = open_config_file("weston.ini");
-	config = weston_config_parse(config_fd);
-	close(config_fd);
-
+	config = weston_config_parse("weston.ini");
 	section = weston_config_get_section(config, "core", NULL, NULL);
 	weston_config_section_get_string(section, "modules", &modules, "");
 
diff --git a/tests/config-parser-test.c b/tests/config-parser-test.c
index 83e89ba4..4b8fc7e7 100644
--- a/tests/config-parser-test.c
+++ b/tests/config-parser-test.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ run_test(const char *text)
 	len = write(fd, text, strlen(text));
 	assert(len == (int) strlen(text));
 
-	config = weston_config_parse(fd);
+	config = weston_config_parse(file);
 	close(fd);
 	unlink(file);