diff --git a/test/T560-lib-error.sh b/test/T560-lib-error.sh
index 1d45dc7d..470537cc 100755
--- a/test/T560-lib-error.sh
+++ b/test/T560-lib-error.sh
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@ int main (int argc, char** argv)
 {
     notmuch_database_t *db;
     notmuch_status_t stat;
-    stat = notmuch_database_open (NULL, 0, 0);
+    char* msg = NULL;
+    stat = notmuch_database_open_with_config (NULL,
+					      NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_ONLY,
+					      "", NULL, &db, &msg);
+    if (msg) fputs (msg, stderr);
 }
 EOF
 cat <<'EOF' >EXPECTED
@@ -34,7 +38,11 @@ int main (int argc, char** argv)
 {
     notmuch_database_t *db;
     notmuch_status_t stat;
-    stat = notmuch_database_open ("./nonexistent/foo", 0, 0);
+    char *msg = NULL;
+    stat = notmuch_database_open_with_config ("./nonexistent/foo",
+					     NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_ONLY,
+					     "", NULL, &db, &msg);
+    if (msg) fputs (msg, stderr);
 }
 EOF
 cat <<'EOF' >EXPECTED
@@ -70,7 +78,11 @@ int main (int argc, char** argv)
 {
     notmuch_database_t *db;
     notmuch_status_t stat;
-    stat = notmuch_database_open (argv[1], 0, 0);
+    char* msg = NULL;
+    stat = notmuch_database_open_with_config (argv[1],
+					      NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_ONLY,
+					      "", NULL, &db, &msg);
+    if (msg) fputs (msg, stderr);
 }
 EOF
 cat <<'EOF' >EXPECTED
@@ -123,7 +135,11 @@ int main (int argc, char** argv)
 {
    notmuch_database_t *db;
    notmuch_status_t stat;
-   stat = notmuch_database_open (argv[1], NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_ONLY, &db);
+   char* msg = NULL;
+   stat = notmuch_database_open_with_config (argv[1],
+					     NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_ONLY,
+					     "", NULL, &db, &msg);
+   if (msg) fputs (msg, stderr);
    if (stat != NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS) {
      fprintf (stderr, "error opening database: %d\n", stat);
    }
@@ -148,7 +164,9 @@ int main (int argc, char** argv)
 {
    notmuch_database_t *db;
    notmuch_status_t stat;
-   stat = notmuch_database_open (argv[1], NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_WRITE, &db);
+   stat = notmuch_database_open_with_config (argv[1],
+					     NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_WRITE,
+					     "", NULL, &db, NULL);
    if (stat != NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS) {
      fprintf (stderr, "error opening database: %d\n", stat);
    }
diff --git a/test/T570-revision-tracking.sh b/test/T570-revision-tracking.sh
index a59e7c98..e1cc684d 100755
--- a/test/T570-revision-tracking.sh
+++ b/test/T570-revision-tracking.sh
@@ -19,7 +19,12 @@ int main (int argc, char** argv)
 
    unsigned long rev;
 
-   stat = notmuch_database_open (argv[1], NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_ONLY, &db);
+   char* msg = NULL;
+   stat = notmuch_database_open_with_config (argv[1],
+					     NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_ONLY,
+					     "", NULL, &db, &msg);
+   if (msg) fputs (msg, stderr);
+
    if (stat)
        fputs ("open failed\n", stderr);
    revision = notmuch_database_get_revision (db, &uuid);
diff --git a/test/T610-message-property.sh b/test/T610-message-property.sh
index 4ec85474..2685f3b5 100755
--- a/test/T610-message-property.sh
+++ b/test/T610-message-property.sh
@@ -23,8 +23,12 @@ int main (int argc, char** argv)
    notmuch_message_t *message = NULL;
    const char *val;
    notmuch_status_t stat;
+   char* msg = NULL;
 
-   EXPECT0(notmuch_database_open (argv[1], NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_WRITE, &db));
+   EXPECT0(notmuch_database_open_with_config (argv[1],
+					      NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_WRITE,
+					      "", NULL, &db, &msg));
+   if (msg) fputs (msg, stderr);
    EXPECT0(notmuch_database_find_message(db, "4EFC743A.3060609@april.org", &message));
    if (message == NULL) {
 	fprintf (stderr, "unable to find message");
diff --git a/test/T620-lock.sh b/test/T620-lock.sh
index 8f4c380f..99cc7010 100755
--- a/test/T620-lock.sh
+++ b/test/T620-lock.sh
@@ -40,15 +40,25 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 
     if (child == 0) {
 	notmuch_database_t *db2;
+	char* msg = NULL;
 
 	sleep (1);
-	EXPECT0 (notmuch_database_open (path, NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_WRITE, &db2));
+
+        EXPECT0(notmuch_database_open_with_config (argv[1],
+					           NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_WRITE,
+					           "", NULL, &db2, &msg));
+        if (msg) fputs (msg, stderr);
+
 	taggit (db2, "child");
 	EXPECT0 (notmuch_database_close (db2));
     } else {
 	notmuch_database_t *db;
+	char* msg = NULL;
 
-	EXPECT0 (notmuch_database_open (path, NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_WRITE, &db));
+        EXPECT0(notmuch_database_open_with_config (argv[1],
+					           NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_WRITE,
+					           "", NULL, &db, &msg));
+        if (msg) fputs (msg, stderr);
 	taggit (db, "parent");
 	sleep (2);
 	EXPECT0 (notmuch_database_close (db));
diff --git a/test/T640-database-modified.sh b/test/T640-database-modified.sh
index 636b20c7..2c3fa735 100755
--- a/test/T640-database-modified.sh
+++ b/test/T640-database-modified.sh
@@ -23,14 +23,22 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
     notmuch_query_t *query;
     notmuch_tags_t *tags;
     int i;
+    char* msg = NULL;
 
-    EXPECT0 (notmuch_database_open (path, NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_ONLY, &ro_db));
+    EXPECT0(notmuch_database_open_with_config (argv[1],
+					       NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_ONLY,
+					       "", NULL, &ro_db, &msg));
+    if (msg) fputs (msg, stderr);
     assert(ro_db);
 
     EXPECT0 (notmuch_database_find_message (ro_db, "${first_id}", &ro_message));
     assert(ro_message);
 
-    EXPECT0 (notmuch_database_open (path, NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_WRITE, &rw_db));
+    EXPECT0(notmuch_database_open_with_config (argv[1],
+					       NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_WRITE,
+					       "", NULL, &rw_db, &msg));
+    if (msg) fputs (msg, stderr);
+
     query = notmuch_query_create(rw_db, "");
     EXPECT0 (notmuch_query_search_messages (query, &messages));
 
diff --git a/test/T720-lib-lifetime.sh b/test/T720-lib-lifetime.sh
index 3d94d4df..e5afeaa2 100755
--- a/test/T720-lib-lifetime.sh
+++ b/test/T720-lib-lifetime.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,13 @@ int main (int argc, char** argv)
 {
    notmuch_database_t *db;
    notmuch_status_t stat;
-   stat = notmuch_database_open (argv[1], NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_ONLY, &db);
+   char* msg = NULL;
+
+   stat = notmuch_database_open_with_config (argv[1],
+					     NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_ONLY,
+					     "", NULL, &db, &msg);
+   if (msg) fputs (msg, stderr);
+
    if (stat != NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS) {
      fprintf (stderr, "error opening database: %d\n", stat);
      exit (1);