diff --git a/lib/config.cc b/lib/config.cc
index 8775b00a..e502858d 100644
--- a/lib/config.cc
+++ b/lib/config.cc
@@ -259,7 +259,15 @@ _notmuch_config_load_from_database (notmuch_database_t *notmuch)
 
     for (; notmuch_config_list_valid (list); notmuch_config_list_move_to_next (list)) {
 	const char *key = notmuch_config_list_key (list);
-	char *normalized_val = _expand_path (list, key, notmuch_config_list_value (list));
+	char *normalized_val = NULL;
+
+	/* If we opened from a given path, do not overwrite it */
+	if (strcmp (key, "database.path") == 0 &&
+	    (notmuch->params & NOTMUCH_PARAM_DATABASE) &&
+	    notmuch->xapian_db)
+	    continue;
+
+	normalized_val = _expand_path (list, key, notmuch_config_list_value (list));
 	_notmuch_string_map_append (notmuch->config, key, normalized_val);
 	talloc_free (normalized_val);
     }
@@ -432,6 +440,13 @@ _notmuch_config_load_from_file (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
 		status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_FILE_ERROR;
 		goto DONE;
 	    }
+
+	    /* If we opened from a given path, do not overwrite it */
+	    if (strcmp (absolute_key, "database.path") == 0 &&
+		(notmuch->params & NOTMUCH_PARAM_DATABASE) &&
+		notmuch->xapian_db)
+		continue;
+
 	    normalized_val = _expand_path (notmuch, absolute_key, val);
 	    _notmuch_string_map_set (notmuch->config, absolute_key, normalized_val);
 	    g_free (val);
diff --git a/test/T590-libconfig.sh b/test/T590-libconfig.sh
index 0b3e54f3..9fa51fc0 100755
--- a/test/T590-libconfig.sh
+++ b/test/T590-libconfig.sh
@@ -953,7 +953,6 @@ EOF
 test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT
 
 test_begin_subtest "open: database parameter overrides implicit config"
-test_subtest_known_broken
 notmuch config set database.path ${MAIL_DIR}/nonexistent
 cat c_head3 - c_tail3 <<'EOF' | test_C ${MAIL_DIR}
   const char *path = NULL;