diff --git a/lib/config.cc b/lib/config.cc
index 6993e67f..483a02ef 100644
--- a/lib/config.cc
+++ b/lib/config.cc
@@ -496,5 +496,8 @@ notmuch_config_set (notmuch_database_t *notmuch, notmuch_config_key_t key, const
 void
 _notmuch_config_cache (notmuch_database_t *notmuch, notmuch_config_key_t key, const char *val)
 {
+    if (notmuch->config == NULL)
+	notmuch->config = _notmuch_string_map_create (notmuch);
+
     _notmuch_string_map_set (notmuch->config, _notmuch_config_key_to_string (key), val);
 }
diff --git a/lib/database-private.h b/lib/database-private.h
index d936b216..2900382d 100644
--- a/lib/database-private.h
+++ b/lib/database-private.h
@@ -189,9 +189,6 @@ operator& (notmuch_field_flag_t a, notmuch_field_flag_t b)
 struct _notmuch_database {
     bool exception_reported;
 
-    /* Path to database parent directory and or/mail root */
-    char *path;
-
     /* Path to actual database */
     const char *xapian_path;
 
diff --git a/lib/database.cc b/lib/database.cc
index fc13b53b..580b2d58 100644
--- a/lib/database.cc
+++ b/lib/database.cc
@@ -752,7 +752,7 @@ notmuch_database_destroy (notmuch_database_t *notmuch)
 const char *
 notmuch_database_get_path (notmuch_database_t *notmuch)
 {
-    return notmuch->path;
+    return notmuch_config_get (notmuch, NOTMUCH_CONFIG_DATABASE_PATH);
 }
 
 unsigned int
diff --git a/lib/open.cc b/lib/open.cc
index 8bd73d6a..7fc9a14f 100644
--- a/lib/open.cc
+++ b/lib/open.cc
@@ -209,6 +209,17 @@ _alloc_notmuch ()
     return notmuch;
 }
 
+static void
+_set_database_path (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
+		    const char *database_path)
+{
+    char *path = talloc_strdup (notmuch, database_path);
+
+    strip_trailing (path, '/');
+
+    _notmuch_config_cache (notmuch, NOTMUCH_CONFIG_DATABASE_PATH, path);
+}
+
 notmuch_status_t
 notmuch_database_open_with_config (const char *database_path,
 				   notmuch_database_mode_t mode,
@@ -238,8 +249,7 @@ notmuch_database_open_with_config (const char *database_path,
 					 &key_file, &database_path, &message)))
 	goto DONE;
 
-    notmuch->path = talloc_strdup (notmuch, database_path);
-    strip_trailing (notmuch->path, '/');
+    _set_database_path (notmuch, database_path);
 
     if (! (notmuch_path = talloc_asprintf (local, "%s/%s", database_path, ".notmuch"))) {
 	message = strdup ("Out of memory\n");