diff --git a/bindings/python-cffi/notmuch2/_database.py b/bindings/python-cffi/notmuch2/_database.py
index 14a8f15c..d7485b4d 100644
--- a/bindings/python-cffi/notmuch2/_database.py
+++ b/bindings/python-cffi/notmuch2/_database.py
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ class Database(base.NotmuchObject):
             path = os.fsencode(path)
         return path
 
-    def __init__(self, path=None, mode=MODE.READ_ONLY, config=CONFIG.EMPTY):
+    def __init__(self, path=None, mode=MODE.READ_ONLY, config=CONFIG.SEARCH):
         if isinstance(mode, str):
             mode = self.STR_MODE_MAP[mode]
         self.mode = mode
diff --git a/bindings/python-cffi/tests/test_config.py b/bindings/python-cffi/tests/test_config.py
index 1b2695f5..67b0dea4 100644
--- a/bindings/python-cffi/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/bindings/python-cffi/tests/test_config.py
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ class TestIter:
 
     def test_set_get(self, maildir):
         # Ensure get-set works from different db objects
-        with dbmod.Database.create(maildir.path) as db0:
+        with dbmod.Database.create(maildir.path, config=dbmod.Database.CONFIG.EMPTY) as db0:
             db0.config['spam'] = 'ham'
-        with dbmod.Database(maildir.path) as db1:
+        with dbmod.Database(maildir.path, config=dbmod.Database.CONFIG.EMPTY) as db1:
             assert db1.config['spam'] == 'ham'
 
     def test_get_keyerror(self, db):
diff --git a/bindings/python-cffi/tests/test_database.py b/bindings/python-cffi/tests/test_database.py
index 9b3219c0..f1d12ea6 100644
--- a/bindings/python-cffi/tests/test_database.py
+++ b/bindings/python-cffi/tests/test_database.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import notmuch2._message as message
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def db(maildir):
-    with dbmod.Database.create(maildir.path) as db:
+    with dbmod.Database.create(maildir.path, config=notmuch2.Database.CONFIG.EMPTY) as db:
         yield db
 
 
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ class TestQuery:
         maildir.deliver(body='baz',
                         headers=[('In-Reply-To', '<{}>'.format(msgid))])
         notmuch('new')
-        with dbmod.Database(maildir.path, 'rw') as db:
+        with dbmod.Database(maildir.path, 'rw', config=notmuch2.Database.CONFIG.EMPTY) as db:
             yield db
 
     def test_count_messages(self, db):
diff --git a/bindings/python-cffi/tests/test_tags.py b/bindings/python-cffi/tests/test_tags.py
index faf3947b..f2c6209d 100644
--- a/bindings/python-cffi/tests/test_tags.py
+++ b/bindings/python-cffi/tests/test_tags.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class TestImmutable:
         """
         maildir.deliver()
         notmuch('new')
-        with database.Database(maildir.path) as db:
+        with database.Database(maildir.path, config=database.Database.CONFIG.EMPTY) as db:
             yield db.tags
 
     def test_type(self, tagset):
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class TestImmutable:
     def test_hash(self, tagset, maildir, notmuch):
         h0 = hash(tagset)
         notmuch('tag', '+foo', '*')
-        with database.Database(maildir.path) as db:
+        with database.Database(maildir.path, config=database.Database.CONFIG.EMPTY) as db:
             h1 = hash(db.tags)
         assert h0 != h1
 
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class TestImmutable:
 
     def test_neq(self, tagset, maildir, notmuch):
         notmuch('tag', '+foo', '*')
-        with database.Database(maildir.path) as db:
+        with database.Database(maildir.path, config=database.Database.CONFIG.EMPTY) as db:
             assert tagset != db.tags
 
     def test_contains(self, tagset):
@@ -159,7 +159,8 @@ class TestMutableTagset:
         _, pathname = maildir.deliver()
         notmuch('new')
         with database.Database(maildir.path,
-                               mode=database.Mode.READ_WRITE) as db:
+                               mode=database.Mode.READ_WRITE,
+                               config=database.Database.CONFIG.EMPTY) as db:
             msg = db.get(pathname)
             yield msg.tags
 
@@ -195,7 +196,8 @@ class TestMutableTagset:
         _, pathname = maildir.deliver(flagged=True)
         notmuch('new')
         with database.Database(maildir.path,
-                               mode=database.Mode.READ_WRITE) as db:
+                               mode=database.Mode.READ_WRITE,
+                               config=database.Database.CONFIG.EMPTY) as db:
             msg = db.get(pathname)
             msg.tags.discard('flagged')
             msg.tags.from_maildir_flags()
@@ -205,7 +207,8 @@ class TestMutableTagset:
         _, pathname = maildir.deliver(flagged=True)
         notmuch('new')
         with database.Database(maildir.path,
-                               mode=database.Mode.READ_WRITE) as db:
+                               mode=database.Mode.READ_WRITE,
+                               config=database.Database.CONFIG.EMPTY) as db:
             msg = db.get(pathname)
             flags = msg.path.name.split(',')[-1]
             assert 'F' in flags
diff --git a/bindings/python-cffi/tests/test_thread.py b/bindings/python-cffi/tests/test_thread.py
index 1f44b35d..afdbcfe0 100644
--- a/bindings/python-cffi/tests/test_thread.py
+++ b/bindings/python-cffi/tests/test_thread.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ def thread(maildir, notmuch):
     maildir.deliver(body='bar',
                     headers=[('In-Reply-To', '<{}>'.format(msgid))])
     notmuch('new')
-    with notmuch2.Database(maildir.path) as db:
+    with notmuch2.Database(maildir.path, config=notmuch2.Database.CONFIG.EMPTY) as db:
         yield next(db.threads('foo'))