diff --git a/lib/igt_core.c b/lib/igt_core.c
index 1cbb09f9239d34dcf1733b467ef9f4b987b4a2d2..940913c185ee98b062a508f675dc985e01dcbc0c 100644
--- a/lib/igt_core.c
+++ b/lib/igt_core.c
@@ -642,11 +642,21 @@ static void oom_adjust_for_doom(void)
 
 }
 
-static void common_init_config(void)
+/**
+ * load_igtrc:
+ *
+ * Load .igtrc from the path pointed to by #IGT_CONFIG_PATH or from
+ * home directory if that is not set. The returned keyfile needs to be
+ * deallocated using g_key_file_free().
+ *
+ * Returns: Pointer to the keyfile, NULL on error.
+ */
+GKeyFile *igt_load_igtrc(void)
 {
 	char *key_file_env = NULL;
 	char *key_file_loc = NULL;
 	GError *error = NULL;
+	GKeyFile *file;
 	int ret;
 
 	/* Determine igt config path */
@@ -659,19 +669,35 @@ static void common_init_config(void)
 	}
 
 	/* Load igt config file */
-	igt_key_file = g_key_file_new();
-	ret = g_key_file_load_from_file(igt_key_file, key_file_loc,
+	file = g_key_file_new();
+	ret = g_key_file_load_from_file(file, key_file_loc,
 					G_KEY_FILE_NONE, &error);
 	if (!ret) {
 		g_error_free(error);
-		g_key_file_free(igt_key_file);
-		igt_key_file = NULL;
+		g_key_file_free(file);
+		file = NULL;
 
 		goto out;
 	}
 
 	g_clear_error(&error);
 
+ out:
+	if (!key_file_env && key_file_loc)
+		free(key_file_loc);
+
+	return file;
+}
+
+static void common_init_config(void)
+{
+	GError *error = NULL;
+	int ret;
+
+	igt_key_file = igt_load_igtrc();
+	if (!igt_key_file)
+		return;
+
 	if (!igt_frame_dump_path)
 		igt_frame_dump_path =
 			g_key_file_get_string(igt_key_file, "Common",
@@ -687,10 +713,6 @@ static void common_init_config(void)
 
 	if (ret != 0)
 		igt_set_autoresume_delay(ret);
-
-out:
-	if (!key_file_env && key_file_loc)
-		free(key_file_loc);
 }
 
 static void common_init_env(void)
diff --git a/lib/igt_core.h b/lib/igt_core.h
index 177d24314c5421c70c31b27cdeb313cbc03b3817..521cda10f6faa566cc1b3c875666d73ac537df5d 100644
--- a/lib/igt_core.h
+++ b/lib/igt_core.h
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ extern const char* __igt_test_description __attribute__((weak));
 extern bool __igt_plain_output;
 extern char *igt_frame_dump_path;
 
+struct _GKeyFile *igt_load_igtrc(void);
+
 /**
  * IGT_TEST_DESCRIPTION:
  * @str: description string