diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 21ce435fe..04181acff 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ The ReactorMask config file parameter has been deprecated.  Users should
 use the -m or --cpumask command line option to specify the CPU core mask
 for the application.
 
+Default config file pathnames have been removed from iscsi_tgt, nvmf_tgt
+and vhost.  Config file pathnames may now only be specified using the
+-c command line option.
+
 ## v18.07:
 
 ### bdev
diff --git a/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c b/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c
index 774a15e56..9f23437ef 100644
--- a/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c
+++ b/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c
@@ -91,7 +91,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	struct spdk_app_opts opts = {};
 
 	spdk_app_opts_init(&opts);
-	opts.config_file = SPDK_ISCSI_DEFAULT_CONFIG;
 	opts.name = "iscsi";
 	if ((rc = spdk_app_parse_args(argc, argv, &opts, "b", NULL,
 				      iscsi_parse_arg, iscsi_usage)) !=
diff --git a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_main.c b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_main.c
index 17ae0c9a5..b1536e496 100644
--- a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_main.c
+++ b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_main.c
@@ -36,9 +36,6 @@
 #include "spdk/env.h"
 #include "spdk/event.h"
 
-#define SPDK_NVMF_BUILD_ETC "/usr/local/etc/nvmf"
-#define SPDK_NVMF_DEFAULT_CONFIG SPDK_NVMF_BUILD_ETC "/nvmf.conf"
-
 static void
 nvmf_usage(void)
 {
@@ -67,7 +64,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	/* default value in opts */
 	spdk_app_opts_init(&opts);
 	opts.name = "nvmf";
-	opts.config_file = SPDK_NVMF_DEFAULT_CONFIG;
 	opts.max_delay_us = 1000; /* 1 ms */
 	if ((rc = spdk_app_parse_args(argc, argv, &opts, "", NULL,
 				      nvmf_parse_arg, nvmf_usage)) !=
diff --git a/app/vhost/vhost.c b/app/vhost/vhost.c
index af0ece15e..da58e34bc 100644
--- a/app/vhost/vhost.c
+++ b/app/vhost/vhost.c
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@
 #include "spdk/vhost.h"
 
 
-#define SPDK_VHOST_DEFAULT_CONFIG "/usr/local/etc/spdk/vhost.conf"
 #define SPDK_VHOST_DEFAULT_MEM_SIZE 1024
 
 static const char *g_pid_path = NULL;
@@ -49,7 +48,6 @@ vhost_app_opts_init(struct spdk_app_opts *opts)
 {
 	spdk_app_opts_init(opts);
 	opts->name = "vhost";
-	opts->config_file = SPDK_VHOST_DEFAULT_CONFIG;
 	opts->mem_size = SPDK_VHOST_DEFAULT_MEM_SIZE;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/iscsi/iscsi.h b/lib/iscsi/iscsi.h
index e8a0b07b6..3cfb20fcd 100644
--- a/lib/iscsi/iscsi.h
+++ b/lib/iscsi/iscsi.h
@@ -48,8 +48,6 @@
 #include "spdk/assert.h"
 #include "spdk/util.h"
 
-#define SPDK_ISCSI_BUILD_ETC "/usr/local/etc/spdk"
-#define SPDK_ISCSI_DEFAULT_CONFIG SPDK_ISCSI_BUILD_ETC "/iscsi.conf"
 #define SPDK_ISCSI_DEFAULT_NODEBASE "iqn.2016-06.io.spdk"
 
 #define DEFAULT_MAXR2T 4
diff --git a/test/bdev/bdevio/bdevio.c b/test/bdev/bdevio/bdevio.c
index b4b401374..e24466fb2 100644
--- a/test/bdev/bdevio/bdevio.c
+++ b/test/bdev/bdevio/bdevio.c
@@ -957,7 +957,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	spdk_app_opts_init(&opts);
 	opts.name = "bdevtest";
-	opts.config_file = "/usr/local/etc/spdk/iscsi.conf";
 	opts.rpc_addr = NULL;
 	opts.reactor_mask = "0x7";
 	opts.mem_size = 1024;
diff --git a/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf.c b/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf.c
index 89195f215..e59216b24 100644
--- a/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf.c
+++ b/test/bdev/bdevperf/bdevperf.c
@@ -862,7 +862,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	spdk_app_opts_init(&opts);
 	opts.name = "bdevtest";
-	opts.config_file = "/usr/local/etc/spdk/iscsi.conf";
 	opts.rpc_addr = NULL;
 	opts.reactor_mask = NULL;
 	opts.mem_size = 1024;