diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 437db59..608c272 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -26,5 +26,4 @@
 *.py[cod]
 
 # Other
-/unit-tests.conf
 /VERSION
diff --git a/README-dev.md b/README-dev.md
index 69b3a35..18f5af8 100644
--- a/README-dev.md
+++ b/README-dev.md
@@ -1,16 +1,13 @@
-Notes for NFD developers
-========================
+# Notes for NFD developers
 
 If you are new to the NDN software community, please read the
 [Contributor's Guide](https://github.com/named-data/NFD/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md).
 
-Code style
-----------
+## Code style
 
 NFD code is subject to [NFD code style](https://redmine.named-data.net/projects/nfd/wiki/CodeStyle).
 
-Licensing
----------
+## Licensing
 
 Contributions to NFD must be licensed under the GPL 3.0 or compatible license.  If you
 are choosing GPL 3.0, please use the following license boilerplate in all `.hpp` and
@@ -40,8 +37,13 @@
 If you are affiliated to an NSF-supported NDN project institution, please use the [NDN Team License
 Boilerplate](https://redmine.named-data.net/projects/nfd/wiki/NDN_Team_License_Boilerplate_(NFD)).
 
-Running unit tests
-------------------
+## Logging
+
+Fine-grained per-module logging can be configured via the `NDN_LOG` environment variable.
+This is especially useful when running unit tests or tools such as `nfdc` that do not
+have a configuration file.  See `ndn-log(7)` manual page for syntax and examples.
+
+## Unit tests
 
 To run unit tests, NFD needs to be configured and build with unit test support:
 
diff --git a/tests/global-configuration.cpp b/tests/global-configuration.cpp
index 25d5061..9a56347 100644
--- a/tests/global-configuration.cpp
+++ b/tests/global-configuration.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2014-2018,  Regents of the University of California,
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-2019,  Regents of the University of California,
  *                           Arizona Board of Regents,
  *                           Colorado State University,
  *                           University Pierre & Marie Curie, Sorbonne University,
@@ -23,10 +23,9 @@
  * NFD, e.g., in COPYING.md file.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
  */
 
-#include "core/config-file.hpp"
-#include "core/log-config-section.hpp"
+#include "core/common.hpp"
 
-#include "boost-test.hpp"
+#include "tests/boost-test.hpp"
 
 #include <boost/filesystem.hpp>
 #include <fstream>
@@ -44,26 +43,22 @@
     if (envHome)
       m_home = envHome;
 
-    const std::string filename = "unit-tests.conf";
-    if (boost::filesystem::exists(filename)) {
-      ConfigFile config;
-      log::setConfigFile(config);
-      config.parse(filename, false);
-    }
+    auto testHome = boost::filesystem::path(UNIT_TEST_CONFIG_PATH) / "test-home";
+    if (::setenv("HOME", testHome.c_str(), 1) != 0)
+      NDN_THROW(std::runtime_error("setenv() failed"));
 
-    boost::filesystem::path dir{UNIT_TEST_CONFIG_PATH};
-    dir /= "test-home";
-    ::setenv("HOME", dir.c_str(), 1);
+    boost::filesystem::create_directories(testHome);
 
-    boost::filesystem::create_directories(dir);
-    std::ofstream clientConf((dir / ".ndn" / "client.conf").c_str());
+    std::ofstream clientConf((testHome / ".ndn" / "client.conf").c_str());
     clientConf << "pib=pib-sqlite3" << std::endl
                << "tpm=tpm-file" << std::endl;
   }
 
-  ~GlobalConfiguration()
+  ~GlobalConfiguration() noexcept
   {
-    if (!m_home.empty())
+    if (m_home.empty())
+      ::unsetenv("HOME");
+    else
       ::setenv("HOME", m_home.data(), 1);
   }
 
diff --git a/unit-tests.conf.sample b/unit-tests.conf.sample
deleted file mode 100644
index 3ebb9f7..0000000
--- a/unit-tests.conf.sample
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-log
-{
-  ; default_level specifies the logging level for modules
-  ; that are not explicitly named. All debugging levels
-  ; listed above the selected value are enabled.
-  ;
-  ; Valid values:
-  ;
-  ;  NONE ; no messages
-  ;  ERROR ; error messages
-  ;  WARN ; warning messages
-  ;  INFO ; informational messages (default)
-  ;  DEBUG ; debugging messages
-  ;  TRACE ; trace messages (most verbose)
-  ;  ALL ; all messages
-
-  ; default_level INFO
-
-  ; You may override default_level by assigning a logging level
-  ; to the desired module name. Module names can be found in two ways:
-  ;
-  ; Run:
-  ;   nfd --modules
-  ;
-  ; Or look for NFD_LOG_INIT(<module name>) statements in source files.
-  ; Note that the "nfd." prefix can be omitted.
-  ;
-  ; Example module-level settings:
-  ;
-  ; FibManager DEBUG
-  ; Forwarder INFO
-}