diff --git a/qubes/app.py b/qubes/app.py
index 347c30a2..4005836d 100644
--- a/qubes/app.py
+++ b/qubes/app.py
@@ -724,7 +724,7 @@ class Qubes(qubes.PropertyHolder):
         else:
             self._store = os.environ.get('QUBES_XML_PATH',
                 os.path.join(
-                    qubes.config.system_path['qubes_base_dir'],
+                    qubes.config.qubes_base_dir,
                     qubes.config.system_path['qubes_store_filename']))
 
         super(Qubes, self).__init__(xml=None, **kwargs)
diff --git a/qubes/config.py b/qubes/config.py
index 5ef2e047..8bc3864e 100644
--- a/qubes/config.py
+++ b/qubes/config.py
@@ -36,8 +36,6 @@ system_path = {
     'qrexec_client_path': '/usr/lib/qubes/qrexec-client',
     'qubesdb_daemon_path': '/usr/sbin/qubesdb-daemon',
 
-    'qubes_base_dir': qubes_base_dir,
-
     # Relative to qubes_base_dir
     'qubes_appvms_dir': 'appvms',
     'qubes_templates_dir': 'vm-templates',
diff --git a/qubes/tests/__init__.py b/qubes/tests/__init__.py
index 3d19249e..64244185 100644
--- a/qubes/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/qubes/tests/__init__.py
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ class SystemTestsMixin(object):
         # need some information from the real qubes.xml - at least installed
         # templates; should not be used for testing, only to initialize self.app
         self.host_app = qubes.Qubes(os.path.join(
-            qubes.config.system_path['qubes_base_dir'],
+            qubes.config.qubes_base_dir,
             qubes.config.system_path['qubes_store_filename']))
         if os.path.exists(CLASS_XMLPATH):
             shutil.copy(CLASS_XMLPATH, XMLPATH)
@@ -727,7 +727,7 @@ class SystemTestsMixin(object):
                 'qubes_appvms_dir',
                 'qubes_servicevms_dir',
                 'qubes_templates_dir'):
-            dirpath = os.path.join(qubes.config.system_path['qubes_base_dir'],
+            dirpath = os.path.join(qubes.config.qubes_base_dir,
                 qubes.config.system_path[dirspec], vmname)
             if os.path.exists(dirpath):
                 if os.path.isdir(dirpath):
@@ -791,7 +791,7 @@ class SystemTestsMixin(object):
                 'qubes_appvms_dir',
                 'qubes_servicevms_dir',
                 'qubes_templates_dir'):
-            dirpath = os.path.join(qubes.config.system_path['qubes_base_dir'],
+            dirpath = os.path.join(qubes.config.qubes_base_dir,
                 qubes.config.system_path[dirspec])
             for name in os.listdir(dirpath):
                 if name.startswith(prefix):
diff --git a/qubes/tests/storage_file.py b/qubes/tests/storage_file.py
index 4843d1b8..f2b80835 100644
--- a/qubes/tests/storage_file.py
+++ b/qubes/tests/storage_file.py
@@ -306,8 +306,8 @@ class TC_03_FilePool(qubes.tests.QubesTestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         """ Add a test file based storage pool """
         super(TC_03_FilePool, self).setUp()
-        self._orig_qubes_base_dir = qubes.config.system_path['qubes_base_dir']
-        qubes.config.system_path['qubes_base_dir'] = '/tmp/qubes-test'
+        self._orig_qubes_base_dir = qubes.config.qubes_base_dir
+        qubes.config.qubes_base_dir = '/tmp/qubes-test'
         self.app = TestApp()
         self.app.create_dummy_template()
         self.app.add_pool(**self.POOL_CONFIG)
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ class TC_03_FilePool(qubes.tests.QubesTestCase):
         shutil.rmtree(self.POOL_DIR, ignore_errors=True)
         if os.path.exists('/tmp/qubes-test'):
             shutil.rmtree('/tmp/qubes-test')
-        qubes.config.system_path['qubes_base_dir'] = self._orig_qubes_base_dir
+        qubes.config.qubes_base_dir = self._orig_qubes_base_dir
 
     def test_001_pool_exists(self):
         """ Check if the storage pool was added to the storage pool config """
diff --git a/qubes/vm/qubesvm.py b/qubes/vm/qubesvm.py
index 2c0ea441..0f2f0530 100644
--- a/qubes/vm/qubesvm.py
+++ b/qubes/vm/qubesvm.py
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ class QubesVM(qubes.vm.mix.net.NetVMMixin, qubes.vm.BaseVM):
     def dir_path(self):
         '''Root directory for files related to this domain'''
         return os.path.join(
-            qubes.config.system_path['qubes_base_dir'],
+            qubes.config.qubes_base_dir,
             self.dir_path_prefix,
             self.name)
 
@@ -716,7 +716,7 @@ class QubesVM(qubes.vm.mix.net.NetVMMixin, qubes.vm.BaseVM):
         if not newvalue:
             return
         dirname = os.path.join(
-            qubes.config.system_path['qubes_base_dir'],
+            qubes.config.qubes_base_dir,
             qubes.config.system_path['qubes_kernels_base_dir'],
             newvalue)
         if not os.path.exists(dirname):