diff --git a/tests/test_config.py b/tests/test_config.py
index 44742b1e3372fd39c36651c147e3f89b617243b4..65743b39e1308619f8d2eb21b8dbf8d49d46501d 100644
--- a/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/test_config.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 import contextlib
 import decimal
+import operator
 import os
 import re
 
@@ -317,3 +318,27 @@ def test_config_file_path_with_subdir():
     expected = testutil.test_path('userconfig/conftest/config.ini')
     config = config_mod.Config()
     assert config.config_file_path('conftest') == expected
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('path', [
+    None,
+    testutil.test_path('userconfig/conservancy_beancount/config.ini'),
+])
+def test_load_file(path):
+    config = config_mod.Config()
+    config.load_file(path)
+    assert config.books_path() == Path('/test/conservancy_beancount')
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('path_func', [
+    lambda path: None,
+    operator.methodcaller('touch', 0o200),
+])
+def test_load_file_error(tmp_path, path_func):
+    config_path = tmp_path / 'nonexistent.ini'
+    path_func(config_path)
+    config = config_mod.Config()
+    with pytest.raises(OSError):
+        config.load_file(config_path)
+
+def test_no_books_path():
+    config = config_mod.Config()
+    assert config.books_path() is None