diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 261623b..0783f4c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -20,3 +20,4 @@ miniircd/
 nums_basepoints.txt
 schedulefortesting
 scripts/commitmentlist
+tmp/
diff --git a/conftest.py b/conftest.py
index 00d3262..de4443d 100644
--- a/conftest.py
+++ b/conftest.py
@@ -32,11 +32,16 @@ def local_command(command, bg=False, redirect=''):
         #it doesn't matter
         return subprocess.check_output(command)
 
+def root_path():
+    # returns the directory in which this file is contained
+    return os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
+
 def pytest_addoption(parser):
     parser.addoption("--btcroot", action="store", default='',
                      help="the fully qualified path to the directory containing "+\
                      "the bitcoin binaries, e.g. /home/user/bitcoin/bin/")
     parser.addoption("--btcconf", action="store",
+                         default=os.path.join(root_path(), 'test/bitcoin.conf'),
                          help="the fully qualified path to the location of the "+\
                          "bitcoin configuration file you use for testing, e.g. "+\
                          "/home/user/.bitcoin/bitcoin.conf")
@@ -72,6 +77,8 @@ def setup(request):
     global bitcoin_conf, bitcoin_path, bitcoin_rpcpassword, bitcoin_rpcusername
     bitcoin_path = request.config.getoption("--btcroot")
     bitcoin_conf = request.config.getoption("--btcconf")
+    print("Here is the bitcoin_conf path:")
+    print(bitcoin_conf)
     bitcoin_rpcpassword = request.config.getoption("--btcpwd")
     bitcoin_rpcusername = request.config.getoption("--btcuser")
 
diff --git a/docs/TESTING.md b/docs/TESTING.md
index c09dbb9..f9a6b49 100644
--- a/docs/TESTING.md
+++ b/docs/TESTING.md
@@ -2,25 +2,20 @@
 
 This is a rough sketch, some more background is found in [JM wiki](https://github.com/Joinmarket-Org/joinmarket/wiki/Testing)
 
-Make sure to have bitcoind installed. Also need miniircd installed to the root dir:
+Make sure to have [bitcoind](https://bitcoin.org/en/full-node) installed. Also need miniircd installed to the root (i.e. in your `joinmarket-clientserver` directory):
 
+    cd ~/joinmarket-clientserver
     git clone https://github.com/Joinmarket-Org/miniircd
 
 Install the test requirements (still in your virtualenv as mentioned above):
 
     pip install -r requirements-dev.txt
 
-Curl is also needed:
-
-    sudo apt-get install curl
-
 Running the test suite should be done like:
 
-    python -m py.test --cov=jmclient --cov=jmbitcoin --cov=jmbase --cov=jmdaemon --cov-report html --btcroot=/path/to/bitcoin/bin/ --btcpwd=123456abcdef --btcconf=/path/to/bitcoin.conf --nirc=2
+    python -m py.test --cov=jmclient --cov=jmbitcoin --cov=jmbase --cov=jmdaemon --cov-report html --btcpwd=123456abcdef --nirc=2
     
-(you'll first want to copy bitcoin.conf in the test/ directory to a place you choose, and
-copy the regtest_joinmarket.cfg file from the test/ directory to the root directory,
-both files will need minor edits for your btc configuration).
+(you'll first want to copy the regtest_joinmarket.cfg file from the test/ directory to the root directory, this file will need minor edits for your btc configuration).
 
 ### Running tests of sendpayment and tumbler (including with malicious makers)
 
@@ -28,7 +23,7 @@ The file `test/ygrunner.py` provides the ability to spin up a set of yieldgenera
 bots against the local IRC instance with the local regtest blockchain. It can be
 started with
 
-    py.test --btcroot=/path/to/bitcoin/bin/ --btcpwd=123456abcdef --btcconf=/path/to/bitcoin.conf --nirc=2 test/ygrunner.py -s
+    py.test --btcroot=/path/to/bitcoin/bin/ --btcpwd=123456abcdef --nirc=2 test/ygrunner.py -s
 
 Here the `-s` flag is useful because it prints log output to the console. If you
 keep the logging level at the default `INFO` only a minimum amount will come out, if
diff --git a/test/bitcoin.conf b/test/bitcoin.conf
index ca22075..8f66cb9 100644
--- a/test/bitcoin.conf
+++ b/test/bitcoin.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,2 @@
 rpcuser=bitcoinrpc
 rpcpassword=123456abcdef
-walletnotify=/usr/bin/wget -q --spider --timeout=0.5 --tries=1 http://localhost:62612/walletnotify?%s
-alertnotify=/usr/bin/wget -q --spider --timeout=0.5 --tries=1 http://localhost:62612/alertnotify?%s
-
diff --git a/test/regtest_joinmarket.cfg b/test/regtest_joinmarket.cfg
index 48c4fc5..49fbfe2 100644
--- a/test/regtest_joinmarket.cfg
+++ b/test/regtest_joinmarket.cfg
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ rpc_port = 18332
 rpc_user = bitcoinrpc
 rpc_password = 123456abcdef
 network = testnet
+
 [MESSAGING]
 host = localhost, localhost
 hostid = localhost1, localhost2
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ usessl = false, false
 socks5 = false, false
 socks5_host = localhost, localhost
 socks5_port = 9150, 9150
+
 [POLICY]
 # for dust sweeping, try merge_algorithm = gradual
 # for more rapid dust sweeping, try merge_algorithm = greedy