diff --git a/freqtrade/configuration/configuration.py b/freqtrade/configuration/configuration.py
index 17ad37d6a..e564c79ce 100644
--- a/freqtrade/configuration/configuration.py
+++ b/freqtrade/configuration/configuration.py
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 """
 This module contains the configuration class
 """
-import json
 import logging
-import sys
 import warnings
 from argparse import Namespace
 from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, Optional
@@ -12,6 +10,7 @@ from freqtrade import OperationalException, constants
 from freqtrade.configuration.check_exchange import check_exchange
 from freqtrade.configuration.create_datadir import create_datadir
 from freqtrade.configuration.json_schema import validate_config_schema
+from freqtrade.configuration.load_config import load_config_file
 from freqtrade.loggers import setup_logging
 from freqtrade.misc import deep_merge_dicts
 from freqtrade.state import RunMode
@@ -52,24 +51,7 @@ class Configuration(object):
             logger.info('Using config: %s ...', path)
 
             # Merge config options, overwriting old values
-            config = deep_merge_dicts(self._load_config_file(path), config)
-
-        return config
-
-    def _load_config_file(self, path: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        """
-        Loads a config file from the given path
-        :param path: path as str
-        :return: configuration as dictionary
-        """
-        try:
-            # Read config from stdin if requested in the options
-            with open(path) if path != '-' else sys.stdin as file:
-                config = json.load(file)
-        except FileNotFoundError:
-            raise OperationalException(
-                f'Config file "{path}" not found!'
-                ' Please create a config file or check whether it exists.')
+            config = deep_merge_dicts(load_config_file(path), config)
 
         return config
 
diff --git a/freqtrade/configuration/load_config.py b/freqtrade/configuration/load_config.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..25504144f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/freqtrade/configuration/load_config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+"""
+This module contain functions to load the configuration file
+"""
+import json
+import logging
+import sys
+from typing import Any, Dict
+
+from freqtrade import OperationalException
+
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+def load_config_file(path: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    """
+    Loads a config file from the given path
+    :param path: path as str
+    :return: configuration as dictionary
+    """
+    try:
+        # Read config from stdin if requested in the options
+        with open(path) if path != '-' else sys.stdin as file:
+            config = json.load(file)
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        raise OperationalException(
+            f'Config file "{path}" not found!'
+            ' Please create a config file or check whether it exists.')
+
+    return config
diff --git a/freqtrade/tests/conftest.py b/freqtrade/tests/conftest.py
index 71ed23901..4b9bf6cd8 100644
--- a/freqtrade/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/freqtrade/tests/conftest.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def get_args(args):
 
 def patched_configuration_load_config_file(mocker, config) -> None:
     mocker.patch(
-        'freqtrade.configuration.configuration.Configuration._load_config_file',
+        'freqtrade.configuration.configuration.load_config_file',
         lambda *args, **kwargs: config
     )
 
diff --git a/freqtrade/tests/test_configuration.py b/freqtrade/tests/test_configuration.py
index 1e76297a6..e325a0de2 100644
--- a/freqtrade/tests/test_configuration.py
+++ b/freqtrade/tests/test_configuration.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ from freqtrade.configuration import Arguments, Configuration
 from freqtrade.configuration.check_exchange import check_exchange
 from freqtrade.configuration.create_datadir import create_datadir
 from freqtrade.configuration.json_schema import validate_config_schema
+from freqtrade.configuration.load_config import load_config_file
 from freqtrade.constants import DEFAULT_DB_DRYRUN_URL, DEFAULT_DB_PROD_URL
 from freqtrade.loggers import _set_loggers
 from freqtrade.state import RunMode
@@ -26,8 +27,7 @@ from freqtrade.tests.conftest import (log_has, log_has_re,
 def all_conf():
     config_file = Path(__file__).parents[2] / "config_full.json.example"
     print(config_file)
-    configuration = Configuration(Namespace())
-    conf = configuration._load_config_file(str(config_file))
+    conf = load_config_file(str(config_file))
     return conf
 
 
@@ -53,12 +53,11 @@ def test_load_config_incorrect_stake_amount(default_conf) -> None:
 
 
 def test_load_config_file(default_conf, mocker, caplog) -> None:
-    file_mock = mocker.patch('freqtrade.configuration.configuration.open', mocker.mock_open(
+    file_mock = mocker.patch('freqtrade.configuration.load_config.open', mocker.mock_open(
         read_data=json.dumps(default_conf)
     ))
 
-    configuration = Configuration(Namespace())
-    validated_conf = configuration._load_config_file('somefile')
+    validated_conf = load_config_file('somefile')
     assert file_mock.call_count == 1
     assert validated_conf.items() >= default_conf.items()
 
@@ -114,7 +113,7 @@ def test_load_config_combine_dicts(default_conf, mocker, caplog) -> None:
 
     configsmock = MagicMock(side_effect=config_files)
     mocker.patch(
-        'freqtrade.configuration.configuration.Configuration._load_config_file',
+        'freqtrade.configuration.configuration.load_config_file',
         configsmock
     )
 
@@ -154,10 +153,9 @@ def test_load_config_file_exception(mocker) -> None:
         'freqtrade.configuration.configuration.open',
         MagicMock(side_effect=FileNotFoundError('File not found'))
     )
-    configuration = Configuration(Namespace())
 
     with pytest.raises(OperationalException, match=r'.*Config file "somefile" not found!*'):
-        configuration._load_config_file('somefile')
+        load_config_file('somefile')
 
 
 def test_load_config(default_conf, mocker) -> None:
diff --git a/scripts/download_backtest_data.py b/scripts/download_backtest_data.py
index ed96cec71..580592294 100755
--- a/scripts/download_backtest_data.py
+++ b/scripts/download_backtest_data.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from freqtrade.configuration import Arguments, TimeRange
 from freqtrade.configuration import Configuration
 from freqtrade.configuration.arguments import ARGS_DOWNLOADER
 from freqtrade.configuration.check_exchange import check_exchange
+from freqtrade.configuration.load_config import load_config_file
 from freqtrade.data.history import download_pair_history
 from freqtrade.exchange import Exchange
 from freqtrade.misc import deep_merge_dicts
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ if args.config:
     for path in args.config:
         logger.info(f"Using config: {path}...")
         # Merge config options, overwriting old values
-        config = deep_merge_dicts(configuration._load_config_file(path), config)
+        config = deep_merge_dicts(load_config_file(path), config)
 
     config['stake_currency'] = ''
     # Ensure we do not use Exchange credentials