diff --git a/freqtrade/resolvers/iresolver.py b/freqtrade/resolvers/iresolver.py
index 922a2700a..764759289 100644
--- a/freqtrade/resolvers/iresolver.py
+++ b/freqtrade/resolvers/iresolver.py
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@ class IResolver:
     def build_search_paths(cls, config: Dict[str, Any], user_subdir: Optional[str] = None,
                            extra_dir: Optional[str] = None) -> List[Path]:
 
-        abs_paths: List[Path] = [cls.initial_search_path]
+        abs_paths: List[Path] = []
+        if cls.initial_search_path:
+            abs_paths.append(cls.initial_search_path)
 
         if user_subdir:
             abs_paths.insert(0, config['user_data_dir'].joinpath(user_subdir))
diff --git a/freqtrade/resolvers/strategy_resolver.py b/freqtrade/resolvers/strategy_resolver.py
index bb8ff870e..cddc7c9cd 100644
--- a/freqtrade/resolvers/strategy_resolver.py
+++ b/freqtrade/resolvers/strategy_resolver.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class StrategyResolver(IResolver):
     object_type = IStrategy
     object_type_str = "Strategy"
     user_subdir = USERPATH_STRATEGIES
-    initial_search_path = Path(__file__).parent.parent.joinpath('strategy').resolve()
+    initial_search_path = None
 
     @staticmethod
     def load_strategy(config: Dict[str, Any] = None) -> IStrategy:
diff --git a/tests/strategy/test_strategy.py b/tests/strategy/test_strategy.py
index 5c6de8260..27bbb2d3b 100644
--- a/tests/strategy/test_strategy.py
+++ b/tests/strategy/test_strategy.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 import logging
 import warnings
 from base64 import urlsafe_b64encode
-from os import path
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import pytest
@@ -15,7 +14,7 @@ from tests.conftest import log_has, log_has_re
 
 
 def test_search_strategy():
-    default_location = Path(__file__).parent.parent.joinpath('strategy').resolve()
+    default_location = Path(__file__).parent / 'strats'
 
     s, _ = StrategyResolver._search_object(
         directory=default_location,
@@ -72,13 +71,12 @@ def test_load_strategy_base64(result, caplog, default_conf):
 def test_load_strategy_invalid_directory(result, caplog, default_conf):
     default_conf['strategy'] = 'DefaultStrategy'
     extra_dir = Path.cwd() / 'some/path'
-    strategy = StrategyResolver._load_strategy('DefaultStrategy', config=default_conf,
-                                               extra_dir=extra_dir)
+    with pytest.raises(OperationalException):
+        StrategyResolver._load_strategy('DefaultStrategy', config=default_conf,
+                                        extra_dir=extra_dir)
 
     assert log_has_re(r'Path .*' + r'some.*path.*' + r'.* does not exist', caplog)
 
-    assert 'rsi' in strategy.advise_indicators(result, {'pair': 'ETH/BTC'})
-
 
 def test_load_not_found_strategy(default_conf):
     default_conf['strategy'] = 'NotFoundStrategy'
diff --git a/tests/test_configuration.py b/tests/test_configuration.py
index 74de166c1..d810305db 100644
--- a/tests/test_configuration.py
+++ b/tests/test_configuration.py
@@ -212,6 +212,7 @@ def test_load_config_file_exception(mocker) -> None:
 
 
 def test_load_config(default_conf, mocker) -> None:
+    del default_conf['strategy_path']
     patched_configuration_load_config_file(mocker, default_conf)
 
     args = Arguments(['trade']).get_parsed_arg()