diff --git a/pkg/auth/config.go b/pkg/auth/config.go
index b1e184df0..7613d54f8 100644
--- a/pkg/auth/config.go
+++ b/pkg/auth/config.go
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ type Config struct {
 
 // getAuthConfigPath get donut config file path
 func getAuthConfigPath() (string, error) {
+	if customConfigPath != "" {
+		return customConfigPath, nil
+	}
 	u, err := user.Current()
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", iodine.New(err, nil)
@@ -47,20 +50,19 @@ func getAuthConfigPath() (string, error) {
 	return authConfigPath, nil
 }
 
-// NOTE - this is not thread safe use it carefully, currently its purpose is only for testing purposes.
-var CustomConfigPath string
+// customConfigPath not accessed from outside only allowed through get/set methods
+var customConfigPath string
+
+// SetAuthConfigPath - set custom auth config path
+func SetAuthConfigPath(configPath string) {
+	customConfigPath = configPath
+}
 
 // SaveConfig save donut config
 func SaveConfig(a *Config) error {
-	var authConfigPath string
-	var err error
-	if CustomConfigPath != "" {
-		authConfigPath = CustomConfigPath
-	} else {
-		authConfigPath, err = getAuthConfigPath()
-		if err != nil {
-			return iodine.New(err, nil)
-		}
+	authConfigPath, err := getAuthConfigPath()
+	if err != nil {
+		return iodine.New(err, nil)
 	}
 	qc, err := quick.New(a)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -74,15 +76,9 @@ func SaveConfig(a *Config) error {
 
 // LoadConfig load donut config
 func LoadConfig() (*Config, error) {
-	var authConfigPath string
-	var err error
-	if CustomConfigPath != "" {
-		authConfigPath = CustomConfigPath
-	} else {
-		authConfigPath, err = getAuthConfigPath()
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, iodine.New(err, nil)
-		}
+	authConfigPath, err := getAuthConfigPath()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, iodine.New(err, nil)
 	}
 	a := &Config{}
 	a.Version = "0.0.1"
diff --git a/pkg/donut/config.go b/pkg/donut/config.go
index 20d6c5787..255753976 100644
--- a/pkg/donut/config.go
+++ b/pkg/donut/config.go
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ import (
 
 // getDonutConfigPath get donut config file path
 func getDonutConfigPath() (string, error) {
+	if customConfigPath != "" {
+		return customConfigPath, nil
+	}
 	u, err := user.Current()
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", iodine.New(err, nil)
@@ -34,20 +37,19 @@ func getDonutConfigPath() (string, error) {
 	return donutConfigPath, nil
 }
 
-// NOTE - this is not thread safe use it carefully, currently its purpose is only for testing purposes.
-var CustomConfigPath string
+// internal variable only accessed via get/set methods
+var customConfigPath string
+
+// SetDonutConfigPath - set custom donut config path
+func SetDonutConfigPath(configPath string) {
+	customConfigPath = configPath
+}
 
 // SaveConfig save donut config
 func SaveConfig(a *Config) error {
-	var donutConfigPath string
-	var err error
-	if CustomConfigPath != "" {
-		donutConfigPath = CustomConfigPath
-	} else {
-		donutConfigPath, err = getDonutConfigPath()
-		if err != nil {
-			return iodine.New(err, nil)
-		}
+	donutConfigPath, err := getDonutConfigPath()
+	if err != nil {
+		return iodine.New(err, nil)
 	}
 	qc, err := quick.New(a)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -61,15 +63,9 @@ func SaveConfig(a *Config) error {
 
 // LoadConfig load donut config
 func LoadConfig() (*Config, error) {
-	var donutConfigPath string
-	var err error
-	if CustomConfigPath != "" {
-		donutConfigPath = CustomConfigPath
-	} else {
-		donutConfigPath, err = getDonutConfigPath()
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, iodine.New(err, nil)
-		}
+	donutConfigPath, err := getDonutConfigPath()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, iodine.New(err, nil)
 	}
 	a := &Config{}
 	a.Version = "0.0.1"
diff --git a/pkg/donut/donut-v1_test.go b/pkg/donut/donut-v1_test.go
index f3a4e2de4..80fe565e3 100644
--- a/pkg/donut/donut-v1_test.go
+++ b/pkg/donut/donut-v1_test.go
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ func (s *MyDonutSuite) SetUpSuite(c *C) {
 	conf.DonutName = "test"
 	conf.NodeDiskMap = createTestNodeDiskMap(root)
 	conf.MaxSize = 100000
-	CustomConfigPath = filepath.Join(root, "donut.json")
+	SetDonutConfigPath(filepath.Join(root, "donut.json"))
 	err = SaveConfig(conf)
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
 
diff --git a/pkg/donut/donut-v2_test.go b/pkg/donut/donut-v2_test.go
index 27706dbf9..5c835de0d 100644
--- a/pkg/donut/donut-v2_test.go
+++ b/pkg/donut/donut-v2_test.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ func (s *MyCacheSuite) SetUpSuite(c *C) {
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
 	s.root = root
 
-	CustomConfigPath = filepath.Join(root, "donut.json")
+	SetDonutConfigPath(filepath.Join(root, "donut.json"))
 	dc, err = New()
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
 
diff --git a/pkg/donut/signature-v4.go b/pkg/donut/signature-v4.go
index af5be5ddc..ab942dcd9 100644
--- a/pkg/donut/signature-v4.go
+++ b/pkg/donut/signature-v4.go
@@ -46,15 +46,6 @@ const (
 	yyyymmdd         = "20060102"
 )
 
-var ignoredHeaders = map[string]bool{
-	"Authorization":   true,
-	"Content-Type":    true,
-	"Accept-Encoding": true,
-	"Content-Length":  true,
-	"User-Agent":      true,
-	"Connection":      true,
-}
-
 // sumHMAC calculate hmac between two input byte array
 func sumHMAC(key []byte, data []byte) []byte {
 	hash := hmac.New(sha256.New, key)
diff --git a/pkg/server/api_donut_cache_test.go b/pkg/server/api_donut_cache_test.go
index 6bd063342..6e3cb04cf 100644
--- a/pkg/server/api_donut_cache_test.go
+++ b/pkg/server/api_donut_cache_test.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func (s *MyAPIDonutCacheSuite) SetUpSuite(c *C) {
 	conf := &donut.Config{}
 	conf.Version = "0.0.1"
 	conf.MaxSize = 100000
-	donut.CustomConfigPath = filepath.Join(root, "donut.json")
+	donut.SetDonutConfigPath(filepath.Join(root, "donut.json"))
 	err = donut.SaveConfig(conf)
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
 
diff --git a/pkg/server/api_donut_test.go b/pkg/server/api_donut_test.go
index 063f78163..d16abe89c 100644
--- a/pkg/server/api_donut_test.go
+++ b/pkg/server/api_donut_test.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ func (s *MyAPIDonutSuite) SetUpSuite(c *C) {
 	conf.DonutName = "test"
 	conf.NodeDiskMap = createTestNodeDiskMap(root)
 	conf.MaxSize = 100000
-	donut.CustomConfigPath = filepath.Join(root, "donut.json")
+	donut.SetDonutConfigPath(filepath.Join(root, "donut.json"))
 	err = donut.SaveConfig(conf)
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
 
diff --git a/pkg/server/api_signature_v4_test.go b/pkg/server/api_signature_v4_test.go
index 1cab50c79..889ac4a7d 100644
--- a/pkg/server/api_signature_v4_test.go
+++ b/pkg/server/api_signature_v4_test.go
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func (s *MyAPISignatureV4Suite) SetUpSuite(c *C) {
 	conf.DonutName = "test"
 	conf.NodeDiskMap = createTestNodeDiskMap(root)
 	conf.MaxSize = 100000
-	donut.CustomConfigPath = filepath.Join(root, "donut.json")
+	donut.SetDonutConfigPath(filepath.Join(root, "donut.json"))
 	err = donut.SaveConfig(conf)
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
 
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func (s *MyAPISignatureV4Suite) SetUpSuite(c *C) {
 	s.accessKeyID = string(accessKeyID)
 	s.secretAccessKey = string(secretAccessKey)
 
-	auth.CustomConfigPath = filepath.Join(root, "users.json")
+	auth.SetAuthConfigPath(filepath.Join(root, "users.json"))
 	err = auth.SaveConfig(authConf)
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)