diff --git a/core/includes/bootstrap.inc b/core/includes/bootstrap.inc
index 6d70110..6f25605 100644
--- a/core/includes/bootstrap.inc
+++ b/core/includes/bootstrap.inc
@@ -418,18 +418,9 @@ function config_get_config_directory($type = CONFIG_ACTIVE_DIRECTORY) {
   global $config_directories;
 
   if (!empty($config_directories[$type])) {
-    // Allow a configuration directory path to be outside of webroot.
-    if (empty($config_directories[$type]['absolute'])) {
-      $path = conf_path() . '/files/' . $config_directories[$type]['path'];
-    }
-    else {
-      $path = $config_directories[$type]['path'];
-    }
+    return $config_directories[$type];
   }
-  else {
-    throw new Exception(format_string('The configuration directory type %type does not exist.', array('%type' => $type)));
-  }
-  return $path;
+  throw new Exception(format_string('The configuration directory type %type does not exist.', array('%type' => $type)));
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/core/includes/install.inc b/core/includes/install.inc
index f6848c9..4c6ab59 100644
--- a/core/includes/install.inc
+++ b/core/includes/install.inc
@@ -452,17 +452,13 @@ function drupal_install_config_directories($mode = NULL) {
   if (empty($config_directories)) {
     $config_directories_hash = Crypt::randomStringHashed(55);
     $settings['config_directories'] = array(
-      CONFIG_ACTIVE_DIRECTORY => array(
-        'path' => (object) array(
-          'value' => 'config_' . $config_directories_hash . '/active',
-          'required' => TRUE,
-        ),
+      CONFIG_ACTIVE_DIRECTORY => (object) array(
+        'value' => conf_path() . '/files/config_' . $config_directories_hash . '/active',
+        'required' => TRUE,
       ),
-      CONFIG_STAGING_DIRECTORY => array(
-        'path' => (object) array(
-          'value' => 'config_' . $config_directories_hash . '/staging',
-          'required' => TRUE,
-        ),
+      CONFIG_STAGING_DIRECTORY => (object) array(
+        'value' => conf_path() . '/files/config_' . $config_directories_hash . '/staging',
+        'required' => TRUE,
       ),
     );
     // Rewrite settings.php, which also sets the value as global variable.
diff --git a/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/TestBase.php b/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/TestBase.php
index 1e29384..574d2f5 100644
--- a/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/TestBase.php
+++ b/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/TestBase.php
@@ -1012,14 +1012,14 @@ protected function prepareConfigDirectories() {
     include_once DRUPAL_ROOT . '/core/includes/install.inc';
     foreach (array(CONFIG_ACTIVE_DIRECTORY, CONFIG_STAGING_DIRECTORY) as $type) {
       // Assign the relative path to the global variable.
-      $path = 'simpletest/' . substr($this->databasePrefix, 10) . '/config_' . $type;
-      $GLOBALS['config_directories'][$type]['path'] = $path;
+      $path = conf_path() . '/files/simpletest/' . substr($this->databasePrefix, 10) . '/config_' . $type;
+      $GLOBALS['config_directories'][$type] = $path;
       // Ensure the directory can be created and is writeable.
       if (!install_ensure_config_directory($type)) {
         return FALSE;
       }
       // Provide the already resolved path for tests.
-      $this->configDirectories[$type] = $this->originalFileDirectory . '/' . $path;
+      $this->configDirectories[$type] = $path;
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/sites/default/default.settings.php b/sites/default/default.settings.php
index b3c54b3..5a46b12 100644
--- a/sites/default/default.settings.php
+++ b/sites/default/default.settings.php
@@ -246,14 +246,8 @@
  * Example:
  * @code
  *   $config_directories = array(
- *     CONFIG_ACTIVE_DIRECTORY => array(
- *       'path' => '/some/directory/outside/webroot',
- *       'absolute' => TRUE,
- *     ),
- *     CONFIG_STAGING_DIRECTORY => array(
- *       'path' => '/another/directory/outside/webroot',
- *       'absolute' => TRUE,
- *     ),
+ *     CONFIG_ACTIVE_DIRECTORY => '/some/directory/outside/webroot',
+ *     CONFIG_STAGING_DIRECTORY => '/another/directory/outside/webroot',
  *   );
  * @endcode
  */