diff --git a/contrib/pyln-testing/pyln/testing/utils.py b/contrib/pyln-testing/pyln/testing/utils.py
index 6fc5c4144..b9ce01519 100644
--- a/contrib/pyln-testing/pyln/testing/utils.py
+++ b/contrib/pyln-testing/pyln/testing/utils.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import sqlite3
 import string
 import struct
 import subprocess
+import sys
 import threading
 import time
 
@@ -36,22 +37,40 @@ LIGHTNINGD_CONFIG = OrderedDict({
     'disable-dns': None,
 })
 
-with open('config.vars') as configfile:
-    config = dict([(line.rstrip().split('=', 1)) for line in configfile])
 
-DEVELOPER = os.getenv("DEVELOPER", config['DEVELOPER']) == "1"
-EXPERIMENTAL_FEATURES = os.getenv("EXPERIMENTAL_FEATURES", config['EXPERIMENTAL_FEATURES']) == "1"
+def env(name, default=None):
+    """Access to environment variables
 
-# Gossip can be slow without DEVELOPER.
-if DEVELOPER:
-    DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 60
-else:
-    DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 180
+    Allows access to environment variables, falling back to config.vars (part
+    of c-lightning's `./configure` output), and finally falling back to a
+    default value.
 
-TIMEOUT = int(os.getenv("TIMEOUT", str(DEFAULT_TIMEOUT)))
-VALGRIND = os.getenv("VALGRIND", config['VALGRIND']) == "1"
-SLOW_MACHINE = os.getenv("SLOW_MACHINE", "0") == "1"
-COMPAT = os.getenv("COMPAT", config['COMPAT']) == "1"
+    """
+    fname = 'config.vars'
+    if os.path.exists(fname):
+        lines = open(fname, 'r').readlines()
+        config = dict([(line.rstrip().split('=', 1)) for line in lines])
+    else:
+        config = {}
+
+    if name in os.environ:
+        return os.environ[name]
+    elif name in config:
+        return config[name]
+    else:
+        return default
+
+
+VALGRIND = env("VALGRIND") == "1"
+TEST_NETWORK = env("TEST_NETWORK", 'regtest')
+DEVELOPER = env("DEVELOPER", "1") == "1"
+TEST_DEBUG = env("TEST_DEBUG", "0") == "1"
+SLOW_MACHINE = env("SLOW_MACHINE", "0") == "1"
+TIMEOUT = int(env("TIMEOUT", 180 if SLOW_MACHINE else 60))
+
+
+if TEST_DEBUG:
+    logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG, stream=sys.stdout)
 
 
 def wait_for(success, timeout=TIMEOUT):
@@ -459,7 +478,7 @@ class LightningD(TailableProc):
             'lightning-dir': lightning_dir,
             'addr': '127.0.0.1:{}'.format(port),
             'allow-deprecated-apis': 'false',
-            'network': config.get('TEST_NETWORK', 'regtest'),
+            'network': env('TEST_NETWORK', 'regtest'),
             'ignore-fee-limits': 'false',
             'bitcoin-rpcuser': BITCOIND_CONFIG['rpcuser'],
             'bitcoin-rpcpassword': BITCOIND_CONFIG['rpcpassword'],
diff --git a/tests/utils.py b/tests/utils.py
index e10b9662e..4f5c48c56 100644
--- a/tests/utils.py
+++ b/tests/utils.py
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ from collections import OrderedDict
 from decimal import Decimal
 from ephemeral_port_reserve import reserve
 from lightning import LightningRpc
+from pyln.testing.utils import TEST_NETWORK, SLOW_MACHINE, TIMEOUT, VALGRIND, DEVELOPER  # noqa: F401
+from pyln.testing.utils import env
 
 import json
 import logging
@@ -19,7 +21,6 @@ import struct
 import subprocess
 import threading
 import time
-import sys
 
 BITCOIND_CONFIG = {
     "regtest": 1,
@@ -38,41 +39,8 @@ LIGHTNINGD_CONFIG = OrderedDict({
 })
 
 
-def env(name, default=None):
-    """Access to environment variables
-
-    Allows access to environment variables, falling back to config.vars (part
-    of c-lightning's `./configure` output), and finally falling back to a
-    default value.
-
-    """
-    fname = 'config.vars'
-    if os.path.exists(fname):
-        lines = open(fname, 'r').readlines()
-        config = dict([(line.rstrip().split('=', 1)) for line in lines])
-    else:
-        config = {}
-
-    if name in os.environ:
-        return os.environ[name]
-    elif name in config:
-        return config[name]
-    else:
-        return default
-
-
-VALGRIND = env("VALGRIND") == "1"
-TEST_NETWORK = env("TEST_NETWORK", 'regtest')
-DEVELOPER = env("DEVELOPER", "1") == "1"
-TEST_DEBUG = env("TEST_DEBUG", "0") == "1"
-SLOW_MACHINE = env("SLOW_MACHINE", "0") == "1"
+EXPERIMENTAL_FEATURES = env("EXPERIMENTAL_FEATURES", "0") == "1"
 COMPAT = env("COMPAT", "1") == "1"
-EXPERIMENTAL_FEATURES = os.getenv("EXPERIMENTAL_FEATURES", "0") == "1"
-TIMEOUT = int(env("TIMEOUT", 180 if SLOW_MACHINE else 60))
-
-
-if TEST_DEBUG:
-    logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG, stream=sys.stdout)
 
 
 def wait_for(success, timeout=TIMEOUT):