diff --git a/swh/storage/cli.py b/swh/storage/cli.py
--- a/swh/storage/cli.py
+++ b/swh/storage/cli.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 import logging
 import os
+import warnings
 
 import click
 
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@
 
 
 @storage.command(name="rpc-serve")
-@click.argument("config-path", required=True)
+@click.argument("config-path", default=None, required=False)
 @click.option(
     "--host",
     default="0.0.0.0",
@@ -69,8 +70,18 @@
     """
     if "log_level" in ctx.obj:
         logging.getLogger("werkzeug").setLevel(ctx.obj["log_level"])
-    api_cfg = load_and_check_config(config_path, type="any")
-    app.config.update(api_cfg)
+    if config_path:
+        # for bw compat
+        warnings.warn(
+            "The `config_path` argument of the `swh storage rpc-server` is now "
+            "deprecated. Please use the --config option of `swh storage` instead.",
+            DeprecationWarning,
+        )
+        api_cfg = load_and_check_config(config_path, type="any")
+        app.config.update(api_cfg)
+    else:
+        app.config.update(ctx.obj["config"])
+
     app.run(host, port=int(port), debug=bool(debug))
 
 
diff --git a/swh/storage/tests/test_cli.py b/swh/storage/tests/test_cli.py
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swh/storage/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2020  The Software Heritage developers
+# See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
+# License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
+# See top-level LICENSE file for more information
+
+import copy
+import logging
+import tempfile
+import requests
+import threading
+import time
+
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+from aiohttp.test_utils import unused_port
+
+import yaml
+
+from click.testing import CliRunner
+
+from swh.storage.cli import storage as cli
+
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+CLI_CONFIG = {
+    "storage": {"cls": "memory",},
+}
+
+
+def invoke(*args, env=None):
+    config = copy.deepcopy(CLI_CONFIG)
+    runner = CliRunner()
+    with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile("a", suffix=".yml") as config_fd:
+        yaml.dump(config, config_fd)
+        config_fd.seek(0)
+        args = ["-C" + config_fd.name] + list(args)
+        return runner.invoke(cli, args, obj={"log_level": logging.DEBUG}, env=env,)
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def check_rpc_serve():
+    # this context manager adds, if needed, a /quit route to the flask application that
+    # uses the werzeuk tric to exit the test server started by app.run()
+    #
+    # The /testing/ gathering code is executed in a thread while the main thread runs
+    # the test server. Results of the tests consist in a list of requests Response
+    # objects stored in the `response` shared list.
+    #
+    # This convoluted execution code is needed because the flask app needs to run in the
+    # main thread.
+    #
+    # The context manager will yield the port on which tests (GET queries) will be done,
+    # so the test function should start the RPC server on this port in the body of the
+    # context manager.
+
+    from swh.storage.api.server import app
+    from flask import request
+
+    if "/quit" not in [r.rule for r in app.url_map.iter_rules()]:
+
+        @app.route("/quit")
+        def quit_app():
+            request.environ["werkzeug.server.shutdown"]()
+            return "Bye"
+
+    port = unused_port()
+    responses = []
+
+    def run_tests():
+        # we do run the "test" part in the thread because flask does not like the
+        # app.run() to be executed in a (non-main) thread
+        def get(path):
+            for i in range(5):
+                try:
+                    resp = requests.get(f"http://127.0.0.1:{port}{path}")
+                    break
+                except requests.exceptions.ConnectionError:
+                    time.sleep(0.2)
+            responses.append(resp)
+
+        get("/")  # ensure the server starts and can reply the '/' path
+
+        get("/quit")  # ask the test server to quit gracefully
+
+    t = threading.Thread(target=run_tests)
+    t.start()
+    yield port  # this is where the caller should start the server listening on "port"
+
+    # we expect to reach this point because the /quit endpoint should have been called,
+    # thus the server, executed in the caller's context manager's body, should now
+    # return
+    t.join()
+
+    # check the GET requests we made in the thread have expected results
+    assert len(responses) == 2
+    assert responses[0].status_code == 200
+    assert "Software Heritage storage server" in responses[0].text
+    assert responses[1].status_code == 200
+    assert responses[1].text == "Bye"
+
+
+def test_rpc_serve():
+    with check_rpc_serve() as port:
+        invoke("rpc-serve", "--host", "127.0.0.1", "--port", port)
+
+
+def test_rpc_serve_bwcompat():
+    def invoke(*args, env=None):
+        config = copy.deepcopy(CLI_CONFIG)
+        runner = CliRunner()
+        with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile("a", suffix=".yml") as config_fd:
+            yaml.dump(config, config_fd)
+            config_fd.seek(0)
+            args = list(args) + [config_fd.name]
+            return runner.invoke(cli, args, obj={"log_level": logging.DEBUG}, env=env,)
+
+    with check_rpc_serve() as port:
+        invoke("rpc-serve", "--host", "127.0.0.1", "--port", port)