diff --git a/swh/loader/svn/loader.py b/swh/loader/svn/loader.py
--- a/swh/loader/svn/loader.py
+++ b/swh/loader/svn/loader.py
@@ -14,8 +14,9 @@
 import shutil
 from subprocess import Popen
 import tempfile
-from typing import Dict, Iterator, List, Optional, Tuple
+from typing import Any, Dict, Iterator, List, Optional, Tuple
 
+from swh.core.config import merge_configs
 from swh.loader.core.loader import BaseLoader
 from swh.loader.core.utils import clean_dangling_folders
 from swh.model import from_disk, hashutil
@@ -45,6 +46,16 @@
 TEMPORARY_DIR_PREFIX_PATTERN = "swh.loader.svn."
 
 
+DEFAULT_CONFIG: Dict[str, Any] = {
+    "temp_directory": "/tmp",
+    "debug": False,  # NOT FOR PRODUCTION: this does , False for production
+    "check_revision": {
+        "status": False,  # True: check the revision, False: don't check
+        "limit": 1000,  # Periodicity check
+    },
+}
+
+
 class SvnLoader(BaseLoader):
     """Swh svn loader.
 
@@ -53,20 +64,6 @@
 
     """
 
-    CONFIG_BASE_FILENAME = "loader/svn"
-
-    ADDITIONAL_CONFIG = {
-        "temp_directory": ("str", "/tmp"),
-        "debug": ("bool", False),  # NOT FOR PRODUCTION, False for production
-        "check_revision": (
-            "dict",
-            {
-                "status": False,  # do we check the revision?
-                "limit": 1000,  # at which pace do we check it?
-            },
-        ),
-    }
-
     visit_type = "svn"
 
     def __init__(
@@ -79,6 +76,7 @@
         start_from_scratch=False,
     ):
         super().__init__(logging_class="swh.loader.svn.SvnLoader")
+        self.config = merge_configs(DEFAULT_CONFIG, self.config)
         # technical svn uri to act on svn repository
         self.svn_url = url
         # origin url as unique identifier for origin in swh archive
diff --git a/swh/loader/svn/tests/conftest.py b/swh/loader/svn/tests/conftest.py
--- a/swh/loader/svn/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/swh/loader/svn/tests/conftest.py
@@ -30,9 +30,6 @@
             ],
         },
         "check_revision": {"limit": 100, "status": False},
-        "debug": False,
         "log_db": "dbname=softwareheritage-log",
-        "save_data": False,
-        "save_data_path": "",
         "temp_directory": "/tmp",
     }