diff --git a/swh/storage/api/server.py b/swh/storage/api/server.py
--- a/swh/storage/api/server.py
+++ b/swh/storage/api/server.py
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
-# Copyright (C) 2015-2019  The Software Heritage developers
+# Copyright (C) 2015-2020  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 logging
 import os
+from typing import Any, Dict
 
 from swh.core import config
 from swh.core.api import RPCServerApp
@@ -78,14 +79,12 @@
 api_cfg = None
 
 
-def load_and_check_config(config_file, type="local"):
+def load_and_check_config(config_path: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     """Check the minimal configuration is set to run the api or raise an
        error explanation.
 
     Args:
-        config_file (str): Path to the configuration file to load
-        type (str): configuration type. For 'local' type, more
-                    checks are done.
+        config_path: Path to the configuration file to load
 
     Raises:
         Error if the setup is not as expected
@@ -94,13 +93,13 @@
         configuration as a dict
 
     """
-    if not config_file:
+    if not config_path:
         raise EnvironmentError("Configuration file must be defined")
 
-    if not os.path.exists(config_file):
-        raise FileNotFoundError("Configuration file %s does not exist" % (config_file,))
+    if not os.path.exists(config_path):
+        raise FileNotFoundError(f"Configuration file {config_path} does not exist")
 
-    cfg = config.read(config_file)
+    cfg = config.read(config_path)
     if "storage" not in cfg:
         raise KeyError("Missing '%storage' configuration")
 
@@ -117,8 +116,8 @@
     """
     global api_cfg
     if not api_cfg:
-        config_file = os.environ.get("SWH_CONFIG_FILENAME")
-        api_cfg = load_and_check_config(config_file)
+        config_path = os.environ.get("SWH_CONFIG_FILENAME")
+        api_cfg = load_and_check_config(config_path)
         app.config.update(api_cfg)
     handler = logging.StreamHandler()
     app.logger.addHandler(handler)
diff --git a/swh/storage/tests/test_server.py b/swh/storage/tests/test_server.py
--- a/swh/storage/tests/test_server.py
+++ b/swh/storage/tests/test_server.py
@@ -31,43 +31,30 @@
     return str(config_path)
 
 
-def test_load_and_check_config_no_configuration():
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("storage_class", [None, ""])
+def test_load_and_check_config_no_configuration(storage_class):
     """Inexistent configuration files raises"""
-    with pytest.raises(EnvironmentError) as e:
-        load_and_check_config(None)
+    with pytest.raises(EnvironmentError, match="Configuration file must be defined"):
+        load_and_check_config(storage_class)
 
-    assert e.value.args[0] == "Configuration file must be defined"
 
+def test_load_and_check_config_inexistent_file():
     config_path = "/some/inexistent/config.yml"
-    with pytest.raises(FileNotFoundError) as e:
+    expected_error = f"Configuration file {config_path} does not exist"
+    with pytest.raises(FileNotFoundError, match=expected_error):
         load_and_check_config(config_path)
 
-    assert e.value.args[0] == "Configuration file %s does not exist" % (config_path,)
-
 
 def test_load_and_check_config_wrong_configuration(tmpdir):
     """Wrong configuration raises"""
     config_path = prepare_config_file(tmpdir, "something: useless")
-    with pytest.raises(KeyError) as e:
+    with pytest.raises(KeyError, match="Missing '%storage' configuration"):
         load_and_check_config(config_path)
 
-    assert e.value.args[0] == "Missing '%storage' configuration"
-
 
 def test_load_and_check_config_local_config_fine(tmpdir):
-    """'Remote configuration is fine"""
-    config = {
-        "storage": {"cls": "local", "args": {"db": "db", "objstorage": "something",}}
-    }
+    """'local' complete configuration is fine"""
+    config = {"storage": {"cls": "local", "db": "db", "objstorage": "something",}}
     config_path = prepare_config_file(tmpdir, config)
-    cfg = load_and_check_config(config_path, type="local")
-    assert cfg == config
-
-
-def test_load_and_check_config_remote_config_fine(tmpdir):
-    """'Remote configuration is fine"""
-    config = {"storage": {"cls": "remote", "args": {}}}
-    config_path = prepare_config_file(tmpdir, config)
-    cfg = load_and_check_config(config_path, type="any")
-
+    cfg = load_and_check_config(config_path)
     assert cfg == config