diff --git a/cmd/crowdsec-cli/cliconfig/show.go b/cmd/crowdsec-cli/cliconfig/show.go
index cff214e49..b5830ceec 100644
--- a/cmd/crowdsec-cli/cliconfig/show.go
+++ b/cmd/crowdsec-cli/cliconfig/show.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ func (cli *cliConfig) showKey(key string) error {
 	}
 
 	opts := []expr.Option{}
-	opts = append(opts, exprhelpers.GetExprOptions(map[string]interface{}{})...)
+	opts = append(opts, exprhelpers.GetExprOptions(map[string]any{})...)
 	opts = append(opts, expr.Env(Env{}))
 
 	program, err := expr.Compile(key, opts...)
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ func (cli *cliConfig) showKey(key string) error {
 		// that would break compatibility with previous versions
 		switch output.(type) {
 		case string:
-			fmt.Println(output)
+			fmt.Fprintln(os.Stdout, output)
 		default:
 			litter.Dump(output)
 		}
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func (cli *cliConfig) showKey(key string) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to serialize configuration: %w", err)
 		}
 
-		fmt.Println(string(data))
+		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stdout, string(data))
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ func (cli *cliConfig) template() string {
    - Configuration Folder   : {{.ConfigPaths.ConfigDir}}
    - Data Folder            : {{.ConfigPaths.DataDir}}
    - Hub Folder             : {{.ConfigPaths.HubDir}}
+   - Notification Folder    : {{.ConfigPaths.NotificationDir}}
    - Simulation File        : {{.ConfigPaths.SimulationFilePath}}
 {{- end }}
 
@@ -216,14 +217,14 @@ func (cli *cliConfig) show() error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to serialize configuration: %w", err)
 		}
 
-		fmt.Println(string(data))
+		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stdout, string(data))
 	case "raw":
 		data, err := yaml.Marshal(cfg)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to serialize configuration: %w", err)
 		}
 
-		fmt.Println(string(data))
+		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stdout, string(data))
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/cmd/crowdsec-cli/clinotifications/notifications.go b/cmd/crowdsec-cli/clinotifications/notifications.go
index 7856c89ff..9031a2d93 100644
--- a/cmd/crowdsec-cli/clinotifications/notifications.go
+++ b/cmd/crowdsec-cli/clinotifications/notifications.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ func (cli *cliNotifications) NewCommand() *cobra.Command {
 				return fmt.Errorf("loading api client: %w", err)
 			}
 
-			return require.Notifications(cfg)
+			return nil
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ func (cli *cliNotifications) newListCmd() *cobra.Command {
 				if err != nil {
 					return fmt.Errorf("failed to serialize notification configuration: %w", err)
 				}
-				fmt.Printf("%s", string(x))
+				fmt.Fprint(os.Stdout, string(x))
 			} else if cfg.Cscli.Output == "raw" {
 				csvwriter := csv.NewWriter(os.Stdout)
 				err := csvwriter.Write([]string{"Name", "Type", "Profile name"})
@@ -223,19 +223,19 @@ func (cli *cliNotifications) newInspectCmd() *cobra.Command {
 				return fmt.Errorf("plugin '%s' does not exist or is not active", args[0])
 			}
 			if cfg.Cscli.Output == "human" || cfg.Cscli.Output == "raw" {
-				fmt.Printf(" - %15s: %15s\n", "Type", ncfg.Config.Type)
-				fmt.Printf(" - %15s: %15s\n", "Name", ncfg.Config.Name)
-				fmt.Printf(" - %15s: %15s\n", "Timeout", ncfg.Config.TimeOut)
-				fmt.Printf(" - %15s: %15s\n", "Format", ncfg.Config.Format)
+				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, " - %15s: %15s\n", "Type", ncfg.Config.Type)
+				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, " - %15s: %15s\n", "Name", ncfg.Config.Name)
+				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, " - %15s: %15s\n", "Timeout", ncfg.Config.TimeOut)
+				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, " - %15s: %15s\n", "Format", ncfg.Config.Format)
 				for k, v := range ncfg.Config.Config {
-					fmt.Printf(" - %15s: %15v\n", k, v)
+					fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, " - %15s: %15v\n", k, v)
 				}
 			} else if cfg.Cscli.Output == "json" {
 				x, err := json.MarshalIndent(cfg, "", " ")
 				if err != nil {
 					return fmt.Errorf("failed to serialize notification configuration: %w", err)
 				}
-				fmt.Printf("%s", string(x))
+				fmt.Fprint(os.Stdout, string(x))
 			}
 
 			return nil
diff --git a/cmd/crowdsec-cli/require/require.go b/cmd/crowdsec-cli/require/require.go
index beffa29f3..098218263 100644
--- a/cmd/crowdsec-cli/require/require.go
+++ b/cmd/crowdsec-cli/require/require.go
@@ -74,14 +74,6 @@ func DB(c *csconfig.Config) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func Notifications(c *csconfig.Config) error {
-	if c.ConfigPaths.NotificationDir == "" {
-		return errors.New("config_paths.notification_dir is not set in crowdsec config")
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
-
 func HubDownloader(ctx context.Context, c *csconfig.Config) *cwhub.Downloader {
 	// set branch in config, and log if necessary
 	branch := HubBranch(ctx, c)
diff --git a/cmd/crowdsec/api.go b/cmd/crowdsec/api.go
index ccb0acf02..1b14d2f69 100644
--- a/cmd/crowdsec/api.go
+++ b/cmd/crowdsec/api.go
@@ -32,10 +32,6 @@ func initAPIServer(ctx context.Context, cConfig *csconfig.Config) (*apiserver.AP
 			return nil, errors.New("plugins are enabled, but the plugin_config section is missing in the configuration")
 		}
 
-		if cConfig.ConfigPaths.NotificationDir == "" {
-			return nil, errors.New("plugins are enabled, but config_paths.notification_dir is not defined")
-		}
-
 		if cConfig.ConfigPaths.PluginDir == "" {
 			return nil, errors.New("plugins are enabled, but config_paths.plugin_dir is not defined")
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/csconfig/config_paths.go b/pkg/csconfig/config_paths.go
index a8d39a664..5fdf1d94b 100644
--- a/pkg/csconfig/config_paths.go
+++ b/pkg/csconfig/config_paths.go
@@ -19,10 +19,15 @@ type ConfigurationPaths struct {
 
 func (c *Config) loadConfigurationPaths() error {
 	var err error
+
 	if c.ConfigPaths == nil {
 		return errors.New("no configuration paths provided")
 	}
 
+	if c.ConfigPaths.ConfigDir == "" {
+		c.ConfigPaths.ConfigDir = filepath.Dir(c.FilePath)
+	}
+
 	if c.ConfigPaths.DataDir == "" {
 		return errors.New("please provide a data directory with the 'data_dir' directive in the 'config_paths' section")
 	}
@@ -35,6 +40,10 @@ func (c *Config) loadConfigurationPaths() error {
 		c.ConfigPaths.HubIndexFile = filepath.Join(c.ConfigPaths.HubDir, ".index.json")
 	}
 
+	if c.ConfigPaths.NotificationDir == "" {
+		c.ConfigPaths.NotificationDir = filepath.Join(c.ConfigPaths.ConfigDir, "notifications")
+	}
+
 	if c.ConfigPaths.PatternDir == "" {
 		c.ConfigPaths.PatternDir = filepath.Join(c.ConfigPaths.ConfigDir, "patterns")
 	}
@@ -53,6 +62,7 @@ func (c *Config) loadConfigurationPaths() error {
 		if *k == "" {
 			continue
 		}
+
 		*k, err = filepath.Abs(*k)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to get absolute path of '%s': %w", *k, err)
diff --git a/test/bats/01_cscli.bats b/test/bats/01_cscli.bats
index 77c128568..df4ece8d7 100644
--- a/test/bats/01_cscli.bats
+++ b/test/bats/01_cscli.bats
@@ -147,6 +147,11 @@ teardown() {
 
     # defaults
 
+    config_set 'del(.config_paths.config_dir)'
+    rune -0 cscli config show --key Config.ConfigPaths.ConfigDir
+    assert_output "$configdir"
+    echo "$config" > "$CONFIG_YAML"
+
     config_set 'del(.config_paths.hub_dir)'
     rune -0 cscli hub list
     rune -0 cscli config show --key Config.ConfigPaths.HubDir
diff --git a/test/bats/72_plugin_badconfig.bats b/test/bats/72_plugin_badconfig.bats
index 216b29f4d..ab8ceecc5 100644
--- a/test/bats/72_plugin_badconfig.bats
+++ b/test/bats/72_plugin_badconfig.bats
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ setup_file() {
 
     PROFILES_PATH=$(config_get '.api.server.profiles_path')
     export PROFILES_PATH
+
+    CONFIG_DIR=$(dirname "$CONFIG_YAML")
+    export CONFIG_DIR
 }
 
 teardown_file() {
@@ -72,7 +75,6 @@ teardown() {
 }
 
 @test "duplicate notification config" {
-    CONFIG_DIR=$(dirname "$CONFIG_YAML")
     # email_default has two configurations
     rune -0 yq -i '.name="email_default"' "$CONFIG_DIR/notifications/http.yaml"
     # enable a notification, otherwise plugins are ignored
@@ -110,10 +112,8 @@ teardown() {
 
 @test "config.yaml: missing config_paths.notification_dir" {
     config_set 'del(.config_paths.notification_dir)'
-    config_set "$PROFILES_PATH" '.notifications=["http_default"]'
-    rune -0 wait-for \
-        --err "api server init: plugins are enabled, but config_paths.notification_dir is not defined" \
-        "$CROWDSEC"
+    rune -0 cscli config show --key Config.ConfigPaths.NotificationDir
+    assert_output "$CONFIG_DIR/notifications"
 }
 
 @test "config.yaml: missing config_paths.plugin_dir" {