diff --git a/docs/content/docs.md b/docs/content/docs.md
index decf9f911..4d0e663d7 100644
--- a/docs/content/docs.md
+++ b/docs/content/docs.md
@@ -686,8 +686,8 @@ to run in "portable" mode by downloading rclone executable to a
 writable directory and then create an empty file `rclone.conf` in the
 same directory.
 
-If the location is set to empty string `""` or the special value
-`/notfound`, or the os null device represented by value `NUL` on
+If the location is set to empty string `""` or path to a file
+with name `notfound`, or the os null device represented by value `NUL` on
 Windows and `/dev/null` on Unix systems, then rclone will keep the
 config file in memory only.
 
@@ -1920,11 +1920,12 @@ Nevertheless, rclone will read any configuration file found
 according to the rules described [above](https://rclone.org/docs/#config-config-file).
 If an encrypted configuration file is found, this means you will be prompted for
 password (unless using `--password-command`). To avoid this, you can bypass
-the loading of the configuration file by overriding the location with an empty
-string `""` or the special value `/notfound`, or the os null device represented
-by value `NUL` on Windows and `/dev/null` on Unix systems (before rclone
-version 1.55 only this null device alternative was supported).
-E.g. `rclone --config="" genautocomplete bash`.
+the loading of the default configuration file by overriding the location,
+e.g. with one of the documented special values for memory-only configuration:
+
+```
+rclone genautocomplete bash --config=""
+```
 
 Developer options
 -----------------
diff --git a/fs/config/config.go b/fs/config/config.go
index 37ab42ad0..ad5a2f836 100644
--- a/fs/config/config.go
+++ b/fs/config/config.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import (
 const (
 	configFileName       = "rclone.conf"
 	hiddenConfigFileName = "." + configFileName
-	noConfigFile         = "/notfound"
+	noConfigFile         = "notfound"
 
 	// ConfigToken is the key used to store the token under
 	ConfigToken = "token"
@@ -113,16 +113,12 @@ var (
 	Password = random.Password
 )
 
-var (
-	configPath   string
-	noConfigPath string
-)
+var configPath string
 
 func init() {
 	// Set the function pointers up in fs
 	fs.ConfigFileGet = FileGetFlag
 	fs.ConfigFileSet = SetValueAndSave
-	noConfigPath, _ = filepath.Abs(noConfigFile)
 	configPath = makeConfigPath()
 }
 
@@ -320,15 +316,12 @@ func SetConfigPath(path string) (err error) {
 	var cfgPath string
 	if path == "" || path == os.DevNull {
 		cfgPath = ""
+	} else if filepath.Base(path) == noConfigFile {
+		cfgPath = ""
 	} else if err = file.IsReserved(path); err != nil {
 		return err
-	} else {
-		if cfgPath, err = filepath.Abs(path); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		if cfgPath == noConfigPath {
-			cfgPath = ""
-		}
+	} else if cfgPath, err = filepath.Abs(path); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 	configPath = cfgPath
 	return nil