diff --git a/aodh/api/__init__.py b/aodh/api/__init__.py
index f2a76d59c..712d657cc 100644
--- a/aodh/api/__init__.py
+++ b/aodh/api/__init__.py
@@ -12,16 +12,12 @@
 # WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
 # License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 # under the License.
-import os
-
 from oslo_config import cfg
 
 # Register options for the service
 OPTS = [
     cfg.StrOpt('paste_config',
-               default=os.path.abspath(
-                   os.path.join(
-                       os.path.dirname(__file__), "api-paste.ini")),
+               default='api-paste.ini',
                help="Configuration file for WSGI definition of API."),
     cfg.StrOpt(
         'auth_mode',
diff --git a/aodh/api/app.py b/aodh/api/app.py
index b7c090014..8588e32de 100644
--- a/aodh/api/app.py
+++ b/aodh/api/app.py
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 import os
 import uuid
 
-from oslo_config import cfg
 from oslo_log import log
 from paste import deploy
 import pecan
@@ -62,7 +61,10 @@ def load_app(conf):
         cfg_path = conf.find_file(cfg_path)
 
     if cfg_path is None or not os.path.exists(cfg_path):
-        raise cfg.ConfigFilesNotFoundError([conf.api.paste_config])
+        LOG.debug("No api-paste configuration file found! Using default.")
+        cfg_path = os.path.abspath(
+            os.path.join(
+                os.path.dirname(__file__), "api-paste.ini"))
 
     config = dict(conf=conf)
     configkey = str(uuid.uuid4())
diff --git a/aodh/tests/functional/api/test_app.py b/aodh/tests/functional/api/test_app.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 04ce0b776..000000000
--- a/aodh/tests/functional/api/test_app.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-# Copyright 2014 IBM Corp. All Rights Reserved.
-# Copyright 2015 Red Hat, Inc.
-#
-#    Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
-#    not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
-#    a copy of the License at
-#
-#         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-#
-#    Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-#    distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
-#    WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
-#    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
-#    under the License.
-
-from unittest import mock
-
-from oslo_config import cfg
-from oslo_config import fixture as fixture_config
-
-from aodh.api import app
-from aodh import service
-from aodh.tests import base
-
-
-class TestApp(base.BaseTestCase):
-
-    def setUp(self):
-        super(TestApp, self).setUp()
-        conf = service.prepare_service(argv=[], config_files=[])
-        self.CONF = self.useFixture(fixture_config.Config(conf)).conf
-
-    def test_api_paste_file_not_exist(self):
-        self.CONF.set_override('paste_config', 'non-existent-file', "api")
-        with mock.patch.object(self.CONF, 'find_file') as ff:
-            ff.return_value = None
-            self.assertRaises(cfg.ConfigFilesNotFoundError,
-                              app.load_app, self.CONF)
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/load-api-paste-ini-from-config-dirs-69480861a9633df4.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/load-api-paste-ini-from-config-dirs-69480861a9633df4.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f64223f02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/load-api-paste-ini-from-config-dirs-69480861a9633df4.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+features:
+  - |
+    Now the ``aodh-api`` service look for the paste config file (a.k.a.
+    ``api-paste.ini`` from configruation directories like ``/etc/aodh``.
+    If the file is not found in the configuration directories, it uses
+    the default file. To use only a specific file, use a full file path for
+    the ``[api] paste_confing`` parameter