diff --git a/swift/obj/expirer.py b/swift/obj/expirer.py
index 06419431b8..58870a9431 100644
--- a/swift/obj/expirer.py
+++ b/swift/obj/expirer.py
@@ -167,17 +167,8 @@ class ObjectExpirer(Daemon):
         self.dequeue_from_legacy = \
             True if is_legacy_conf else \
             config_true_value(conf.get('dequeue_from_legacy', 'false'))
-
-        if is_legacy_conf:
-            self.ic_conf_path = self.conf_path
-        else:
-            self.ic_conf_path = \
-                self.conf.get('internal_client_conf_path') or \
-                '/etc/swift/internal-client.conf'
         self.swift = swift or self._make_internal_client(is_legacy_conf)
-
         self.read_conf_for_queue_access()
-
         self.report_interval = float(conf.get('report_interval') or 300)
         self.report_first_time = self.report_last_time = time()
         self.report_objects = 0
@@ -195,9 +186,15 @@ class ObjectExpirer(Daemon):
         self.delay_reaping_times = read_conf_for_delay_reaping_times(conf)
 
     def _make_internal_client(self, is_legacy_conf):
+        if is_legacy_conf:
+            ic_conf_path = self.conf_path
+        else:
+            ic_conf_path = \
+                self.conf.get('internal_client_conf_path') or \
+                '/etc/swift/internal-client.conf'
         request_tries = int(self.conf.get('request_tries') or 3)
         return InternalClient(
-            self.ic_conf_path, 'Swift Object Expirer', request_tries,
+            ic_conf_path, 'Swift Object Expirer', request_tries,
             use_replication_network=True,
             global_conf={'log_name': '%s-ic' % self.conf.get(
                 'log_name', self.log_route)})
diff --git a/test/unit/obj/test_expirer.py b/test/unit/obj/test_expirer.py
index 4c154514f3..bba695ff2f 100644
--- a/test/unit/obj/test_expirer.py
+++ b/test/unit/obj/test_expirer.py
@@ -306,6 +306,76 @@ class TestObjectExpirer(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(x.expiring_objects_account, '.expiring_objects')
         self.assertIs(x.swift, self.fake_swift)
 
+    def test_init_internal_client_path(self):
+        # default -> /etc/swift/object-expirer.conf
+        conf = {'internal_client_conf_path': 'ignored'}
+        with mock.patch.object(expirer, 'InternalClient',
+                               return_value=self.fake_swift) as mock_ic:
+            x = expirer.ObjectExpirer(conf, logger=self.logger)
+        self.assertEqual(mock_ic.mock_calls, [mock.call(
+            '/etc/swift/object-expirer.conf', 'Swift Object Expirer', 3,
+            use_replication_network=True,
+            global_conf={'log_name': 'object-expirer-ic'})])
+        self.assertEqual(self.logger.get_lines_for_level('warning'), [])
+        self.assertIs(x.swift, self.fake_swift)
+
+        # conf read from /etc/swift/object-expirer.conf
+        # -> /etc/swift/object-expirer.conf
+        conf = {'__file__': '/etc/swift/object-expirer.conf',
+                'internal_client_conf_path': 'ignored'}
+        with mock.patch.object(expirer, 'InternalClient',
+                               return_value=self.fake_swift) as mock_ic:
+            x = expirer.ObjectExpirer(conf, logger=self.logger)
+        self.assertEqual(mock_ic.mock_calls, [mock.call(
+            '/etc/swift/object-expirer.conf', 'Swift Object Expirer', 3,
+            use_replication_network=True,
+            global_conf={'log_name': 'object-expirer-ic'})])
+        self.assertEqual(self.logger.get_lines_for_level('warning'), [])
+        self.assertIs(x.swift, self.fake_swift)
+
+        # conf read from object-server.conf, no internal_client_conf_path
+        # specified -> /etc/swift/internal-client.conf
+        conf = {'__file__': '/etc/swift/object-server.conf'}
+        with mock.patch.object(expirer, 'InternalClient',
+                               return_value=self.fake_swift) as mock_ic:
+            x = expirer.ObjectExpirer(conf, logger=self.logger)
+        self.assertEqual(mock_ic.mock_calls, [mock.call(
+            '/etc/swift/internal-client.conf', 'Swift Object Expirer', 3,
+            use_replication_network=True,
+            global_conf={'log_name': 'object-expirer-ic'})])
+        self.assertEqual(self.logger.get_lines_for_level('warning'), [])
+        self.assertIs(x.swift, self.fake_swift)
+
+        # conf read from object-server.conf, internal_client_conf_path is
+        # specified -> internal_client_conf_path value
+        conf = {'__file__': '/etc/swift/object-server.conf',
+                'internal_client_conf_path':
+                    '/etc/swift/other-internal-client.conf'}
+        with mock.patch.object(expirer, 'InternalClient',
+                               return_value=self.fake_swift) as mock_ic:
+            x = expirer.ObjectExpirer(conf, logger=self.logger)
+        self.assertEqual(mock_ic.mock_calls, [mock.call(
+            '/etc/swift/other-internal-client.conf', 'Swift Object Expirer', 3,
+            use_replication_network=True,
+            global_conf={'log_name': 'object-expirer-ic'})])
+        self.assertEqual(self.logger.get_lines_for_level('warning'), [])
+        self.assertIs(x.swift, self.fake_swift)
+
+        # conf read from other file, internal_client_conf_path is
+        # specified -> internal_client_conf_path value
+        conf = {'__file__': '/etc/swift/other-object-server.conf',
+                'internal_client_conf_path':
+                    '/etc/swift/other-internal-client.conf'}
+        with mock.patch.object(expirer, 'InternalClient',
+                               return_value=self.fake_swift) as mock_ic:
+            x = expirer.ObjectExpirer(conf, logger=self.logger)
+        self.assertEqual(mock_ic.mock_calls, [mock.call(
+            '/etc/swift/other-internal-client.conf', 'Swift Object Expirer', 3,
+            use_replication_network=True,
+            global_conf={'log_name': 'object-expirer-ic'})])
+        self.assertEqual(self.logger.get_lines_for_level('warning'), [])
+        self.assertIs(x.swift, self.fake_swift)
+
     def test_init_internal_client_log_name(self):
         def _do_test_init_ic_log_name(conf, exp_internal_client_log_name):
             with mock.patch(