diff --git a/REVIEWING.rst b/REVIEWING.rst
index bd6018d..676a217 100644
--- a/REVIEWING.rst
+++ b/REVIEWING.rst
@@ -72,6 +72,19 @@
 scenario tests this is up to the reviewers discretion whether a docstring is
 required or not.
 
+Release Notes
+-------------
+Release notes are how we indicate to users and other consumers of Tempest what
+has changed in a given release. Since Tempest 10.0.0 we've been using `reno`_
+to manage and build the release notes. There are certain types of changes that
+require release notes and we should not approve them without including a release
+note. These include but aren't limited to, any addition, deprecation or removal
+from the lib interface, any change to configuration options (including
+deprecation), CLI additions or deprecations, major feature additions, and
+anything backwards incompatible or would require a user to take note or do
+something extra.
+
+.. _reno: http://docs.openstack.org/developer/reno/
 
 When to approve
 ---------------
diff --git a/doc/source/conf.py b/doc/source/conf.py
index c2df0b6..eef3620 100644
--- a/doc/source/conf.py
+++ b/doc/source/conf.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
               'oslo_config.sphinxconfiggen',
              ]
 
-config_generator_config_file = '../../etc/config-generator.tempest.conf'
+config_generator_config_file = '../../tempest/cmd/config-generator.tempest.conf'
 sample_config_basename = '_static/tempest'
 
 todo_include_todos = True
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/tempest-init-global-config-dir-location-changes-12260255871d3a2b.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/tempest-init-global-config-dir-location-changes-12260255871d3a2b.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eeda921
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/tempest-init-global-config-dir-location-changes-12260255871d3a2b.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+---
+upgrade:
+  - The location on disk that the *tempest init* command looks for has changed.
+    Previously it would attempt to use python packaging's data files to guess
+    where setuptools/distutils were installing data files, which was incredibly
+    unreliable and depended on how you installed tempest and which versions of
+    setuptools, distutils, and python you had installed. Instead, now it will
+    use either /etc/tempest, $XDG_CONFIG_PATH/.config/tempest, or
+    ~/.tempest/etc (attempted in that order). If none of these exist it will
+    create an empty ~/.tempest/etc directory. If you were relying on the
+    previous behavior and none of these directories were being used you will
+    need to move the files to live in one of these directories.
diff --git a/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_server_actions.py b/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_server_actions.py
index 3a4428a..c65fee4 100644
--- a/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_server_actions.py
+++ b/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_server_actions.py
@@ -375,17 +375,18 @@
             'backup_type': "daily",
             'instance_uuid': self.server_id,
         }
+        params = {
+            'status': 'active',
+            'sort_key': 'created_at',
+            'sort_dir': 'asc'
+        }
         if CONF.image_feature_enabled.api_v1:
-            params = dict(
-                properties=properties, status='active',
-                sort_key='created_at', sort_dir='asc',)
+            params.update({'properties': properties})
             image_list = glance_client.list_images(
                 detail=True,
                 **params)['images']
         else:
             # Additional properties are flattened in glance v2.
-            params = dict(
-                status='active', sort_key='created_at', sort_dir='asc')
             params.update(properties)
             image_list = glance_client.list_images(params)['images']
 
diff --git a/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_server_rescue.py b/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_server_rescue.py
index 32faf7d..9834d02 100644
--- a/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_server_rescue.py
+++ b/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_server_rescue.py
@@ -61,9 +61,6 @@
         waiters.wait_for_server_status(cls.servers_client, cls.server_id,
                                        'ACTIVE')
 
-    def setUp(self):
-        super(ServerRescueTestJSON, self).setUp()
-
     @classmethod
     def resource_cleanup(cls):
         # Deleting the floating IP which is created in this method
@@ -72,9 +69,6 @@
             cls.sg_id)
         super(ServerRescueTestJSON, cls).resource_cleanup()
 
-    def tearDown(self):
-        super(ServerRescueTestJSON, self).tearDown()
-
     def _unrescue(self, server_id):
         self.servers_client.unrescue_server(server_id)
         waiters.wait_for_server_status(self.servers_client, server_id,
diff --git a/etc/config-generator.tempest.conf b/tempest/cmd/config-generator.tempest.conf
similarity index 100%
rename from etc/config-generator.tempest.conf
rename to tempest/cmd/config-generator.tempest.conf
diff --git a/tempest/cmd/init.py b/tempest/cmd/init.py
index b9db989..e3788ab 100644
--- a/tempest/cmd/init.py
+++ b/tempest/cmd/init.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import sys
 
 from cliff import command
+from oslo_config import generator
 from oslo_log import log as logging
 from six import moves
 
@@ -39,45 +40,28 @@
 def get_tempest_default_config_dir():
     """Get default config directory of tempest
 
-    Returns the correct default config dir to support both cases of
-    tempest being or not installed in a virtualenv.
-    Cases considered:
-    - no virtual env, python2: real_prefix and base_prefix not set
-    - no virtual env, python3: real_prefix not set, base_prefix set and
-      identical to prefix
-    - virtualenv, python2: real_prefix and prefix are set and different
-    - virtualenv, python3: real_prefix not set, base_prefix and prefix are
-      set and identical
-    - pyvenv, any python version: real_prefix not set, base_prefix and prefix
-      are set and different
+    There are 3 dirs that get tried in priority order. First is /etc/tempest,
+    if that doesn't exist it looks for a tempest dir in the XDG_CONFIG_HOME
+    dir (defaulting to ~/.config/tempest) and last it tries for a
+    ~/.tempest/etc directory. If none of these exist a ~/.tempest/etc
+    directory will be created.
 
     :return: default config dir
     """
-    real_prefix = getattr(sys, 'real_prefix', None)
-    base_prefix = getattr(sys, 'base_prefix', None)
-    prefix = sys.prefix
     global_conf_dir = '/etc/tempest'
-    if (real_prefix is None and
-            (base_prefix is None or base_prefix == prefix) and
-            os.path.isdir(global_conf_dir)):
-        # Probably not running in a virtual environment.
-        # NOTE(andreaf) we cannot distinguish this case from the case of
-        # a virtual environment created with virtualenv, and running python3.
-        # Also if it appears we are not in virtual env and fail to find
-        # global config: '/etc/tempest', fall back to
-        # '[sys.prefix]/etc/tempest'
+    xdg_config = os.environ.get('XDG_CONFIG_HOME',
+                                os.path.expanduser('~/.config'))
+    user_xdg_global_path = os.path.join(xdg_config, 'tempest')
+    user_global_path = os.path.join(os.path.expanduser('~'), '.tempest/etc')
+    if os.path.isdir(global_conf_dir):
         return global_conf_dir
+    elif os.path.isdir(user_xdg_global_path):
+        return user_xdg_global_path
+    elif os.path.isdir(user_global_path):
+        return user_global_path
     else:
-        conf_dir = os.path.join(prefix, 'etc/tempest')
-        if os.path.isdir(conf_dir):
-            return conf_dir
-        else:
-            # NOTE: The prefix is gotten from the path which pyconfig.h is
-            # installed under. Some envs contain it under /usr/include, not
-            # /user/local/include. Then prefix becomes /usr on such envs.
-            # However, etc/tempest is installed under /usr/local and the bove
-            # path logic mismatches. This is a workaround for such envs.
-            return os.path.join(prefix, 'local/etc/tempest')
+        os.makedirs(user_global_path)
+        return user_global_path
 
 
 class TempestInit(command.Command):
@@ -125,17 +109,16 @@
         else:
             LOG.warning("Global config dir %s can't be found" % config_dir)
 
-    def generate_sample_config(self, local_dir, config_dir):
-        if os.path.isdir(config_dir):
-            conf_generator = os.path.join(config_dir,
-                                          'config-generator.tempest.conf')
-
-            subprocess.call(['oslo-config-generator', '--config-file',
-                             conf_generator],
-                            cwd=local_dir)
+    def generate_sample_config(self, local_dir):
+        conf_generator = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),
+                                      'config-generator.tempest.conf')
+        output_file = os.path.join(local_dir, 'etc/tempest.conf.sample')
+        if os.path.isfile(conf_generator):
+            generator.main(['--config-file', conf_generator, '--output-file',
+                            output_file])
         else:
             LOG.warning("Skipping sample config generation because global "
-                        "config dir %s can't be found" % config_dir)
+                        "config file %s can't be found" % conf_generator)
 
     def create_working_dir(self, local_dir, config_dir):
         # make sure we are working with abspath however tempest init is called
@@ -164,7 +147,7 @@
         # Create and copy local etc dir
         self.copy_config(etc_dir, config_dir)
         # Generate the sample config file
-        self.generate_sample_config(local_dir, config_dir)
+        self.generate_sample_config(local_dir)
         # Update local confs to reflect local paths
         self.update_local_conf(config_path, lock_dir, log_dir)
         # Generate a testr conf file
diff --git a/tempest/tests/cmd/test_tempest_init.py b/tempest/tests/cmd/test_tempest_init.py
index 685a0b3..031bf4d 100644
--- a/tempest/tests/cmd/test_tempest_init.py
+++ b/tempest/tests/cmd/test_tempest_init.py
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 # under the License.
 
 import os
-import shutil
 
 import fixtures
 
@@ -43,15 +42,12 @@
         local_dir = self.useFixture(fixtures.TempDir())
         etc_dir_path = os.path.join(local_dir.path, 'etc/')
         os.mkdir(etc_dir_path)
-        tmp_dir = self.useFixture(fixtures.TempDir())
-        config_dir = os.path.join(tmp_dir.path, 'config/')
-        shutil.copytree('etc/', config_dir)
         init_cmd = init.TempestInit(None, None)
         local_sample_conf_file = os.path.join(etc_dir_path,
                                               'tempest.conf.sample')
         # Verify no sample config file exist
         self.assertFalse(os.path.isfile(local_sample_conf_file))
-        init_cmd.generate_sample_config(local_dir.path, config_dir)
+        init_cmd.generate_sample_config(local_dir.path)
 
         # Verify sample config file exist with some content
         self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(local_sample_conf_file))
diff --git a/tempest/tests/lib/services/identity/v3/test_token_client.py b/tempest/tests/lib/services/identity/v3/test_token_client.py
index e9ef740..9f4b4cc 100644
--- a/tempest/tests/lib/services/identity/v3/test_token_client.py
+++ b/tempest/tests/lib/services/identity/v3/test_token_client.py
@@ -25,9 +25,6 @@
 
 class TestTokenClientV3(base.TestCase):
 
-    def setUp(self):
-        super(TestTokenClientV3, self).setUp()
-
     def test_init_without_authurl(self):
         self.assertRaises(exceptions.IdentityError,
                           token_client.V3TokenClient, None)
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 44162fd..cff222d 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
     bash tools/pretty_tox.sh '{posargs}'
 
 [testenv:genconfig]
-commands = oslo-config-generator --config-file etc/config-generator.tempest.conf
+commands = oslo-config-generator --config-file tempest/cmd/config-generator.tempest.conf
 
 [testenv:cover]
 setenv = OS_TEST_PATH=./tempest/tests