diff --git a/lib/config.js b/lib/config.js
index 56b78822e..8d55b3ca2 100644
--- a/lib/config.js
+++ b/lib/config.js
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ const assert = require('assert');
 const Crypto = require('crypto');
 const Error = require('http-errors');
 const minimatch = require('minimatch');
-const Path = require('path');
-const LocalData = require('./local-data');
 const Utils = require('./utils');
 const pkginfo = require('pkginfo')(module); // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
 const pkgVersion = module.exports.version;
@@ -93,24 +91,6 @@ class Config {
 		assert.equal(typeof(config), 'object', 'CONFIG: it doesn\'t look like a valid config file');
 
 		assert(self.storage, 'CONFIG: storage path not defined');
-		// local data handler is linked with the configuration handler
-		self.localList = new LocalData(
-			Path.join(
-				Path.resolve(Path.dirname(self.self_path || ''), self.storage),
-				// FUTURE: the database might be parameterizable from config.yaml
-				'.sinopia-db.json'
-			)
-		);
-		// it generates a secret key
-		// FUTURE: this might be an external secret key, perhaps whitin config file?
-		if (!self.secret) {
-			self.secret = self.localList.data.secret;
-			if (!self.secret) {
-				self.secret = Crypto.pseudoRandomBytes(32).toString('hex');
-				self.localList.data.secret = self.secret;
-				self.localList.sync();
-			}
-		}
 
 		const users = {
 			'all': true,
diff --git a/lib/local-storage.js b/lib/local-storage.js
index 3c5ca0d63..80660d5d2 100644
--- a/lib/local-storage.js
+++ b/lib/local-storage.js
@@ -39,9 +39,11 @@ class Storage {
   /**
    * Constructor
    * @param {Object} config config list of properties
+   * @param {LocalData} localList reference
    */
-  constructor(config) {
+  constructor(config, localList) {
     this.config = config;
+    this.localList = localList;
     this.logger = Logger.logger.child({sub: 'fs'});
   }
 
@@ -135,7 +137,7 @@ class Storage {
     });
 
     Search.remove(name);
-    this.config.localList.remove(name);
+    this.localList.remove(name);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -285,7 +287,7 @@ class Storage {
 
       data.versions[version] = metadata;
       Utils.tag_version(data, version, tag);
-      this.config.localList.add(name);
+      this.localList.add(name);
       cb();
     }, callback);
   }
diff --git a/lib/search.js b/lib/search.js
index 51cba12b1..6fc442b43 100644
--- a/lib/search.js
+++ b/lib/search.js
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class Search {
    */
   query(q) {
 	  return q === '*'
-      ? this.storage.config.localList.get().map( function( pkg ) {
+      ? this.storage.localList.get().map( function( pkg ) {
         return {ref: pkg, score: 1};
       }) : this.index.search(q);
   }
diff --git a/lib/storage.js b/lib/storage.js
index e4a9066f4..7f636d764 100644
--- a/lib/storage.js
+++ b/lib/storage.js
@@ -2,10 +2,13 @@
 
 const assert = require('assert');
 const async = require('async');
+const path = require('path');
 const Error = require('http-errors');
 const semver = require('semver');
+const Crypto = require('crypto');
 const Stream = require('stream');
 const Local = require('./local-storage');
+const LocalData = require('./local-data');
 const Logger = require('./logger');
 const MyStreams = require('./streams');
 const Proxy = require('./up-storage');
@@ -33,8 +36,24 @@ class Storage {
         this.uplinks[p].upname = p;
       }
     }
+    // local data handler is linked with the configuration handler
+    this.localList = new LocalData(path.join(path.resolve(path.dirname(config.self_path || ''), config.storage),
+      // FUTURE: the database might be parameterizable from config.yaml
+      '.sinopia-db.json'
+      )
+    );
+    // it generates a secret key
+    // FUTURE: this might be an external secret key, perhaps whitin config file?
+    if (!config.secret) {
+      config.secret = this.localList.data.secret;
+      if (!config.secret) {
+        config.secret = Crypto.pseudoRandomBytes(32).toString('hex');
+        this.localList.data.secret = config.secret;
+        this.localList.sync();
+      }
+    }
     // an instance for local storage
-    this.local = new Local(config);
+    this.local = new Local(config, this.localList);
     this.logger = Logger.logger.child();
   }
 
@@ -438,7 +457,7 @@ class Storage {
    */
   get_local(callback) {
     let self = this;
-    let locals = this.config.localList.get();
+    let locals = this.localList.get();
     let packages = [];
 
     const getPackage = function(i) {