diff --git a/config/initializers/01_app_config.rb b/config/initializers/01_app_config.rb
index 067483d057..410f9fa337 100644
--- a/config/initializers/01_app_config.rb
+++ b/config/initializers/01_app_config.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+require_dependency 'carto/configuration'
+
 module Cartodb
   def self.get_config(*config_chain)
     current = Cartodb.config
@@ -14,7 +16,7 @@ module Cartodb
     return @config if @config
 
     begin
-    config_file_hash = YAML.load_file("#{Rails.root}/config/app_config.yml")
+    config_file_hash = Carto::Conf.new.app_config
     rescue => e
       raise "Missing or inaccessible config/app_config.yml: #{e.message}"
     end
diff --git a/lib/carto/configuration.rb b/lib/carto/configuration.rb
index 7a5014009f..413438e7b4 100644
--- a/lib/carto/configuration.rb
+++ b/lib/carto/configuration.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 module Carto::Configuration
   def db_config
-    YAML.load(File.read(db_config_file))
+    @@db_config ||= YAML.load(File.read(db_config_file))
+  end
+
+  def app_config
+    @@app_config = YAML.load_file(app_config_file)
   end
 
   private
@@ -20,6 +24,10 @@ module Carto::Configuration
       File.join(config_files_root, 'config/database.yml')
     end
   end
+
+  def app_config_file
+    "#{config_files_root}/config/app_config.yml"
+  end
 end
 
 # TODO: singleton
diff --git a/script/compare_metadata.rb b/script/compare_metadata.rb
index 706723dfa6..068a002904 100644
--- a/script/compare_metadata.rb
+++ b/script/compare_metadata.rb
@@ -17,8 +17,9 @@ if data.length > 0
   exit 0
 end
 
-config = YAML.load(File.read('../config/app_config.yml'))
-database = Carto::Conf.new.db_config
+carto_conf = Carto::Conf.new
+config = carto_conf.app_config
+database = carto_conf.db_config
 
 
 RAILS_ENV = ENV['RAILS_ENV'] || 'production'
diff --git a/services/synchronizer/lib/synchronizer/collection.rb b/services/synchronizer/lib/synchronizer/collection.rb
index 151f26007f..106ebc015e 100644
--- a/services/synchronizer/lib/synchronizer/collection.rb
+++ b/services/synchronizer/lib/synchronizer/collection.rb
@@ -5,11 +5,10 @@ require_relative '../../../../app/models/log'
 require_relative '../../../../app/models/synchronization/member'
 require_relative '../../../../lib/resque/synchronization_jobs'
 require_relative '../../../../services/platform-limits/platform_limits'
+require 'carto/configuration'
 
 unless defined? Cartodb
-  config = YAML.load_file(
-      File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '../../../../config/app_config.yml')
-    )[ENV['RAILS_ENV'] || 'development']
+  config = Carto::Conf.new.app_config[ENV['RAILS_ENV'] || 'development']
   Resque.redis = "#{config['redis']['host']}:#{config['redis']['port']}"
 end
 
diff --git a/services/user-mover/config.rb b/services/user-mover/config.rb
index 18e7363b4a..5cbc005581 100644
--- a/services/user-mover/config.rb
+++ b/services/user-mover/config.rb
@@ -6,8 +6,9 @@ module CartoDB
     class Config
       def self.load_config
         root = File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__))
-        config = YAML.load(File.read(File.join(root, '../../config/app_config.yml')))
-        database = Carto::Conf.new.db_config
+        carto_config = Carto::Conf.new
+        config = carto_config.app_config
+        database = carto_config.db_config
         rails_env = ENV['RAILS_ENV'] || Rails.env || 'production'
         @config = {
           rails_env: rails_env,