diff --git a/modules/indexer/issues/indexer_test.go b/modules/indexer/issues/indexer_test.go
index c7c7cea90..a2d1794f4 100644
--- a/modules/indexer/issues/indexer_test.go
+++ b/modules/indexer/issues/indexer_test.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 
 func TestBleveSearchIssues(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, unittest.PrepareTestDatabase())
-	setting.CfgProvider = setting.NewEmptyConfigProvider()
+	setting.CfgProvider, _ = setting.NewConfigProviderFromData("")
 
 	tmpIndexerDir := t.TempDir()
 
diff --git a/modules/indexer/stats/indexer_test.go b/modules/indexer/stats/indexer_test.go
index be9c6659f..2d9844f8c 100644
--- a/modules/indexer/stats/indexer_test.go
+++ b/modules/indexer/stats/indexer_test.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 
 func TestRepoStatsIndex(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, unittest.PrepareTestDatabase())
-	setting.CfgProvider = setting.NewEmptyConfigProvider()
+	setting.CfgProvider, _ = setting.NewConfigProviderFromData("")
 
 	setting.LoadQueueSettings()
 
diff --git a/modules/setting/config_provider.go b/modules/setting/config_provider.go
index 24825a620..ce9ef7224 100644
--- a/modules/setting/config_provider.go
+++ b/modules/setting/config_provider.go
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ type ConfigProvider interface {
 	Section(section string) ConfigSection
 	NewSection(name string) (ConfigSection, error)
 	GetSection(name string) (ConfigSection, error)
-	DeleteSection(name string) error
 	Save() error
 }
 
@@ -40,12 +39,6 @@ type iniFileConfigProvider struct {
 	newFile bool // whether the file has not existed previously
 }
 
-// NewEmptyConfigProvider create a new empty config provider
-func NewEmptyConfigProvider() ConfigProvider {
-	cp, _ := NewConfigProviderFromData("")
-	return cp
-}
-
 // NewConfigProviderFromData this function is only for testing
 func NewConfigProviderFromData(configContent string) (ConfigProvider, error) {
 	var cfg *ini.File
@@ -121,11 +114,6 @@ func (p *iniFileConfigProvider) GetSection(name string) (ConfigSection, error) {
 	return p.File.GetSection(name)
 }
 
-func (p *iniFileConfigProvider) DeleteSection(name string) error {
-	p.File.DeleteSection(name)
-	return nil
-}
-
 // Save save the content into file
 func (p *iniFileConfigProvider) Save() error {
 	if p.opts.CustomConf == "" {
diff --git a/modules/setting/mailer_test.go b/modules/setting/mailer_test.go
index f65dbaf8f..fbabf1137 100644
--- a/modules/setting/mailer_test.go
+++ b/modules/setting/mailer_test.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 func Test_loadMailerFrom(t *testing.T) {
-	iniFile := NewEmptyConfigProvider()
 	kases := map[string]*Mailer{
 		"smtp.mydomain.com": {
 			SMTPAddr: "smtp.mydomain.com",
@@ -27,13 +26,13 @@ func Test_loadMailerFrom(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	for host, kase := range kases {
 		t.Run(host, func(t *testing.T) {
-			iniFile.DeleteSection("mailer")
-			sec := iniFile.Section("mailer")
+			cfg, _ := NewConfigProviderFromData("")
+			sec := cfg.Section("mailer")
 			sec.NewKey("ENABLED", "true")
 			sec.NewKey("HOST", host)
 
 			// Check mailer setting
-			loadMailerFrom(iniFile)
+			loadMailerFrom(cfg)
 
 			assert.EqualValues(t, kase.SMTPAddr, MailService.SMTPAddr)
 			assert.EqualValues(t, kase.SMTPPort, MailService.SMTPPort)
diff --git a/modules/setting/packages_test.go b/modules/setting/packages_test.go
index 04d6e5583..d9f6e1052 100644
--- a/modules/setting/packages_test.go
+++ b/modules/setting/packages_test.go
@@ -7,12 +7,13 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
-	ini "gopkg.in/ini.v1"
 )
 
 func TestMustBytes(t *testing.T) {
 	test := func(value string) int64 {
-		sec, _ := ini.Empty().NewSection("test")
+		cfg, err := NewConfigProviderFromData("[test]")
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		sec := cfg.Section("test")
 		sec.NewKey("VALUE", value)
 
 		return mustBytes(sec, "VALUE")