diff --git a/webservice/update_mdc.py b/webservice/update_mdc.py
index c09a906b1d65607a1e7d63917fd3d6b923a06080..b9240a8404d1ade46f798f1d02945394e8b59471 100644
--- a/webservice/update_mdc.py
+++ b/webservice/update_mdc.py
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
 import argparse
 import os.path as osp
 
-import yaml
 from metadata_client.metadata_client import MetadataClient
 
 from .config import webservice as config
 
 parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
     description='Update run status at MDC for a given run id.')
+#  TODO: unify configuration argument names across the project
 parser.add_argument('--conf-file', type=str, help='Path to webservice config',
-                    default=osp.join(osp.dirname(__file__), 'webservice.yaml'))
+                    default=None)
 parser.add_argument('--flg', type=str, choices=["NA", "R", "A"], required=True,
                     help='Status flag for MDC request: NA - not available, R - running, A - available.')  # noqa
 parser.add_argument('--rid', type=int, help='Run id from MDC')
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ rid = args['rid']
 flg = args['flg']
 msg = args['msg']
 
+if conf_file is not None:
+    config.configure(includes_for_dynaconf=[conf_file])
+
 mdconf = config['metadata-client']
 client_conn = MetadataClient(client_id=mdconf['user-id'],
                              client_secret=mdconf['user-secret'],