diff --git a/cmd/geth/accountcmd.go b/cmd/geth/accountcmd.go
index a36da7d55f2c..cc22684e0bad 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/accountcmd.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/accountcmd.go
@@ -188,15 +188,34 @@ nodes.
 	}
 )
 
+// makeAccountManager creates an account manager with backends
+func makeAccountManager(ctx *cli.Context) *accounts.Manager {
+	cfg := loadBaseConfig(ctx)
+	am := accounts.NewManager(&accounts.Config{InsecureUnlockAllowed: cfg.Node.InsecureUnlockAllowed})
+	keydir, isEphemeral, err := cfg.Node.GetKeyStoreDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		utils.Fatalf("Failed to get the keystore directory: %v", err)
+	}
+	if isEphemeral {
+		utils.Fatalf("Can't use ephemeral directory as keystore path")
+	}
+
+	if err := setAccountManagerBackends(&cfg.Node, am, keydir); err != nil {
+		utils.Fatalf("Failed to set account manager backends: %v", err)
+	}
+	return am
+}
+
 func accountList(ctx *cli.Context) error {
-	stack, _ := makeConfigNode(ctx)
+	am := makeAccountManager(ctx)
 	var index int
-	for _, wallet := range stack.AccountManager().Wallets() {
+	for _, wallet := range am.Wallets() {
 		for _, account := range wallet.Accounts() {
 			fmt.Printf("Account #%d: {%x} %s\n", index, account.Address, &account.URL)
 			index++
 		}
 	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -258,17 +277,13 @@ func ambiguousAddrRecovery(ks *keystore.KeyStore, err *keystore.AmbiguousAddrErr
 
 // accountCreate creates a new account into the keystore defined by the CLI flags.
 func accountCreate(ctx *cli.Context) error {
-	cfg := gethConfig{Node: defaultNodeConfig()}
-	// Load config file.
-	if file := ctx.String(configFileFlag.Name); file != "" {
-		if err := loadConfig(file, &cfg); err != nil {
-			utils.Fatalf("%v", err)
-		}
-	}
-	utils.SetNodeConfig(ctx, &cfg.Node)
-	keydir, err := cfg.Node.KeyDirConfig()
+	cfg := loadBaseConfig(ctx)
+	keydir, isEphemeral, err := cfg.Node.GetKeyStoreDir()
 	if err != nil {
-		utils.Fatalf("Failed to read configuration: %v", err)
+		utils.Fatalf("Failed to get the keystore directory: %v", err)
+	}
+	if isEphemeral {
+		utils.Fatalf("Can't use ephemeral directory as keystore path")
 	}
 	scryptN := keystore.StandardScryptN
 	scryptP := keystore.StandardScryptP
@@ -300,8 +315,8 @@ func accountUpdate(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	if ctx.Args().Len() == 0 {
 		utils.Fatalf("No accounts specified to update")
 	}
-	stack, _ := makeConfigNode(ctx)
-	backends := stack.AccountManager().Backends(keystore.KeyStoreType)
+	am := makeAccountManager(ctx)
+	backends := am.Backends(keystore.KeyStoreType)
 	if len(backends) == 0 {
 		utils.Fatalf("Keystore is not available")
 	}
@@ -327,14 +342,14 @@ func importWallet(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 		utils.Fatalf("Could not read wallet file: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	stack, _ := makeConfigNode(ctx)
-	passphrase := utils.GetPassPhraseWithList("", false, 0, utils.MakePasswordList(ctx))
-
-	backends := stack.AccountManager().Backends(keystore.KeyStoreType)
+	am := makeAccountManager(ctx)
+	backends := am.Backends(keystore.KeyStoreType)
 	if len(backends) == 0 {
 		utils.Fatalf("Keystore is not available")
 	}
 	ks := backends[0].(*keystore.KeyStore)
+	passphrase := utils.GetPassPhraseWithList("", false, 0, utils.MakePasswordList(ctx))
+
 	acct, err := ks.ImportPreSaleKey(keyJSON, passphrase)
 	if err != nil {
 		utils.Fatalf("%v", err)
@@ -352,14 +367,14 @@ func accountImport(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		utils.Fatalf("Failed to load the private key: %v", err)
 	}
-	stack, _ := makeConfigNode(ctx)
-	passphrase := utils.GetPassPhraseWithList("Your new account is locked with a password. Please give a password. Do not forget this password.", true, 0, utils.MakePasswordList(ctx))
-
-	backends := stack.AccountManager().Backends(keystore.KeyStoreType)
+	am := makeAccountManager(ctx)
+	backends := am.Backends(keystore.KeyStoreType)
 	if len(backends) == 0 {
 		utils.Fatalf("Keystore is not available")
 	}
 	ks := backends[0].(*keystore.KeyStore)
+	passphrase := utils.GetPassPhraseWithList("Your new account is locked with a password. Please give a password. Do not forget this password.", true, 0, utils.MakePasswordList(ctx))
+
 	acct, err := ks.ImportECDSA(key, passphrase)
 	if err != nil {
 		utils.Fatalf("Could not create the account: %v", err)
diff --git a/cmd/geth/config.go b/cmd/geth/config.go
index 0b856d1c1b7a..9237ac009ff8 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/config.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/config.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
 
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/accounts"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/accounts/external"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/accounts/keystore"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/accounts/scwallet"
@@ -119,8 +120,9 @@ func defaultNodeConfig() node.Config {
 	return cfg
 }
 
-// makeConfigNode loads geth configuration and creates a blank node instance.
-func makeConfigNode(ctx *cli.Context) (*node.Node, gethConfig) {
+// loadBaseConfig loads the gethConfig based on the given command line
+// parameters and config file.
+func loadBaseConfig(ctx *cli.Context) gethConfig {
 	// Load defaults.
 	cfg := gethConfig{
 		Eth:     ethconfig.Defaults,
@@ -137,12 +139,18 @@ func makeConfigNode(ctx *cli.Context) (*node.Node, gethConfig) {
 
 	// Apply flags.
 	utils.SetNodeConfig(ctx, &cfg.Node)
+	return cfg
+}
+
+// makeConfigNode loads geth configuration and creates a blank node instance.
+func makeConfigNode(ctx *cli.Context) (*node.Node, gethConfig) {
+	cfg := loadBaseConfig(ctx)
 	stack, err := node.New(&cfg.Node)
 	if err != nil {
 		utils.Fatalf("Failed to create the protocol stack: %v", err)
 	}
 	// Node doesn't by default populate account manager backends
-	if err := setAccountManagerBackends(stack); err != nil {
+	if err := setAccountManagerBackends(stack.Config(), stack.AccountManager(), stack.KeyStoreDir()); err != nil {
 		utils.Fatalf("Failed to set account manager backends: %v", err)
 	}
 
@@ -269,10 +277,7 @@ func deprecated(field string) bool {
 	}
 }
 
-func setAccountManagerBackends(stack *node.Node) error {
-	conf := stack.Config()
-	am := stack.AccountManager()
-	keydir := stack.KeyStoreDir()
+func setAccountManagerBackends(conf *node.Config, am *accounts.Manager, keydir string) error {
 	scryptN := keystore.StandardScryptN
 	scryptP := keystore.StandardScryptP
 	if conf.UseLightweightKDF {
diff --git a/node/config.go b/node/config.go
index 37a7d5837fa2..35115eaa8528 100644
--- a/node/config.go
+++ b/node/config.go
@@ -448,10 +448,10 @@ func (c *Config) KeyDirConfig() (string, error) {
 	return keydir, err
 }
 
-// getKeyStoreDir retrieves the key directory and will create
+// GetKeyStoreDir retrieves the key directory and will create
 // and ephemeral one if necessary.
-func getKeyStoreDir(conf *Config) (string, bool, error) {
-	keydir, err := conf.KeyDirConfig()
+func (c *Config) GetKeyStoreDir() (string, bool, error) {
+	keydir, err := c.KeyDirConfig()
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", false, err
 	}
diff --git a/node/node.go b/node/node.go
index 2f89bc1ad274..e8494ac3b29e 100644
--- a/node/node.go
+++ b/node/node.go
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ func New(conf *Config) (*Node, error) {
 	if err := node.openDataDir(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	keyDir, isEphem, err := getKeyStoreDir(conf)
+	keyDir, isEphem, err := conf.GetKeyStoreDir()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}