diff --git a/src/tools/sss_cache.c b/src/tools/sss_cache.c
index 79de13ac872..1193017916d 100644
--- a/src/tools/sss_cache.c
+++ b/src/tools/sss_cache.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 #include "util/util.h"
 #include "tools/tools_util.h"
+#include "tools/common/sss_tools.h"
 #include "db/sysdb.h"
 #include "db/sysdb_services.h"
 #include "db/sysdb_autofs.h"
@@ -661,18 +662,10 @@ static errno_t invalidate_entry(TALLOC_CTX *ctx,
 static errno_t init_domains(struct cache_tool_ctx *ctx,
                             const char *domain)
 {
-    char *confdb_path;
     int ret;
     struct sss_domain_info *dinfo;
 
-    confdb_path = talloc_asprintf(ctx, "%s/%s", DB_PATH, CONFDB_FILE);
-    if (confdb_path == NULL) {
-        return ENOMEM;
-    }
-
-    /* Connect to the conf db */
-    ret = confdb_init(ctx, &ctx->confdb, confdb_path);
-    talloc_free(confdb_path);
+    ret = sss_tool_confdb_init(ctx, &ctx->confdb);
     if (ret != EOK) {
         DEBUG(SSSDBG_CRIT_FAILURE,
               "Could not initialize connection to the confdb\n");
diff --git a/src/tools/sss_seed.c b/src/tools/sss_seed.c
index 07327da67db..b1c30bebc1d 100644
--- a/src/tools/sss_seed.c
+++ b/src/tools/sss_seed.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "util/util.h"
 #include "db/sysdb.h"
 #include "tools/tools_util.h"
+#include "tools/common/sss_tools.h"
 #include "confdb/confdb.h"
 
 #ifndef BUFSIZE
@@ -628,7 +629,6 @@ static int seed_init_db(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
                         struct sysdb_ctx **_sysdb)
 {
     TALLOC_CTX *tmp_ctx = NULL;
-    char *confdb_path = NULL;
     struct confdb_ctx *confdb = NULL;
     struct sss_domain_info *domain = NULL;
     int ret = EOK;
@@ -639,14 +639,7 @@ static int seed_init_db(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
         goto done;
     }
 
-    /* setup confdb */
-    confdb_path = talloc_asprintf(tmp_ctx, "%s/%s", DB_PATH, CONFDB_FILE);
-    if (confdb_path == NULL) {
-        ret = ENOMEM;
-        goto done;
-    }
-
-    ret = confdb_init(tmp_ctx, &confdb, confdb_path);
+    ret = sss_tool_confdb_init(tmp_ctx, &confdb);
     if (ret != EOK) {
         DEBUG(SSSDBG_CRIT_FAILURE,
               "Could not initialize connection to the confdb\n");