diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3d0e5eca..8558974b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/).
 - Fix default nodes.conf to use the new kernel command line list format. #1670
 - Fix `make install` when `sudo` does not set `$PWD`. #1660
 - Use sh to parse and exec IPMI command. #1663
+- Use configured warewulf.conf path in `wwctl upgrade`. #1658
 
 ## v4.6.0rc1, 2025-01-29
 
diff --git a/internal/app/wwctl/root.go b/internal/app/wwctl/root.go
index a1fbeb50..6941309e 100644
--- a/internal/app/wwctl/root.go
+++ b/internal/app/wwctl/root.go
@@ -78,20 +78,22 @@ func rootPersistentPreRunE(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 	if LogLevel != wwlog.INFO {
 		wwlog.SetLogLevel(LogLevel)
 	}
+
+	if WarewulfConfArg != "" {
+		warewulfconf.ConfigFile = WarewulfConfArg
+	} else if os.Getenv("WAREWULFCONF") != "" {
+		warewulfconf.ConfigFile = os.Getenv("WAREWULFCONF")
+	}
+
 	conf := warewulfconf.Get()
 	if !AllowEmptyConf && !conf.InitializedFromFile() {
-		if WarewulfConfArg != "" {
-			err = conf.Read(WarewulfConfArg)
-		} else if os.Getenv("WAREWULFCONF") != "" {
-			err = conf.Read(os.Getenv("WAREWULFCONF"))
-		} else {
-			err = conf.Read(warewulfconf.ConfigFile)
+		if err = conf.Read(warewulfconf.ConfigFile); err != nil {
+			wwlog.Error("error reading config file: %s", err)
+			return
 		}
 	}
-	if err != nil {
-		wwlog.Error("version: %s relase: %s", warewulfconf.Version, warewulfconf.Release)
-		return
+	if err = conf.SetDynamicDefaults(); err != nil {
+		wwlog.Error("error setting default configuration: %s", err)
 	}
-	err = conf.SetDynamicDefaults()
 	return
 }
diff --git a/internal/app/wwctl/upgrade/config/cobra.go b/internal/app/wwctl/upgrade/config/cobra.go
index 4ab54535..9755424f 100644
--- a/internal/app/wwctl/upgrade/config/cobra.go
+++ b/internal/app/wwctl/upgrade/config/cobra.go
@@ -25,12 +25,18 @@ func GetCommand() *cobra.Command {
 supported by the current version.`,
 		RunE: UpgradeNodesConf,
 	}
-	command.Flags().StringVarP(&inputPath, "input-path", "i", config.ConfigFile, "Path to a legacy warewulf.conf")
-	command.Flags().StringVarP(&outputPath, "output-path", "o", config.ConfigFile, "Path to write the upgraded warewulf.conf to")
+	command.Flags().StringVarP(&inputPath, "input-path", "i", "", "Path to a legacy warewulf.conf")
+	command.Flags().StringVarP(&outputPath, "output-path", "o", "", "Path to write the upgraded warewulf.conf to")
 	return command
 }
 
 func UpgradeNodesConf(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+	if inputPath == "" {
+		inputPath = config.ConfigFile
+	}
+	if outputPath == "" {
+		outputPath = config.ConfigFile
+	}
 	data, err := os.ReadFile(inputPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/internal/app/wwctl/upgrade/nodes/cobra.go b/internal/app/wwctl/upgrade/nodes/cobra.go
index bf97455b..ebfe2fd4 100644
--- a/internal/app/wwctl/upgrade/nodes/cobra.go
+++ b/internal/app/wwctl/upgrade/nodes/cobra.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ supported by the current version.`,
 	command.Flags().BoolVar(&replaceOverlays, "replace-overlays", false, "Replace 'wwinit' and 'generic' overlays with their split replacements")
 	command.Flags().StringVarP(&inputPath, "input-path", "i", "", "Path to a legacy nodes.conf")
 	command.Flags().StringVarP(&outputPath, "output-path", "o", "", "Path to write the upgraded nodes.conf to")
-	command.Flags().StringVar(&inputConfPath, "with-warewulfconf", config.ConfigFile, "Path to a legacy warewulf.conf")
+	command.Flags().StringVar(&inputConfPath, "with-warewulfconf", "", "Path to a legacy warewulf.conf")
 	if err := command.MarkFlagRequired("add-defaults"); err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ func UpgradeNodesConf(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	if outputPath == "" {
 		outputPath = config.Get().Paths.NodesConf()
 	}
+	if inputConfPath == "" {
+		inputConfPath = config.ConfigFile
+	}
 
 	confData, err := os.ReadFile(inputConfPath)
 	if err != nil {