diff --git a/lib/src/gpg_signing.rs b/lib/src/gpg_signing.rs
index 2120ec569b..23603faed3 100644
--- a/lib/src/gpg_signing.rs
+++ b/lib/src/gpg_signing.rs
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ use std::str;
 use thiserror::Error;
 
 use crate::settings::ConfigResultExt as _;
+use crate::settings::UserSettings;
 use crate::signing::SigStatus;
 use crate::signing::SignError;
 use crate::signing::SigningBackend;
@@ -144,12 +145,14 @@ impl GpgBackend {
         self
     }
 
-    pub fn from_config(config: &config::Config) -> Result<Self, config::ConfigError> {
-        let program = config
+    pub fn from_settings(settings: &UserSettings) -> Result<Self, config::ConfigError> {
+        let program = settings
+            .config()
             .get_string("signing.backends.gpg.program")
             .optional()?
             .unwrap_or_else(|| "gpg".into());
-        let allow_expired_keys = config
+        let allow_expired_keys = settings
+            .config()
             .get_bool("signing.backends.gpg.allow-expired-keys")
             .optional()?
             .unwrap_or(false);
diff --git a/lib/src/signing.rs b/lib/src/signing.rs
index 16dfb079c4..7a50cc5edd 100644
--- a/lib/src/signing.rs
+++ b/lib/src/signing.rs
@@ -162,12 +162,8 @@ impl Signer {
     /// chooses one of them to be used for signing depending on the config.
     pub fn from_settings(settings: &UserSettings) -> Result<Self, SignInitError> {
         let mut backends: Vec<Box<dyn SigningBackend>> = vec![
-            Box::new(
-                GpgBackend::from_config(settings.config()).map_err(SignInitError::BackendConfig)?,
-            ),
-            Box::new(
-                SshBackend::from_config(settings.config()).map_err(SignInitError::BackendConfig)?,
-            ),
+            Box::new(GpgBackend::from_settings(settings).map_err(SignInitError::BackendConfig)?),
+            Box::new(SshBackend::from_settings(settings).map_err(SignInitError::BackendConfig)?),
             // Box::new(X509Backend::from_settings(settings).map_err(..)?),
         ];
 
diff --git a/lib/src/ssh_signing.rs b/lib/src/ssh_signing.rs
index f858c3fb3b..fad1cda599 100644
--- a/lib/src/ssh_signing.rs
+++ b/lib/src/ssh_signing.rs
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ use either::Either;
 use thiserror::Error;
 
 use crate::settings::ConfigResultExt as _;
+use crate::settings::UserSettings;
 use crate::signing::SigStatus;
 use crate::signing::SignError;
 use crate::signing::SigningBackend;
@@ -117,12 +118,14 @@ impl SshBackend {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn from_config(config: &config::Config) -> Result<Self, config::ConfigError> {
-        let program = config
+    pub fn from_settings(settings: &UserSettings) -> Result<Self, config::ConfigError> {
+        let program = settings
+            .config()
             .get_string("signing.backends.ssh.program")
             .optional()?
             .unwrap_or_else(|| "ssh-keygen".into());
-        let allowed_signers = config
+        let allowed_signers = settings
+            .config()
             .get_string("signing.backends.ssh.allowed-signers")
             .optional()?;
         Ok(Self::new(program.into(), allowed_signers.map(|v| v.into())))