diff --git a/service/collector_test.go b/service/collector_test.go
index d8f05e59f25..d54088d17a2 100644
--- a/service/collector_test.go
+++ b/service/collector_test.go
@@ -62,11 +62,10 @@ func TestCollector_StartAsGoRoutine(t *testing.T) {
 	factories, err := testcomponents.NewDefaultFactories()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	cfgSet := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings()
-	cfgSet.Locations = []string{
+	cfgSet := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings([]string{
 		filepath.Join("testdata", "otelcol-config.yaml"),
 		"yaml:service::telemetry::metrics::address: localhost:" + portAsString(testutil.GetAvailablePort(t)),
-	}
+	})
 	cfgProvider, err := NewConfigProvider(cfgSet)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
@@ -107,10 +106,9 @@ func testCollectorStartHelper(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	metricsPort := testutil.GetAvailablePort(t)
-	cfgSet := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings()
-	cfgSet.Locations = []string{
+	cfgSet := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings([]string{
 		filepath.Join("testdata", "otelcol-config.yaml"),
-	}
+	})
 	cfgSet.MapConverters = append([]config.MapConverterFunc{
 		overwritepropertiesmapconverter.New(
 			[]string{"service.telemetry.metrics.address=localhost:" + portAsString(metricsPort)},
@@ -189,10 +187,9 @@ func TestCollector_ShutdownNoop(t *testing.T) {
 	factories, err := testcomponents.NewDefaultFactories()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	cfgSet := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings()
-	cfgSet.Locations = []string{
+	cfgSet := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings([]string{
 		filepath.Join("testdata", "otelcol-config.yaml"),
-	}
+	})
 	cfgProvider, err := NewConfigProvider(cfgSet)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
@@ -217,10 +214,9 @@ func TestCollector_ShutdownBeforeRun(t *testing.T) {
 	factories, err := testcomponents.NewDefaultFactories()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	cfgSet := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings()
-	cfgSet.Locations = []string{
+	cfgSet := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings([]string{
 		filepath.Join("testdata", "otelcol-config.yaml"),
-	}
+	})
 	cfgProvider, err := NewConfigProvider(cfgSet)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
@@ -255,10 +251,9 @@ func TestCollector_ClosedStateOnStartUpError(t *testing.T) {
 	factories, err := testcomponents.NewDefaultFactories()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	cfgSet := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings()
-	cfgSet.Locations = []string{
+	cfgSet := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings([]string{
 		filepath.Join("testdata", "otelcol-invalid.yaml"),
-	}
+	})
 	cfgProvider, err := NewConfigProvider(cfgSet)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
@@ -297,10 +292,9 @@ func TestCollector_ReportError(t *testing.T) {
 	factories, err := testcomponents.NewDefaultFactories()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	cfgSet := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings()
-	cfgSet.Locations = []string{
+	cfgSet := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings([]string{
 		filepath.Join("testdata", "otelcol-config.yaml"),
-	}
+	})
 	cfgProvider, err := NewConfigProvider(cfgSet)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
@@ -336,11 +330,10 @@ func TestCollector_ContextCancel(t *testing.T) {
 	factories, err := testcomponents.NewDefaultFactories()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	cfgSet := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings()
-	cfgSet.Locations = []string{
+	cfgSet := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings([]string{
 		filepath.Join("testdata", "otelcol-config.yaml"),
 		"yaml:service::telemetry::metrics::address: localhost:" + portAsString(testutil.GetAvailablePort(t)),
-	}
+	})
 	cfgProvider, err := NewConfigProvider(cfgSet)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
diff --git a/service/collector_windows.go b/service/collector_windows.go
index 7b36caccb11..1231bd72a92 100644
--- a/service/collector_windows.go
+++ b/service/collector_windows.go
@@ -147,8 +147,7 @@ func openEventLog(serviceName string) (*eventlog.Log, error) {
 func newWithWindowsEventLogCore(set CollectorSettings, elog *eventlog.Log) (*Collector, error) {
 	if set.ConfigProvider == nil {
 		var err error
-		cfgSet := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings()
-		cfgSet.Locations = getConfigFlag()
+		cfgSet := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings(getConfigFlag())
 		// Append the "overwrite properties converter" as the first converter.
 		cfgSet.MapConverters = append(
 			[]config.MapConverterFunc{overwritepropertiesmapconverter.New(getSetFlag())},
diff --git a/service/command.go b/service/command.go
index 5130a6fe6c6..89976c242d7 100644
--- a/service/command.go
+++ b/service/command.go
@@ -32,8 +32,7 @@ func NewCommand(set CollectorSettings) *cobra.Command {
 			featuregate.Apply(gatesList)
 			if set.ConfigProvider == nil {
 				var err error
-				cfgSet := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings()
-				cfgSet.Locations = getConfigFlag()
+				cfgSet := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings(getConfigFlag())
 				// Append the "overwrite properties converter" as the first converter.
 				cfgSet.MapConverters = append(
 					[]config.MapConverterFunc{overwritepropertiesmapconverter.New(getSetFlag())},
diff --git a/service/config_provider.go b/service/config_provider.go
index d909b57d1d3..52123a4ee4e 100644
--- a/service/config_provider.go
+++ b/service/config_provider.go
@@ -97,8 +97,9 @@ type ConfigProviderSettings struct {
 	Unmarshaler configunmarshaler.ConfigUnmarshaler
 }
 
-func newDefaultConfigProviderSettings() ConfigProviderSettings {
+func newDefaultConfigProviderSettings(locations []string) ConfigProviderSettings {
 	return ConfigProviderSettings{
+		Locations:     locations,
 		MapProviders:  makeConfigMapProviderMap(filemapprovider.New(), envmapprovider.New(), yamlmapprovider.New()),
 		MapConverters: []config.MapConverterFunc{expandmapconverter.New()},
 		Unmarshaler:   configunmarshaler.NewDefault(),
@@ -157,8 +158,7 @@ func NewConfigProvider(set ConfigProviderSettings) (ConfigProvider, error) {
 
 // Deprecated: [v0.49.0] use NewConfigProvider instead.
 func MustNewDefaultConfigProvider(locations []string, properties []string) ConfigProvider {
-	set := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings()
-	set.Locations = locations
+	set := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings(locations)
 	set.MapConverters = append([]config.MapConverterFunc{overwritepropertiesmapconverter.New(properties)}, set.MapConverters...)
 	cfgProvider, err := NewConfigProvider(set)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/service/config_provider_test.go b/service/config_provider_test.go
index 0d1f080b373..a2a395e59e2 100644
--- a/service/config_provider_test.go
+++ b/service/config_provider_test.go
@@ -198,8 +198,7 @@ func TestConfigProvider(t *testing.T) {
 		return &mockProvider{retM: cfgMap}
 	}()
 
-	set := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings()
-	set.Locations = []string{"mock:"}
+	set := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings([]string{"mock:"})
 	set.MapProviders[mapProvider.Scheme()] = mapProvider
 	cfgW, err := NewConfigProvider(set)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -260,11 +259,8 @@ func TestConfigProviderNoWatcher(t *testing.T) {
 	factories, errF := componenttest.NopFactories()
 	require.NoError(t, errF)
 
-	set := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings()
-	set.Locations = []string{filepath.Join("testdata", "otelcol-nop.yaml")}
-
 	watcherWG := sync.WaitGroup{}
-	cfgW, err := NewConfigProvider(set)
+	cfgW, err := NewConfigProvider(newDefaultConfigProviderSettings([]string{filepath.Join("testdata", "otelcol-nop.yaml")}))
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	_, errN := cfgW.Get(context.Background(), factories)
 	assert.NoError(t, errN)
@@ -315,8 +311,7 @@ func TestConfigProvider_ShutdownClosesWatch(t *testing.T) {
 		return &mockProvider{retM: cfgMap, errW: configsource.ErrSessionClosed}
 	}()
 
-	set := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings()
-	set.Locations = []string{"mock:"}
+	set := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings([]string{"mock:"})
 	set.MapProviders[mapProvider.Scheme()] = mapProvider
 
 	watcherWG := sync.WaitGroup{}
@@ -380,8 +375,7 @@ func TestBackwardsCompatibilityForFilePath(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		set := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings()
-		set.Locations = []string{tt.location}
+		set := newDefaultConfigProviderSettings([]string{tt.location})
 		provider, err := NewConfigProvider(set)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 		_, err = provider.Get(context.Background(), factories)