diff --git a/src/flake8/options/config.py b/src/flake8/options/config.py
index 7261bcd..dab16c4 100644
--- a/src/flake8/options/config.py
+++ b/src/flake8/options/config.py
@@ -51,8 +51,6 @@ class ConfigFileFinder(object):
 
         self.local_directory = os.path.abspath(os.curdir)
 
-        self.parent = self.tail = os.getcwd()
-
         # caches to avoid double-reading config files
         self._local_configs = None
         self._local_found_files = []  # type: List[str]
@@ -96,8 +94,7 @@ class ConfigFileFinder(object):
 
     def generate_possible_local_files(self):
         """Find and generate all local config files."""
-        tail = self.tail
-        parent = self.parent
+        parent = tail = os.getcwd()
         found_config_files = False
         while tail and not found_config_files:
             for project_filename in self.project_filenames:
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_config_file_finder.py b/tests/unit/test_config_file_finder.py
index 44da8d4..d03118a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_config_file_finder.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_config_file_finder.py
@@ -48,24 +48,25 @@ def test_cli_config_double_read():
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('cwd,expected', [
     # Root directory of project
-    ('.',
+    (os.path.abspath('.'),
         [os.path.abspath('setup.cfg'),
             os.path.abspath('tox.ini')]),
     # Subdirectory of project directory
-    ('src',
+    (os.path.abspath('src'),
         [os.path.abspath('setup.cfg'),
             os.path.abspath('tox.ini')]),
     # Outside of project directory
-    ('/',
+    (os.path.abspath('/'),
         []),
 ])
 def test_generate_possible_local_files(cwd, expected):
     """Verify generation of all possible config paths."""
-    with mock.patch.object(os, 'getcwd', return_value=cwd):
-        finder = config.ConfigFileFinder('flake8', [])
+    finder = config.ConfigFileFinder('flake8', [])
 
-    assert (list(finder.generate_possible_local_files())
-            == expected)
+    with mock.patch.object(os, 'getcwd', return_value=cwd):
+        config_files = list(finder.generate_possible_local_files())
+
+    assert config_files == expected
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('extra_config_files,expected', [