diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/gpg.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/gpg.py
index 08749022cab..c8dd8e00ca0 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/gpg.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/gpg.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 import spack.bootstrap
 import spack.util.executable
 import spack.util.gpg
+import spack.paths
 from spack.main import SpackCommand
 from spack.paths import mock_gpg_data_path, mock_gpg_keys_path
 from spack.util.executable import ProcessError
@@ -46,9 +47,9 @@ def test_find_gpg(cmd_name, version, tmpdir, mock_gnupghome, monkeypatch):
     monkeypatch.setenv("PATH", str(tmpdir))
     if version == "undetectable" or version.endswith("1.3.4"):
         with pytest.raises(spack.util.gpg.SpackGPGError):
-            spack.util.gpg.init(force=True)
+            spack.util.gpg.init(force=True, gpg_path=spack.paths.gpg_path)
     else:
-        spack.util.gpg.init(force=True)
+        spack.util.gpg.init(force=True, gpg_path=spack.paths.gpg_path)
         assert spack.util.gpg.GPG is not None
         assert spack.util.gpg.GPGCONF is not None
 
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ def test_no_gpg_in_path(tmpdir, mock_gnupghome, monkeypatch, mutable_config):
     monkeypatch.setenv("PATH", str(tmpdir))
     bootstrap("disable")
     with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
-        spack.util.gpg.init(force=True)
+        spack.util.gpg.init(force=True, gpg_path=spack.paths.gpg_path)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.maybeslow
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/conftest.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/conftest.py
index c832c4d1d5d..350eb7c77f6 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/conftest.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/conftest.py
@@ -1074,7 +1074,7 @@ def mock_gnupghome(monkeypatch):
     # This comes up because tmp paths on macOS are already long-ish, and
     # pytest makes them longer.
     try:
-        spack.util.gpg.init()
+        spack.util.gpg.init(gpg_path=spack.paths.gpg_path)
     except spack.util.gpg.SpackGPGError:
         if not spack.util.gpg.GPG:
             pytest.skip("This test requires gpg")
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/util/util_gpg.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/util/util_gpg.py
index 242d9fb9480..6cea2d01d92 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/util/util_gpg.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/util/util_gpg.py
@@ -7,12 +7,13 @@
 
 import pytest
 
+import spack.paths
 import spack.util.gpg
 
 
 @pytest.fixture()
 def has_socket_dir():
-    spack.util.gpg.init()
+    spack.util.gpg.init(gpg_path=spack.paths.gpg_path)
     return bool(spack.util.gpg.SOCKET_DIR)
 
 
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/util/gpg.py b/lib/spack/spack/util/gpg.py
index ea1e42131d9..b0a2c353062 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/util/gpg.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/util/gpg.py
@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@
 import os
 import re
 
-import spack.error
-import spack.paths
+import spack.util.error
 import spack.util.executable
 import spack.version
 
@@ -29,7 +28,7 @@ def clear():
     GPG, GPGCONF, SOCKET_DIR, GNUPGHOME = None, None, None, None
 
 
-def init(gnupghome=None, force=False):
+def init(gnupghome=None, force=False, gpg_path=None):
     """Initialize the global objects in the module, if not set.
 
     When calling any gpg executable, the GNUPGHOME environment
@@ -56,7 +55,7 @@ def init(gnupghome=None, force=False):
         return
 
     # Set the value of GNUPGHOME to be used in this module
-    GNUPGHOME = gnupghome or os.getenv("SPACK_GNUPGHOME") or spack.paths.gpg_path
+    GNUPGHOME = gnupghome or os.getenv("SPACK_GNUPGHOME") or gpg_path
 
     # Set the executable objects for "gpg" and "gpgconf"
     with spack.bootstrap.ensure_bootstrap_configuration():
@@ -165,7 +164,7 @@ def _get_unimported_public_keys(output):
     return keys
 
 
-class SpackGPGError(spack.error.SpackError):
+class SpackGPGError(spack.util.error.UtilityError):
     """Class raised when GPG errors are detected."""