diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ZkController.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ZkController.java
index 391f29c0ba2..f8543db1242 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ZkController.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ZkController.java
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Strings;
 import org.apache.commons.lang.StringUtils;
+import org.apache.lucene.util.SuppressForbidden;
 import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.impl.HttpSolrClient;
 import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.impl.HttpSolrClient.Builder;
 import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.request.CoreAdminRequest.WaitForState;
@@ -695,7 +696,7 @@ public class ZkController {
    * Gets the absolute filesystem path of the _default configset to bootstrap from.
    * First tries the sysprop "solr.default.confdir". If not found, tries to find
    * the _default dir relative to the sysprop "solr.install.dir".
-   * If that fails as well, tries to get the _default from the
+   * If that fails as well (usually for unit tests), tries to get the _default from the
    * classpath. Returns null if not found anywhere.
    */
   private static String getDefaultConfigDirPath() {
@@ -710,16 +711,23 @@ public class ZkController {
         new File(System.getProperty(SolrDispatchFilter.SOLR_INSTALL_DIR_ATTRIBUTE) + subPath).exists()) {
       configDirPath = new File(System.getProperty(SolrDispatchFilter.SOLR_INSTALL_DIR_ATTRIBUTE) + subPath).getAbsolutePath();
     } else { // find "_default" in the classpath. This one is used for tests
-      URL classpathUrl = Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader().getResource(serverSubPath);
-      try {
-        if (classpathUrl != null && new File(classpathUrl.toURI()).exists()) {
-          configDirPath = new File(classpathUrl.toURI()).getAbsolutePath();
-        }
-      } catch (URISyntaxException ex) {}
+      configDirPath = getDefaultConfigDirFromClasspath(serverSubPath);
     }
     return configDirPath;
   }
 
+  @SuppressForbidden(reason = "This will be loaded for unit tests, and hence an exception can be made. "
+      + "In regular server operation, there shouldn't be a situation where we reach this point.")
+  private static String getDefaultConfigDirFromClasspath(String serverSubPath) {
+    URL classpathUrl = Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader().getResource(serverSubPath);
+    try {
+      if (classpathUrl != null && new File(classpathUrl.toURI()).exists()) {
+        return new File(classpathUrl.toURI()).getAbsolutePath();
+      }
+    } catch (URISyntaxException ex) {}
+    return null;
+  }
+
   private void init(CurrentCoreDescriptorProvider registerOnReconnect) {
 
     try {