diff --git a/torchx/cli/test/cmd_run_test.py b/torchx/cli/test/cmd_run_test.py
index b9219dc29..38b3d4b43 100644
--- a/torchx/cli/test/cmd_run_test.py
+++ b/torchx/cli/test/cmd_run_test.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 from torchx.cli.argparse_util import ArgOnceAction, torchxconfig
 from torchx.cli.cmd_run import _parse_component_name_and_args, CmdBuiltins, CmdRun
+from torchx.runner.config import ENV_TORCHXCONFIG
 from torchx.schedulers.local_scheduler import SignalException
 
 from torchx.specs import AppDryRunInfo
@@ -40,11 +41,19 @@ def cwd(path: str) -> Generator[None, None, None]:
 class CmdRunTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self) -> None:
         self.tmpdir = Path(tempfile.mkdtemp())
+
+        # create empty .torchxconfig so that user .torchxconfig is not picked up
+        empty_config = self.tmpdir / ".torchxconfig"
+        empty_config.touch()
+        self.mock_env = patch.dict(os.environ, {ENV_TORCHXCONFIG: str(empty_config)})
+        self.mock_env.start()
+
         self.parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
         self.cmd_run = CmdRun()
         self.cmd_run.add_arguments(self.parser)
 
     def tearDown(self) -> None:
+        self.mock_env.stop()
         shutil.rmtree(self.tmpdir, ignore_errors=True)
         ArgOnceAction.called_args = set()
         torchxconfig.called_args = set()
diff --git a/torchx/specs/__init__.py b/torchx/specs/__init__.py
index c43cfa0c9..40b0d1202 100644
--- a/torchx/specs/__init__.py
+++ b/torchx/specs/__init__.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 scheduler or pipeline adapter.
 """
 import difflib
-from typing import Callable, Dict, Optional
+from typing import Callable, Dict, Mapping, Optional
 
 from torchx.specs.api import (
     ALL,
@@ -48,12 +48,17 @@
 )
 from torchx.specs.builders import make_app_handle, materialize_appdef, parse_mounts
 
-from torchx.specs.named_resources_aws import NAMED_RESOURCES as AWS_NAMED_RESOURCES
-from torchx.specs.named_resources_generic import (
-    NAMED_RESOURCES as GENERIC_NAMED_RESOURCES,
-)
 from torchx.util.entrypoints import load_group
 
+from torchx.util.modules import import_attr
+
+AWS_NAMED_RESOURCES: Mapping[str, Callable[[], Resource]] = import_attr(
+    "torchx.specs.named_resources_aws", "NAMED_RESOURCES", default={}
+)
+GENERIC_NAMED_RESOURCES: Mapping[str, Callable[[], Resource]] = import_attr(
+    "torchx.specs.named_resources_generic", "NAMED_RESOURCES", default={}
+)
+
 GiB: int = 1024
 
 
diff --git a/torchx/specs/finder.py b/torchx/specs/finder.py
index ab1284a7b..dabf744eb 100644
--- a/torchx/specs/finder.py
+++ b/torchx/specs/finder.py
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 from types import ModuleType
 from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, Generator, List, Optional, Union
 
-from torchx.specs import AppDef
 from torchx.specs.file_linter import get_fn_docstring, TorchxFunctionValidator, validate
 from torchx.util import entrypoints
 from torchx.util.io import read_conf_file