diff --git a/internal/cmd/proxy.go b/internal/cmd/proxy.go
index 8fbf01f58..fef61ceaf 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/proxy.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/proxy.go
@@ -46,16 +46,13 @@ func createProxyConfig(
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	reqHdlr, err := handler.NewDefault(&handler.DefaultConfig{
+	reqHdlr := handler.NewDefault(&handler.DefaultConfig{
 		Logger: l.With(slogutil.KeyPrefix, "default_handler"),
 		// TODO(e.burkov):  Use the configured message constructor.
 		MessageConstructor: dnsmsg.DefaultMessageConstructor{},
 		HaltIPv6:           conf.IPv6Disabled,
 		HostsFiles:         hosts,
 	})
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("creating default handler: %w", err)
-	}
 
 	proxyConf = &proxy.Config{
 		Logger: l.With(slogutil.KeyPrefix, proxy.LogPrefix),
diff --git a/internal/handler/default.go b/internal/handler/default.go
index fc67fc0ce..ceeae1d36 100644
--- a/internal/handler/default.go
+++ b/internal/handler/default.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ type Default struct {
 }
 
 // NewDefault creates a new [Default] handler.
-func NewDefault(conf *DefaultConfig) (d *Default, err error) {
+func NewDefault(conf *DefaultConfig) (d *Default) {
 	mc, ok := conf.MessageConstructor.(messageConstructor)
 	if !ok {
 		mc = defaultConstructor{
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ func NewDefault(conf *DefaultConfig) (d *Default, err error) {
 		isIPv6Halted: conf.HaltIPv6,
 		messages:     mc,
 		hosts:        conf.HostsFiles,
-	}, nil
+	}
 }
 
 // HandleRequest resolves the DNS request within proxyCtx.  It only calls
diff --git a/internal/handler/default_internal_test.go b/internal/handler/default_internal_test.go
index 1914bc43b..d48856a66 100644
--- a/internal/handler/default_internal_test.go
+++ b/internal/handler/default_internal_test.go
@@ -49,12 +49,11 @@ func TestDefault_haltAAAA(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("disabled", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Parallel()
 
-		hdlr, err := NewDefault(&DefaultConfig{
+		hdlr := NewDefault(&DefaultConfig{
 			Logger:             slogutil.NewDiscardLogger(),
 			MessageConstructor: messages,
 			HaltIPv6:           false,
 		})
-		require.NoError(t, err)
 
 		ctx := testutil.ContextWithTimeout(t, defaultTimeout)
 
@@ -65,12 +64,11 @@ func TestDefault_haltAAAA(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("enabled", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Parallel()
 
-		hdlr, err := NewDefault(&DefaultConfig{
+		hdlr := NewDefault(&DefaultConfig{
 			Logger:             slogutil.NewDiscardLogger(),
 			MessageConstructor: messages,
 			HaltIPv6:           true,
 		})
-		require.NoError(t, err)
 
 		ctx := testutil.ContextWithTimeout(t, defaultTimeout)
 
@@ -86,19 +84,18 @@ func TestDefault_resolveFromHosts(t *testing.T) {
 	messages := dnsmsg.DefaultMessageConstructor{}
 
 	relPath := path.Join("testdata", t.Name(), "hosts")
-	absPath, err := filepath.Abs(path.Join("testdata", t.Name(), "hosts.txt"))
+	absPath, err := filepath.Abs(path.Join("testdata", t.Name(), "hosts"))
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	strg, err := ReadHosts([]string{absPath, relPath})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	hdlr, err := NewDefault(&DefaultConfig{
+	hdlr := NewDefault(&DefaultConfig{
 		MessageConstructor: messages,
 		Logger:             slogutil.NewDiscardLogger(),
 		HostsFiles:         strg,
 		HaltIPv6:           true,
 	})
-	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	const (
 		domainV4 = "ipv4.domain.example"
diff --git a/internal/handler/hosts.go b/internal/handler/hosts.go
index 0efce75a3..257ecb79f 100644
--- a/internal/handler/hosts.go
+++ b/internal/handler/hosts.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/netip"
 	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -66,13 +65,8 @@ func ReadHosts(paths []string) (strg hostsfile.Storage, err error) {
 
 // readHostsFile reads the hosts file at path and parses it into strg.
 func readHostsFile(strg *hostsfile.DefaultStorage, path string) (err error) {
-	absPath, err := filepath.Abs(path)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	// #nosec G304 -- Trust the file path from the configuration file.
-	f, err := os.Open(absPath)
+	f, err := os.Open(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/handler/testdata/TestDefault_resolveFromHosts/hosts b/internal/handler/testdata/TestDefault_resolveFromHosts/hosts
index 5ecc062bd..9a081820b 100644
--- a/internal/handler/testdata/TestDefault_resolveFromHosts/hosts
+++ b/internal/handler/testdata/TestDefault_resolveFromHosts/hosts
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 1.2.3.4     ipv4.domain.example
-# 2001:db8::1 ipv6.domain.example
+2001:db8::1 ipv6.domain.example
 # comment
diff --git a/internal/handler/testdata/TestDefault_resolveFromHosts/hosts.txt b/internal/handler/testdata/TestDefault_resolveFromHosts/hosts.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 2b38eb1ba..000000000
--- a/internal/handler/testdata/TestDefault_resolveFromHosts/hosts.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-# 1.2.3.4     ipv4.domain.example
-2001:db8::1 ipv6.domain.example
-# comment