diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/AbstractRequiredApprovalConfig.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/AbstractRequiredApprovalConfig.java
index 81f6cb7..f1e7acb 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/AbstractRequiredApprovalConfig.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/AbstractRequiredApprovalConfig.java
@@ -50,46 +50,49 @@
 
   protected abstract String getConfigKey();
 
-  Optional<RequiredApproval> getForProject(ProjectState projectState, Config pluginConfig) {
+  /**
+   * Reads the required approval for the specified project from the given plugin config with
+   * fallback to {@code gerrit.config}.
+   *
+   * @param projectState state of the project for which the required approval should be read
+   * @param pluginConfig the plugin config from which the required approval should be read
+   * @return the required approval, {@link Optional#empty} if none was configured
+   */
+  Optional<RequiredApproval> get(ProjectState projectState, Config pluginConfig) {
     requireNonNull(projectState, "projectState");
     requireNonNull(pluginConfig, "pluginConfig");
+
     String requiredApproval =
         pluginConfig.getString(SECTION_CODE_OWNERS, /* subsection= */ null, getConfigKey());
-    if (requiredApproval == null) {
-      return Optional.empty();
+    if (requiredApproval != null) {
+      try {
+        return Optional.of(RequiredApproval.parse(projectState, requiredApproval));
+      } catch (IllegalStateException | IllegalArgumentException e) {
+        throw new InvalidPluginConfigurationException(
+            pluginName,
+            String.format(
+                "Required approval '%s' that is configured in %s.config"
+                    + " (parameter %s.%s) is invalid: %s",
+                requiredApproval, pluginName, SECTION_CODE_OWNERS, getConfigKey(), e.getMessage()));
+      }
     }
 
-    try {
-      return Optional.of(RequiredApproval.parse(projectState, requiredApproval));
-    } catch (IllegalStateException | IllegalArgumentException e) {
-      throw new InvalidPluginConfigurationException(
-          pluginName,
-          String.format(
-              "Required approval '%s' that is configured in %s.config"
-                  + " (parameter %s.%s) is invalid: %s",
-              requiredApproval, pluginName, SECTION_CODE_OWNERS, getConfigKey(), e.getMessage()));
-    }
-  }
-
-  Optional<RequiredApproval> getFromGlobalPluginConfig(ProjectState projectState) {
-    requireNonNull(projectState, "projectState");
-
-    String requiredApproval =
+    requiredApproval =
         pluginConfigFactory.getFromGerritConfig(pluginName).getString(getConfigKey());
-    if (requiredApproval == null) {
-      return Optional.empty();
+    if (requiredApproval != null) {
+      try {
+        return Optional.of(RequiredApproval.parse(projectState, requiredApproval));
+      } catch (IllegalStateException | IllegalArgumentException e) {
+        throw new InvalidPluginConfigurationException(
+            pluginName,
+            String.format(
+                "Required approval '%s' that is configured in gerrit.config"
+                    + " (parameter plugin.%s.%s) is invalid: %s",
+                requiredApproval, pluginName, getConfigKey(), e.getMessage()));
+      }
     }
 
-    try {
-      return Optional.of(RequiredApproval.parse(projectState, requiredApproval));
-    } catch (IllegalStateException | IllegalArgumentException e) {
-      throw new InvalidPluginConfigurationException(
-          pluginName,
-          String.format(
-              "Required approval '%s' that is configured in gerrit.config"
-                  + " (parameter plugin.%s.%s) is invalid: %s",
-              requiredApproval, pluginName, getConfigKey(), e.getMessage()));
-    }
+    return Optional.empty();
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/CodeOwnersPluginConfiguration.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/CodeOwnersPluginConfiguration.java
index ac3a7d0..8288c03 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/CodeOwnersPluginConfiguration.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/CodeOwnersPluginConfiguration.java
@@ -388,23 +388,8 @@
   private Optional<RequiredApproval> getConfiguredRequiredApproval(
       AbstractRequiredApprovalConfig requiredApprovalConfig, Project.NameKey project) {
     Config pluginConfig = getPluginConfig(project);
-
     ProjectState projectState = projectCache.get(project).orElseThrow(illegalState(project));
-
-    // check if a project specific required approval is configured
-    Optional<RequiredApproval> requiredApproval =
-        requiredApprovalConfig.getForProject(projectState, pluginConfig);
-    if (requiredApproval.isPresent()) {
-      return requiredApproval;
-    }
-
-    // check if a required approval is globally configured
-    requiredApproval = requiredApprovalConfig.getFromGlobalPluginConfig(projectState);
-    if (requiredApproval.isPresent()) {
-      return requiredApproval;
-    }
-
-    return Optional.empty();
+    return requiredApprovalConfig.get(projectState, pluginConfig);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/AbstractRequiredApprovalConfigTest.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/AbstractRequiredApprovalConfigTest.java
index c9e6b36..f067d4a 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/AbstractRequiredApprovalConfigTest.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/AbstractRequiredApprovalConfigTest.java
@@ -34,13 +34,12 @@
   /** Must return the {@link AbstractRequiredApprovalConfig} that should be tested. */
   protected abstract AbstractRequiredApprovalConfig getRequiredApprovalConfig();
 
-  protected void testCannotGetFromGlobalPluginConfigIfConfigIsInvalid(String invalidValue)
-      throws Exception {
+  protected void testCannotGetIfGlobalConfigIsInvalid(String invalidValue) throws Exception {
     ProjectState projectState = projectCache.get(project).orElseThrow(illegalState(project));
     InvalidPluginConfigurationException exception =
         assertThrows(
             InvalidPluginConfigurationException.class,
-            () -> getRequiredApprovalConfig().getFromGlobalPluginConfig(projectState));
+            () -> getRequiredApprovalConfig().get(projectState, new Config()));
     assertThat(exception)
         .hasMessageThat()
         .isEqualTo(
@@ -52,34 +51,32 @@
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void cannotGetForProjectForNullProjectState() throws Exception {
+  public void cannotGetForNullProjectState() throws Exception {
     NullPointerException npe =
         assertThrows(
             NullPointerException.class,
-            () ->
-                getRequiredApprovalConfig().getForProject(/* projectState= */ null, new Config()));
+            () -> getRequiredApprovalConfig().get(/* projectState= */ null, new Config()));
     assertThat(npe).hasMessageThat().isEqualTo("projectState");
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void cannotGetForProjectForNullConfig() throws Exception {
+  public void cannotGetForNullConfig() throws Exception {
     ProjectState projectState = projectCache.get(project).orElseThrow(illegalState(project));
     NullPointerException npe =
         assertThrows(
             NullPointerException.class,
-            () ->
-                getRequiredApprovalConfig().getForProject(projectState, /* pluginConfig= */ null));
+            () -> getRequiredApprovalConfig().get(projectState, /* pluginConfig= */ null));
     assertThat(npe).hasMessageThat().isEqualTo("pluginConfig");
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void getForProjectWhenRequiredApprovalIsNotSet() throws Exception {
+  public void getWhenRequiredApprovalIsNotSet() throws Exception {
     ProjectState projectState = projectCache.get(project).orElseThrow(illegalState(project));
-    assertThat(getRequiredApprovalConfig().getForProject(projectState, new Config())).isEmpty();
+    assertThat(getRequiredApprovalConfig().get(projectState, new Config())).isEmpty();
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void getForProject() throws Exception {
+  public void getFromPluginConfig() throws Exception {
     ProjectState projectState = projectCache.get(project).orElseThrow(illegalState(project));
     Config cfg = new Config();
     cfg.setString(
@@ -88,14 +85,14 @@
         getRequiredApprovalConfig().getConfigKey(),
         "Code-Review+2");
     Optional<RequiredApproval> requiredApproval =
-        getRequiredApprovalConfig().getForProject(projectState, cfg);
+        getRequiredApprovalConfig().get(projectState, cfg);
     assertThat(requiredApproval).isPresent();
     assertThat(requiredApproval.get().labelType().getName()).isEqualTo("Code-Review");
     assertThat(requiredApproval.get().value()).isEqualTo(2);
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void cannotGetForProjectIfConfigIsInvalid() throws Exception {
+  public void cannotGetFromPluginConfigIfConfigIsInvalid() throws Exception {
     ProjectState projectState = projectCache.get(project).orElseThrow(illegalState(project));
     Config cfg = new Config();
     cfg.setString(
@@ -106,7 +103,7 @@
     InvalidPluginConfigurationException exception =
         assertThrows(
             InvalidPluginConfigurationException.class,
-            () -> getRequiredApprovalConfig().getForProject(projectState, cfg));
+            () -> getRequiredApprovalConfig().get(projectState, cfg));
     assertThat(exception)
         .hasMessageThat()
         .isEqualTo(
@@ -118,21 +115,6 @@
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void cannotGetFromGlobalPluginConfigForNullProjectState() throws Exception {
-    NullPointerException npe =
-        assertThrows(
-            NullPointerException.class,
-            () -> getRequiredApprovalConfig().getFromGlobalPluginConfig(/* projectState */ null));
-    assertThat(npe).hasMessageThat().isEqualTo("projectState");
-  }
-
-  @Test
-  public void getFromGlobalPluginConfigWhenRequiredApprovalIsNotSet() throws Exception {
-    ProjectState projectState = projectCache.get(project).orElseThrow(illegalState(project));
-    assertThat(getRequiredApprovalConfig().getFromGlobalPluginConfig(projectState)).isEmpty();
-  }
-
-  @Test
   public void cannotValidateProjectLevelConfigWithNullProjectState() throws Exception {
     NullPointerException npe =
         assertThrows(
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/OverrideApprovalConfigTest.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/OverrideApprovalConfigTest.java
index 3591eca..648afcf 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/OverrideApprovalConfigTest.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/OverrideApprovalConfigTest.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.config.GerritConfig;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.project.ProjectState;
 import java.util.Optional;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Config;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@
 
     ProjectState projectState = projectCache.get(project).orElseThrow(illegalState(project));
     Optional<RequiredApproval> requiredApproval =
-        getRequiredApprovalConfig().getFromGlobalPluginConfig(projectState);
+        getRequiredApprovalConfig().get(projectState, new Config());
     assertThat(requiredApproval).isPresent();
     assertThat(requiredApproval.get().labelType().getName()).isEqualTo("Owners-Override");
     assertThat(requiredApproval.get().value()).isEqualTo(1);
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@
 
   @Test
   @GerritConfig(name = "plugin.code-owners.overrideApproval", value = "INVALID")
-  public void cannotGetFromGlobalPluginConfigIfConfigIsInvalid() throws Exception {
-    testCannotGetFromGlobalPluginConfigIfConfigIsInvalid("INVALID");
+  public void cannotGetIfGlobalConfigIsInvalid() throws Exception {
+    testCannotGetIfGlobalConfigIsInvalid("INVALID");
   }
 }
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/RequiredApprovalConfigTest.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/RequiredApprovalConfigTest.java
index 198ac0c..f91faee 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/RequiredApprovalConfigTest.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/config/RequiredApprovalConfigTest.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.config.GerritConfig;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.project.ProjectState;
 import java.util.Optional;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Config;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@
   public void getFromGlobalPluginConfig() throws Exception {
     ProjectState projectState = projectCache.get(project).orElseThrow(illegalState(project));
     Optional<RequiredApproval> requiredApproval =
-        getRequiredApprovalConfig().getFromGlobalPluginConfig(projectState);
+        getRequiredApprovalConfig().get(projectState, new Config());
     assertThat(requiredApproval).isPresent();
     assertThat(requiredApproval.get().labelType().getName()).isEqualTo("Code-Review");
     assertThat(requiredApproval.get().value()).isEqualTo(2);
@@ -52,8 +53,8 @@
 
   @Test
   @GerritConfig(name = "plugin.code-owners.requiredApproval", value = "INVALID")
-  public void cannotGetFromGlobalPluginConfigIfConfigIsInvalid() throws Exception {
-    testCannotGetFromGlobalPluginConfigIfConfigIsInvalid("INVALID");
+  public void cannotIfGlobalConfigIsInvalid() throws Exception {
+    testCannotGetIfGlobalConfigIsInvalid("INVALID");
   }
 
   @Test