diff --git a/R/build-articles.R b/R/build-articles.R
index d434233ad..b674e011f 100644
--- a/R/build-articles.R
+++ b/R/build-articles.R
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ data_articles_index <- function(pkg = ".") {
   if (length(missing) > 0) {
     cli::cli_abort(
       "{length(missing)} vignette{?s} missing from index in \\
-      {pkgdown_config_href({pkg$src_path})}: {.val {missing}}.",
+      {.file {pkgdown_config_relpath(pkg)}}: {.val {missing}}.",
       call = caller_env()
     )
   }
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ data_articles_index_section <- function(section, pkg) {
   }
 
   # Match topics against any aliases
-  in_section <- select_vignettes(section$contents, pkg$vignettes)
+  in_section <- select_vignettes(section$contents, pkg$vignettes, pkg = pkg)
   section_vignettes <- pkg$vignettes[in_section, ]
   contents <- tibble::tibble(
     name = section_vignettes$name,
@@ -411,13 +411,13 @@ data_articles_index_section <- function(section, pkg) {
 
 # Quick hack: create the same structure as for topics so we can use
 # the existing select_topics()
-select_vignettes <- function(match_strings, vignettes) {
+select_vignettes <- function(match_strings, vignettes, pkg) {
   topics <- tibble::tibble(
     name = vignettes$name,
     alias = as.list(vignettes$name),
     internal = FALSE
   )
-  select_topics(match_strings, topics)
+  select_topics(match_strings, topics, pkg = pkg)
 }
 
 default_articles_index <- function(pkg = ".") {
diff --git a/R/build-reference-index.R b/R/build-reference-index.R
index 0abdd661a..9da8e2f56 100644
--- a/R/build-reference-index.R
+++ b/R/build-reference-index.R
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ data_reference_index_rows <- function(section, index, pkg) {
 
   if (has_name(section, "contents")) {
     check_all_characters(section$contents, index, pkg)
-    topics <- section_topics(section$contents, pkg$topics, pkg$src_path)
+    topics <- section_topics(section$contents, pkg$topics, pkg$src_path, pkg)
 
     names <- topics$name
     topics$name <- NULL
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ check_missing_topics <- function(rows, pkg, error_call = caller_env()) {
     cli::cli_abort(c(
       "All topics must be included in reference index",
       "x" = "Missing topics: {pkg$topics$name[missing]}",
-      i = "Either add to {pkgdown_config_href({pkg$src_path})} or use @keywords internal"
+      i = "Either add to {.file {pkgdown_config_relpath(pkg)}} or use @keywords internal"
     ),
     call = error_call)
   }
diff --git a/R/check.R b/R/check.R
index 1858ab454..70fa2ba0b 100644
--- a/R/check.R
+++ b/R/check.R
@@ -13,6 +13,6 @@ check_pkgdown <- function(pkg = ".") {
   data_reference_index(pkg)
 
   cli::cli_inform(c(
-    "v" = "No problems found in {pkgdown_config_href({pkg$src_path})}"
+    "v" = "No problems found in {.file {pkgdown_config_relpath(pkg)}}"
   ))
 }
diff --git a/R/navbar.R b/R/navbar.R
index 4b67ed012..5214cc390 100644
--- a/R/navbar.R
+++ b/R/navbar.R
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ navbar_articles <- function(pkg = ".") {
       menu$articles <- menu_link(tr_("Articles"), "articles/index.html")
     } else {
       sections <- lapply(navbar, function(section) {
-        vig <- pkg$vignettes[select_vignettes(section$contents, pkg$vignettes), , drop = FALSE]
+        vig <- pkg$vignettes[select_vignettes(section$contents, pkg$vignettes, pkg), , drop = FALSE]
         vig <- vig[vig$name != pkg$package, , drop = FALSE]
         c(
           if (!is.null(section$navbar)) list(menu_spacer(), menu_text(section$navbar)),
diff --git a/R/package.R b/R/package.R
index dc7b5396a..9e0e940eb 100644
--- a/R/package.R
+++ b/R/package.R
@@ -130,12 +130,6 @@ pkgdown_config_path <- function(path) {
     )
   )
 }
-pkgdown_config_href <- function(path) {
-  cli::style_hyperlink(
-    text = "_pkgdown.yml",
-    url = paste0("file://", pkgdown_config_path(path))
-  )
-}
 
 read_meta <- function(path) {
   path <- pkgdown_config_path(path)
diff --git a/R/topics.R b/R/topics.R
index 9bf17c9fa..430d08af7 100644
--- a/R/topics.R
+++ b/R/topics.R
@@ -1,17 +1,19 @@
 # @return An integer vector giving selected topics
-select_topics <- function(match_strings, topics, check = FALSE) {
+select_topics <- function(match_strings, topics, pkg = ".", check = FALSE) {
   n <- nrow(topics)
   if (length(match_strings) == 0) {
     return(integer())
   }
 
-  indexes <- purrr::map(match_strings, match_eval, env = match_env(topics))
-
+  indexes <- purrr::map(
+    match_strings,
+    function(x) match_eval(x, env = match_env(topics), pkg = pkg)
+  )
   # If none of the specified topics have a match, return no topics
   if (purrr::every(indexes, is_empty)) {
     if (check) {
       cli::cli_abort(
-        "No topics matched in {.file _pkgdown.yml}. No topics selected.",
+        "No topics matched in {.file {pkgdown_config_relpath(pkg)}}. No topics selected.",
         call = caller_env()
       )
     }
@@ -20,7 +22,7 @@ select_topics <- function(match_strings, topics, check = FALSE) {
 
   no_match <- match_strings[purrr::map_lgl(indexes, rlang::is_empty)]
   if (check && length(no_match) > 0) {
-    topic_must("match a function or concept", toString(no_match))
+    topic_must("match a function or concept", toString(no_match), pkg = pkg)
   }
 
   indexes <- purrr::discard(indexes, is_empty)
@@ -134,7 +136,7 @@ match_env <- function(topics) {
 }
 
 
-match_eval <- function(string, env) {
+match_eval <- function(string, env, pkg = ".") {
   # Early return in case string already matches symbol
   if (env_has(env, string)) {
     val <- env[[string]]
@@ -145,7 +147,7 @@ match_eval <- function(string, env) {
 
   expr <- tryCatch(parse_expr(string), error = function(e) NULL)
   if (is.null(expr)) {
-    topic_must("be valid R code", string)
+    topic_must("be valid R code", string, pkg = pkg)
   }
 
   if (is_string(expr) || is_symbol(expr)) {
@@ -154,7 +156,7 @@ match_eval <- function(string, env) {
     if (is.integer(val)) {
       val
     } else {
-      topic_must("be a known topic name or alias", string)
+      topic_must("be a known topic name or alias", string, pkg = pkg)
     }
   } else if (is_call(expr, "::")) {
     name <- paste0(expr[[2]], "::", expr[[3]])
@@ -162,34 +164,34 @@ match_eval <- function(string, env) {
     if (is.integer(val)) {
       val
     } else {
-      topic_must("be a known topic name or alias", string)
+      topic_must("be a known topic name or alias", string, pkg = pkg)
     }
   } else if (is_call(expr)) {
     tryCatch(
       eval(expr, env),
       error = function(e) {
-        topic_must("be a known selector function", string, parent = e)
+        topic_must("be a known selector function", string, parent = e, pkg = pkg)
       }
     )
   } else {
-    topic_must("be a string or function call", string)
+    topic_must("be a string or function call", string, pkg = pkg)
   }
 }
 
-topic_must <- function(message, topic, ..., call = NULL) {
+topic_must <- function(message, topic, ..., call = NULL, pkg = ".") {
   cli::cli_abort(
-    "In {.file _pkgdown.yml}, topic must {message}, not {.val {topic}}.",
+    "In {.file {pkgdown_config_relpath(pkg)}}, topic must {message}, not {.val {topic}}.",
     ...,
     call = call
   )
 }
 
-section_topics <- function(match_strings, topics, src_path) {
+section_topics <- function(match_strings, topics, src_path, pkg = ".") {
   # Add rows for external docs
   ext_strings <- match_strings[grepl("::", match_strings, fixed = TRUE)]
   topics <- rbind(topics, ext_topics(ext_strings))
 
-  selected <- topics[select_topics(match_strings, topics), , ]
+  selected <- topics[select_topics(match_strings, topics, pkg), , ]
 
   tibble::tibble(
     name = selected$name,
diff --git a/R/utils-fs.R b/R/utils-fs.R
index 9e4445da0..5a9be0348 100644
--- a/R/utils-fs.R
+++ b/R/utils-fs.R
@@ -104,9 +104,13 @@ path_pkgdown <- function(...) {
   system_file(..., package = "pkgdown")
 }
 
+# To avoid problems in tests, default to _pkgdown.yml
 pkgdown_config_relpath <- function(pkg) {
-  pkg <- as_pkgdown(pkg)
-  config_path <- pkgdown_config_path(pkg$src_path)
+  tryCatch({
+    pkg <- as_pkgdown(pkg)
+    config_path <- pkgdown_config_path(pkg$src_path)
 
-  fs::path_rel(config_path, pkg$src_path)
+    fs::path_rel(config_path, pkg$src_path)
+  },
+  error = function(e) fs::path("_pkgdown.yml"))
 }
diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/build-reference-index.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/build-reference-index.md
index 726ce3988..d3f6f6722 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/_snaps/build-reference-index.md
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/build-reference-index.md
@@ -53,14 +53,14 @@
       Error:
       ! All topics must be included in reference index
       x Missing topics: c, e, and ?
-      i Either add to _pkgdown.yml or use @keywords internal
+      i Either add to 'pkgdown/_pkgdown.yml' or use @keywords internal
 
 # errors well when a content entry is empty
 
     i In index: 1.
     Caused by error in `.f()`:
     ! Item 2 in section 1 is empty.
-    x Delete the empty line or add function name to reference in '_pkgdown.yml'.
+    x Delete the empty line or add function name to reference in 'pkgdown/_pkgdown.yml'.
 
 # errors well when a content entry is not a character
 
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
       i In index: 1.
       Caused by error in `.f()`:
       ! Item 2 in section 1 must be a character.
-      x You might need to add '' around e.g. - 'N' or - 'off' to reference in '_pkgdown.yml'.
+      x You might need to add '' around e.g. - 'N' or - 'off' to reference in 'pkgdown/_pkgdown.yml'.
 
 # errors well when a content entry refers to a not installed package
 
diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/check.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/check.md
index f1e4bb125..177f09cb3 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/_snaps/check.md
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/check.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
       Error in `check_pkgdown()`:
       ! All topics must be included in reference index
       x Missing topics: ?
-      i Either add to _pkgdown.yml or use @keywords internal
+      i Either add to 'pkgdown/_pkgdown.yml' or use @keywords internal
 
 # fails if article index incomplete
 
@@ -14,12 +14,12 @@
       check_pkgdown(pkg)
     Condition
       Error in `check_pkgdown()`:
-      ! 2 vignettes missing from index in _pkgdown.yml: "articles/nested" and "width".
+      ! 2 vignettes missing from index in '_pkgdown.yml': "articles/nested" and "width".
 
 # informs if everything is ok
 
     Code
       check_pkgdown(pkg)
     Message
-      v No problems found in _pkgdown.yml
+      v No problems found in 'pkgdown/_pkgdown.yml'
 
diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/render.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/render.md
index 700823873..fbb5bef2b 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/_snaps/render.md
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/render.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # check_bootswatch_theme() works
 
     Can't find Bootswatch theme "paper" (template.bootswatch) for Bootstrap version "4" (template.bootstrap).
-    x Edit settings in '_pkgdown.yml'
+    x Edit settings in 'pkgdown/_pkgdown.yml'
 
 # capture data_template()
 
diff --git a/tests/testthat/assets/reference/_pkgdown.yml b/tests/testthat/assets/reference/pkgdown/_pkgdown.yml
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/testthat/assets/reference/_pkgdown.yml
rename to tests/testthat/assets/reference/pkgdown/_pkgdown.yml
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-topics.R b/tests/testthat/test-topics.R
index 8b1eeeb4b..f21e5e29d 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-topics.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-topics.R
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ test_that("full topic selection process works", {
   pkg <- local_pkgdown_site(test_path("assets/reference"))
 
   # can mix local and remote
-  out <- section_topics(c("a", "base::mean"), pkg$topics, pkg$src_path)
+  out <- section_topics(c("a", "base::mean"), pkg$topics, pkg$src_path, pkg)
   expect_equal(unname(out$name), c("a", "base::mean"))
 
   # concepts and keywords work
@@ -163,6 +163,14 @@ test_that("full topic selection process works", {
     pkg$src_path
   )
   expect_equal(unname(out$name), c("b", "a"))
+  # concepts and keywords error with correct path
+  expect_error(section_topics(
+    c("foo2"),
+    pkg$topics,
+    pkg$src_path,
+    pkg
+  ),
+  regexp = "pkgdown/_pkgdown.yml")
 })
 
 test_that("an unmatched selection with a matched selection does not select everything", {