diff --git a/src/include/taler_auditor_service.h b/src/include/taler_auditor_service.h
index 9d721550b..5ee41c3b1 100644
--- a/src/include/taler_auditor_service.h
+++ b/src/include/taler_auditor_service.h
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ struct TALER_AUDITOR_Handle;
  * interactions with the auditor will be checked to be signed
  * (where appropriate) by the respective master key.
  *
- * @param ctx the context
+ * @param ctx the context for CURL requests
  * @param url HTTP base URL for the auditor
  * @param version_cb function to call with the auditor's version information
  * @param version_cb_cls closure for @a version_cb
@@ -412,14 +412,16 @@ typedef void
  * auditor's response.  If the auditor's reply is not
  * well-formed, we return an HTTP status code of zero to @a cb.
  *
- * @param auditor the auditor handle; the auditor must be ready to operate
+ * @param ctx the context for CURL requests
+ * @param url HTTP base URL for the auditor
  * @param cb the callback to call when a reply for this request is available
  * @param cb_cls closure for the above callback
  * @return a handle for this request; NULL if the inputs are invalid (i.e.
  *         signatures fail to verify).  In this case, the callback is not called.
  */
 struct TALER_AUDITOR_ListExchangesHandle *
-TALER_AUDITOR_list_exchanges (struct TALER_AUDITOR_Handle *auditor,
+TALER_AUDITOR_list_exchanges (struct GNUNET_CURL_Context *ctx,
+                              const char *url,
                               TALER_AUDITOR_ListExchangesResultCallback cb,
                               void *cb_cls);
 
diff --git a/src/lib/auditor_api_exchanges.c b/src/lib/auditor_api_exchanges.c
index 9f35c7077..8acf59467 100644
--- a/src/lib/auditor_api_exchanges.c
+++ b/src/lib/auditor_api_exchanges.c
@@ -44,11 +44,6 @@
 struct TALER_AUDITOR_ListExchangesHandle
 {
 
-  /**
-   * The connection to auditor this request handle will use
-   */
-  struct TALER_AUDITOR_Handle *auditor;
-
   /**
    * The url for this request.
    */
@@ -122,14 +117,15 @@ handle_exchanges_finished (void *cls,
     }
     {
       struct TALER_AUDITOR_ExchangeInfo ei[GNUNET_NZL (ja_len)];
-      bool ok;
+      bool ok = true;
 
-      ok = true;
       for (unsigned int i = 0; i<ja_len; i++)
       {
         struct GNUNET_JSON_Specification spec[] = {
-          GNUNET_JSON_spec_fixed_auto ("master_pub", &ei[i].master_pub),
-          GNUNET_JSON_spec_string ("exchange_url", &ei[i].exchange_url),
+          GNUNET_JSON_spec_fixed_auto ("master_pub",
+                                       &ei[i].master_pub),
+          GNUNET_JSON_spec_string ("exchange_url",
+                                   &ei[i].exchange_url),
           GNUNET_JSON_spec_end ()
         };
 
@@ -192,23 +188,20 @@ handle_exchanges_finished (void *cls,
 
 
 struct TALER_AUDITOR_ListExchangesHandle *
-TALER_AUDITOR_list_exchanges (struct TALER_AUDITOR_Handle *auditor,
+TALER_AUDITOR_list_exchanges (struct GNUNET_CURL_Context *ctx,
+                              const char *url,
                               TALER_AUDITOR_ListExchangesResultCallback cb,
                               void *cb_cls)
 {
   struct TALER_AUDITOR_ListExchangesHandle *leh;
-  struct GNUNET_CURL_Context *ctx;
   CURL *eh;
 
-  GNUNET_assert (GNUNET_YES ==
-                 TALER_AUDITOR_handle_is_ready_ (auditor));
-
   leh = GNUNET_new (struct TALER_AUDITOR_ListExchangesHandle);
-  leh->auditor = auditor;
   leh->cb = cb;
   leh->cb_cls = cb_cls;
-  leh->url = TALER_AUDITOR_path_to_url_ (auditor,
-                                         "/exchanges");
+  leh->url = TALER_url_join (url,
+                             "exchanges",
+                             NULL);
   if (NULL == leh->url)
   {
     GNUNET_free (leh);
@@ -225,7 +218,6 @@ TALER_AUDITOR_list_exchanges (struct TALER_AUDITOR_Handle *auditor,
     GNUNET_free (leh);
     return NULL;
   }
-  ctx = TALER_AUDITOR_handle_to_context_ (auditor);
   leh->job = GNUNET_CURL_job_add (ctx,
                                   eh,
                                   &handle_exchanges_finished,
diff --git a/src/testing/testing_api_cmd_auditor_exchanges.c b/src/testing/testing_api_cmd_auditor_exchanges.c
index ea9ace3e4..aa9a1bfb7 100644
--- a/src/testing/testing_api_cmd_auditor_exchanges.c
+++ b/src/testing/testing_api_cmd_auditor_exchanges.c
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ exchanges_run (void *cls,
 {
   struct ExchangesState *es = cls;
   const struct TALER_TESTING_Command *auditor_cmd;
-  struct TALER_AUDITOR_Handle *auditor;
+  const char *auditor_url;
 
   (void) cmd;
   auditor_cmd = TALER_TESTING_interpreter_get_command (is,
@@ -219,15 +219,20 @@ exchanges_run (void *cls,
     TALER_TESTING_interpreter_fail (is);
     return;
   }
-  GNUNET_assert (GNUNET_OK ==
-                 TALER_TESTING_get_trait_auditor (auditor_cmd,
-                                                  &auditor));
-
+  if (GNUNET_OK !=
+      TALER_TESTING_get_trait_auditor_url (auditor_cmd,
+                                           &auditor_url))
+  {
+    GNUNET_break (0);
+    TALER_TESTING_interpreter_fail (is);
+    return;
+  }
   es->is = is;
-  es->leh = TALER_AUDITOR_list_exchanges (auditor,
-                                          &exchanges_cb,
-                                          es);
-
+  es->leh = TALER_AUDITOR_list_exchanges (
+    TALER_TESTING_interpreter_get_context (is),
+    auditor_url,
+    &exchanges_cb,
+    es);
   if (NULL == es->leh)
   {
     GNUNET_break (0);