diff --git a/docs/migration_2_to_3.rst b/docs/migration_2_to_3.rst
index e57444c157..94640b913a 100644
--- a/docs/migration_2_to_3.rst
+++ b/docs/migration_2_to_3.rst
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ Alternatively, you can convert any old configuration file using the conversion t
 
 .. code-block:: none
 
-   $ python3 tools/convert_config.py unittests/resources/settings_old_syntax.py
+   $ ./tools/convert-config unittests/resources/settings_old_syntax.py
    Conversion successful! The converted file can be found at '/var/folders/h7/k7cgrdl13r996m4dmsvjq7v80000gp/T/tmpz4f6yer4.py'.
 
 
diff --git a/reframe/core/config.py b/reframe/core/config.py
index 8cad64f281..eaf8c56784 100644
--- a/reframe/core/config.py
+++ b/reframe/core/config.py
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ def select_subconfig(self, system_fullname=None):
         self._local_system = system_fullname
 
 
-def convert_old_config(filename):
+def convert_old_config(filename, newfilename=None):
     old_config = util.import_module_from_file(filename).settings
     converted = {
         'systems': [],
@@ -524,11 +524,17 @@ def handler_list(handler_config):
     if converted['general'] == [{}]:
         del converted['general']
 
-    with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(mode='w', suffix='.py',
-                                     delete=False) as fp:
-        fp.write(f"#\n# This file was automatically generated "
-                 f"by ReFrame based on '{filename}'.\n#\n\n")
-        fp.write(f'site_configuration = {util.ppretty(converted)}\n')
+    contents = (f"#\n# This file was automatically generated "
+                f"by ReFrame based on '{filename}'.\n#\n\n"
+                f"site_configuration = {util.ppretty(converted)}\n")
+
+    if newfilename:
+        with open(newfilename, 'w') as fp:
+            fp.write(contents)
+    else:
+        with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(mode='w', suffix='.py',
+                                         delete=False) as fp:
+            fp.write(contents)
 
     return fp.name
 
diff --git a/tools/convert-config b/tools/convert-config
new file mode 120000
index 0000000000..2ad48ad1cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/convert-config
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+convert_config.py
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tools/convert_config.py b/tools/convert_config.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 04674cc866..87f7e6762e
--- a/tools/convert_config.py
+++ b/tools/convert_config.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+#
 # Copyright 2016-2020 Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS/ETH Zurich)
 # ReFrame Project Developers. See the top-level LICENSE file for details.
 #
@@ -16,11 +18,17 @@
         old_config = sys.argv[1]
     except IndexError:
         print(f'{sys.argv[0]}: too few arguments', file=sys.stderr)
-        print(f'Usage: {sys.argv[0]} OLD_CONFIG_FILE', file=sys.stderr)
+        print(f'Usage: {sys.argv[0]} OLD_CONFIG_FILE [NEW_CONFIG_FILE]',
+              file=sys.stderr)
         sys.exit(1)
 
     try:
-        new_config = config.convert_old_config(old_config)
+        new_config = sys.argv[2]
+    except IndexError:
+        new_config = None
+
+    try:
+        new_config = config.convert_old_config(old_config, new_config)
     except Exception as e:
         print(f'{sys.argv[0]}: could not convert file: {e}',
               file=sys.stderr)