diff --git a/changelog/4875.feature.rst b/changelog/4875.feature.rst
index 6d91fb465..d9fb65ca5 100644
--- a/changelog/4875.feature.rst
+++ b/changelog/4875.feature.rst
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 The `testpaths <https://docs.pytest.org/en/latest/reference.html#confval-testpaths>`__ configuration option is now displayed next
 to the ``rootdir`` and ``inifile`` lines in the pytest header if the option is in effect, i.e., directories or file names were
 not explicitly passed in the command line.
+
+Also, ``inifile`` is only displayed if there's a configuration file, instead of an empty ``inifile:`` string.
diff --git a/src/_pytest/terminal.py b/src/_pytest/terminal.py
index fc78f4de4..0868bd751 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/terminal.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/terminal.py
@@ -583,21 +583,21 @@ class TerminalReporter(object):
             self.write_line(line)
 
     def pytest_report_header(self, config):
-        inifile = ""
-        if config.inifile:
-            inifile = " " + config.rootdir.bestrelpath(config.inifile)
+        line = "rootdir: %s" % config.rootdir
+
+        if config.inifile:
+            line += ", inifile: " + config.rootdir.bestrelpath(config.inifile)
 
-        line = "rootdir: %s, inifile:%s" % (config.rootdir, inifile)
         testpaths = config.getini("testpaths")
         if testpaths and config.args == testpaths:
             rel_paths = [config.rootdir.bestrelpath(x) for x in testpaths]
             line += ", testpaths: {}".format(", ".join(rel_paths))
-        lines = [line]
+        result = [line]
+
         plugininfo = config.pluginmanager.list_plugin_distinfo()
         if plugininfo:
-
-            lines.append("plugins: %s" % ", ".join(_plugin_nameversions(plugininfo)))
-        return lines
+            result.append("plugins: %s" % ", ".join(_plugin_nameversions(plugininfo)))
+        return result
 
     def pytest_collection_finish(self, session):
         if self.config.getoption("collectonly"):
diff --git a/testing/test_config.py b/testing/test_config.py
index c5c0ca939..3dd707bfa 100644
--- a/testing/test_config.py
+++ b/testing/test_config.py
@@ -697,9 +697,9 @@ def test_invalid_options_show_extra_information(testdir):
         ["-v", "dir2", "dir1"],
     ],
 )
-def test_consider_args_after_options_for_rootdir_and_inifile(testdir, args):
+def test_consider_args_after_options_for_rootdir(testdir, args):
     """
-    Consider all arguments in the command-line for rootdir and inifile
+    Consider all arguments in the command-line for rootdir
     discovery, even if they happen to occur after an option. #949
     """
     # replace "dir1" and "dir2" from "args" into their real directory
@@ -713,7 +713,7 @@ def test_consider_args_after_options_for_rootdir_and_inifile(testdir, args):
             args[i] = d2
     with root.as_cwd():
         result = testdir.runpytest(*args)
-    result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(["*rootdir: *myroot, inifile:"])
+    result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(["*rootdir: *myroot"])
 
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif("sys.platform == 'win32'")
diff --git a/testing/test_session.py b/testing/test_session.py
index 6b185f76b..e5eb081d4 100644
--- a/testing/test_session.py
+++ b/testing/test_session.py
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ def test_rootdir_option_arg(testdir, monkeypatch, path):
     result = testdir.runpytest("--rootdir={}".format(path))
     result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(
         [
-            "*rootdir: {}/root, inifile:*".format(testdir.tmpdir),
+            "*rootdir: {}/root".format(testdir.tmpdir),
             "root/test_rootdir_option_arg.py *",
             "*1 passed*",
         ]
diff --git a/testing/test_terminal.py b/testing/test_terminal.py
index abe9549e2..fe67a6aec 100644
--- a/testing/test_terminal.py
+++ b/testing/test_terminal.py
@@ -570,9 +570,17 @@ class TestTerminalFunctional(object):
     def test_header(self, testdir, request):
         testdir.tmpdir.join("tests").ensure_dir()
         testdir.tmpdir.join("gui").ensure_dir()
-        result = testdir.runpytest()
-        result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(["rootdir: *test_header0, inifile:"])
 
+        # no ini file
+        result = testdir.runpytest()
+        result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(["rootdir: *test_header0"])
+
+        # with inifile
+        testdir.makeini("""[pytest]""")
+        result = testdir.runpytest()
+        result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(["rootdir: *test_header0, inifile: tox.ini"])
+
+        # with testpaths option, and not passing anything in the command-line
         testdir.makeini(
             """
             [pytest]
@@ -584,6 +592,7 @@ class TestTerminalFunctional(object):
             ["rootdir: *test_header0, inifile: tox.ini, testpaths: tests, gui"]
         )
 
+        # with testpaths option, passing directory in command-line: do not show testpaths then
         result = testdir.runpytest("tests")
         result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(["rootdir: *test_header0, inifile: tox.ini"])
 
@@ -1219,15 +1228,6 @@ def test_summary_stats(exp_line, exp_color, stats_arg):
     assert color == exp_color
 
 
-def test_no_trailing_whitespace_after_inifile_word(testdir):
-    result = testdir.runpytest("")
-    assert "inifile:\n" in result.stdout.str()
-
-    testdir.makeini("[pytest]")
-    result = testdir.runpytest("")
-    assert "inifile: tox.ini\n" in result.stdout.str()
-
-
 class TestClassicOutputStyle(object):
     """Ensure classic output style works as expected (#3883)"""