diff --git a/src/calamares/CalamaresApplication.cpp b/src/calamares/CalamaresApplication.cpp
index 018e2b677..0b715d6df 100644
--- a/src/calamares/CalamaresApplication.cpp
+++ b/src/calamares/CalamaresApplication.cpp
@@ -145,6 +145,9 @@ qmlDirCandidates( bool assumeBuilddir )
     {
         if ( assumeBuilddir )
             qmlDirs << QDir::current().absoluteFilePath( "src/qml" );  // In build-dir
+        if ( CalamaresUtils::haveExtraDirs() )
+            for ( auto s : CalamaresUtils::extraDataDirs() )
+                qmlDirs << ( s + QML );
         qmlDirs << CalamaresUtils::appDataDir().absoluteFilePath( QML );
     }
 
@@ -164,6 +167,9 @@ settingsFileCandidates( bool assumeBuilddir )
     {
         if ( assumeBuilddir )
             settingsPaths << QDir::current().absoluteFilePath( settings );
+        if ( CalamaresUtils::haveExtraDirs() )
+            for ( auto s : CalamaresUtils::extraConfigDirs() )
+                settingsPaths << ( s + settings );
         settingsPaths << CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_SYSCONFDIR "/calamares/settings.conf";  // String concat
         settingsPaths << CalamaresUtils::appDataDir().absoluteFilePath( settings );
     }
@@ -182,6 +188,9 @@ brandingFileCandidates( bool assumeBuilddir, const QString& brandingFilename )
     {
         if ( assumeBuilddir )
             brandingPaths << ( QDir::currentPath() + QStringLiteral( "/src/" ) + brandingFilename );
+        if ( CalamaresUtils::haveExtraDirs() )
+            for ( auto s : CalamaresUtils::extraDataDirs() )
+                brandingPaths << ( s + brandingFilename );
         brandingPaths << QDir( CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_SYSCONFDIR "/calamares/" ).absoluteFilePath( brandingFilename );
         brandingPaths << CalamaresUtils::appDataDir().absoluteFilePath( brandingFilename);
     }
diff --git a/src/calamares/main.cpp b/src/calamares/main.cpp
index 9893e6792..f855b060f 100644
--- a/src/calamares/main.cpp
+++ b/src/calamares/main.cpp
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ handle_args( CalamaresApplication& a )
                                           "Verbose output for debugging purposes (0-8).", "level" );
     QCommandLineOption configOption( QStringList{ "c", "config"},
                                      "Configuration directory to use, for testing purposes.", "config" );
+    QCommandLineOption xdgOption( QStringList{"X", "xdg-config"},
+                                  "Use XDG_{CONFIG,DATA}_DIRS as well." );
 
     QCommandLineParser parser;
     parser.setApplicationDescription( "Distribution-independent installer framework" );
@@ -53,6 +55,7 @@ handle_args( CalamaresApplication& a )
     parser.addOption( debugOption );
     parser.addOption( debugLevelOption );
     parser.addOption( configOption );
+    parser.addOption( xdgOption );
 
     parser.process( a );
 
@@ -72,6 +75,8 @@ handle_args( CalamaresApplication& a )
     }
     if ( parser.isSet( configOption ) )
         CalamaresUtils::setAppDataDir( QDir( parser.value( configOption ) ) );
+    if ( parser.isSet( xdgOption ) )
+        CalamaresUtils::setXdgDirs();
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/src/libcalamares/utils/CalamaresUtils.cpp b/src/libcalamares/utils/CalamaresUtils.cpp
index 6a892511a..3ab758522 100644
--- a/src/libcalamares/utils/CalamaresUtils.cpp
+++ b/src/libcalamares/utils/CalamaresUtils.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ static QTranslator* s_brandingTranslator = nullptr;
 static QTranslator* s_translator = nullptr;
 static QString s_translatorLocaleName;
 
+static bool s_haveExtraDirs = false;
+static QStringList s_extraConfigDirs;
+static QStringList s_extraDataDirs;
 
 static bool
 isWritableDir( const QDir& dir )
@@ -94,6 +97,46 @@ setAppDataDir( const QDir& dir )
     s_isAppDataDirOverridden = true;
 }
 
+/* Split $ENV{@p name} on :, append to @p l, making sure each ends in / */
+static void
+mungeEnvironment( QStringList& l, const char *name )
+{
+    for ( auto s : QString( qgetenv( name ) ).split(':') )
+        if ( s.endsWith( '/' ) )
+            l << s;
+        else
+            l << ( s + '/' );
+}
+
+void
+setXdgDirs()
+{
+    s_haveExtraDirs = true;
+    mungeEnvironment( s_extraConfigDirs, "XDG_CONFIG_DIRS" );
+    mungeEnvironment( s_extraDataDirs, "XDG_DATA_DIRS" );
+}
+
+QStringList
+extraConfigDirs()
+{
+    if ( s_haveExtraDirs )
+        return s_extraConfigDirs;
+    return QStringList();
+}
+
+QStringList
+extraDataDirs()
+{
+    if ( s_haveExtraDirs )
+        return s_extraDataDirs;
+    return QStringList();
+}
+
+bool
+haveExtraDirs()
+{
+    return s_haveExtraDirs && ( !s_extraConfigDirs.isEmpty() || !s_extraDataDirs.isEmpty() );
+}
 
 bool
 isAppDataDirOverridden()
diff --git a/src/libcalamares/utils/CalamaresUtils.h b/src/libcalamares/utils/CalamaresUtils.h
index e64fe4eec..baf7a12dc 100644
--- a/src/libcalamares/utils/CalamaresUtils.h
+++ b/src/libcalamares/utils/CalamaresUtils.h
@@ -79,6 +79,16 @@ namespace CalamaresUtils
 
     DLLEXPORT void setQmlModulesDir( const QDir& dir );
 
+    /** @brief Setup extra config and data dirs from the XDG variables.
+     */
+    DLLEXPORT void setXdgDirs();
+    /** @brief Are any extra directories configured? */
+    DLLEXPORT bool haveExtraDirs();
+    /** @brief XDG_CONFIG_DIRS, each guaranteed to end with / */
+    DLLEXPORT QStringList extraConfigDirs();
+    /** @brief XDG_DATA_DIRS, each guaranteed to end with / */
+    DLLEXPORT QStringList extraDataDirs();
+
     /**
      * @brief removeDiacritics replaces letters with diacritics and ligatures with
      * alternative forms and digraphs.
diff --git a/src/libcalamaresui/modulesystem/Module.cpp b/src/libcalamaresui/modulesystem/Module.cpp
index a1349c280..ef629ac4d 100644
--- a/src/libcalamaresui/modulesystem/Module.cpp
+++ b/src/libcalamaresui/modulesystem/Module.cpp
@@ -155,6 +155,10 @@ moduleConfigurationCandidates( bool assumeBuildDir, const QString& moduleName, c
         if ( assumeBuildDir && configFileName.contains( '/' ) )
             paths << QDir().absoluteFilePath( configFileName );
 
+        if ( CalamaresUtils::haveExtraDirs() )
+            for ( auto s : CalamaresUtils::extraConfigDirs() )
+                paths << ( s + QString( "modules/%1" ).arg( configFileName ) );
+
         paths << QString( "/etc/calamares/modules/%1" ).arg( configFileName );
         paths << CalamaresUtils::appDataDir().absoluteFilePath( QString( "modules/%1" ).arg( configFileName ) );
     }