diff --git a/libnemo-private/nemo-module.c b/libnemo-private/nemo-module.c
index 92bcff5..ecadcd8 100644
--- a/libnemo-private/nemo-module.c
+++ b/libnemo-private/nemo-module.c
@@ -209,11 +209,16 @@ void
 nemo_module_setup (void)
 {
 	static gboolean initialized = FALSE;
+	const gchar *extensiondir = NULL;
 
 	if (!initialized) {
 		initialized = TRUE;
 		
-		load_module_dir (NEMO_EXTENSIONDIR);
+		extensiondir = g_getenv ("NEMO_EXTENSION_DIR");
+		if (extensiondir == NULL) {
+			extensiondir = NEMO_EXTENSIONDIR;
+		}
+		load_module_dir (extensiondir);
 
 		eel_debug_call_at_shutdown (free_module_objects);
 	}
diff --git a/src/nemo-extensions-list.c b/src/nemo-extensions-list.c
index 944fc5f..983c396 100644
--- a/src/nemo-extensions-list.c
+++ b/src/nemo-extensions-list.c
@@ -129,7 +129,12 @@ module_get_extensions_for_type (GType type)
 int
 main (int argc, char *argv[])
 {
-    populate_from_directory (NEMO_EXTENSIONDIR);
+    const gchar *extensiondir = NULL;
+    extensiondir = g_getenv ("NEMO_EXTENSION_DIR");
+    if (extensiondir == NULL) {
+        extensiondir = NEMO_EXTENSIONDIR;
+    }
+    populate_from_directory (extensiondir);
 
     GList *nd_providers;
     GList *l;