diff --git a/thunarx/thunarx-provider-factory.c b/thunarx/thunarx-provider-factory.c
index 31b8835..a3e7f4e 100644
--- a/thunarx/thunarx-provider-factory.c
+++ b/thunarx/thunarx-provider-factory.c
@@ -141,12 +141,19 @@ static GList*
 thunarx_provider_factory_load_modules (ThunarxProviderFactory *factory)
 {
   ThunarxProviderModule *module;
+  const gchar           *thunar_dir;
   const gchar           *name;
   GList                 *modules = NULL;
   GList                 *lp;
   GDir                  *dp;
 
-  dp = g_dir_open (THUNARX_DIRECTORY, 0, NULL);
+  thunar_dir = g_getenv("THUNARX_MODULE_DIR");
+  if (NULL == thunar_dir)
+    {
+      thunar_dir = THUNARX_DIRECTORY;
+    }
+
+  dp = g_dir_open (thunar_dir, 0, NULL);
   if (G_LIKELY (dp != NULL))
     {
       /* determine the types for all existing plugins */
diff --git a/thunarx/thunarx-provider-module.c b/thunarx/thunarx-provider-module.c
index 023ad2a..6c21997 100644
--- a/thunarx/thunarx-provider-module.c
+++ b/thunarx/thunarx-provider-module.c
@@ -174,10 +174,17 @@ static gboolean
 thunarx_provider_module_load (GTypeModule *type_module)
 {
   ThunarxProviderModule *module = THUNARX_PROVIDER_MODULE (type_module);
+  const gchar           *thunar_dir;
   gchar                 *path;
+    
+  thunar_dir = g_getenv("THUNARX_MODULE_DIR");
+  if (NULL == thunar_dir)
+    {
+      thunar_dir = THUNARX_DIRECTORY;
+    }
 
   /* load the module using the runtime link editor */
-  path = g_build_filename (THUNARX_DIRECTORY, type_module->name, NULL);
+  path = g_build_filename (thunar_dir, type_module->name, NULL);
   module->library = g_module_open (path, G_MODULE_BIND_LAZY | G_MODULE_BIND_LOCAL);
   g_free (path);