diff --git a/clients/desktop-shell.c b/clients/desktop-shell.c
index 961a9b24..ac2928f1 100644
--- a/clients/desktop-shell.c
+++ b/clients/desktop-shell.c
@@ -1328,11 +1328,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	struct desktop desktop = { 0 };
 	struct output *output;
 	struct weston_config_section *s;
+	const char *config_file;
 
 	desktop.unlock_task.run = unlock_dialog_finish;
 	wl_list_init(&desktop.outputs);
 
-	desktop.config = weston_config_parse("weston.ini");
+	config_file = weston_config_get_name_from_env();
+	desktop.config = weston_config_parse(config_file);
 	s = weston_config_get_section(desktop.config, "shell", NULL, NULL);
 	weston_config_section_get_bool(s, "locking", &desktop.locking, 1);
 
diff --git a/clients/ivi-shell-user-interface.c b/clients/ivi-shell-user-interface.c
index 324ea7a6..a83f9ade 100644
--- a/clients/ivi-shell-user-interface.c
+++ b/clients/ivi-shell-user-interface.c
@@ -1073,6 +1073,7 @@ create_launchers(struct wlContextCommon *cmm, struct wl_list *launcher_list)
 static struct hmi_homescreen_setting *
 hmi_homescreen_setting_create(void)
 {
+	const char *config_file;
 	struct weston_config *config = NULL;
 	struct weston_config_section *shellSection = NULL;
 	struct hmi_homescreen_setting *setting = MEM_ALLOC(sizeof(*setting));
@@ -1084,7 +1085,8 @@ hmi_homescreen_setting_create(void)
 	wl_list_init(&setting->workspace_list);
 	wl_list_init(&setting->launcher_list);
 
-	config = weston_config_parse("weston.ini");
+	config_file = weston_config_get_name_from_env();
+	config = weston_config_parse(config_file);
 
 	shellSection =
 		weston_config_get_section(config, "ivi-shell", NULL, NULL);
diff --git a/clients/terminal.c b/clients/terminal.c
index 7c371016..3e89bdf5 100644
--- a/clients/terminal.c
+++ b/clients/terminal.c
@@ -3050,6 +3050,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	struct display *d;
 	struct terminal *terminal;
+	const char *config_file;
 	struct weston_config *config;
 	struct weston_config_section *s;
 
@@ -3061,7 +3062,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (!option_shell)
 		option_shell = "/bin/bash";
 
-	config = weston_config_parse("weston.ini");
+	config_file = weston_config_get_name_from_env();
+	config = weston_config_parse(config_file);
 	s = weston_config_get_section(config, "terminal", NULL, NULL);
 	weston_config_section_get_string(s, "font", &option_font, "mono");
 	weston_config_section_get_int(s, "font-size", &option_font_size, 14);
diff --git a/clients/window.c b/clients/window.c
index 67034623..81e007be 100644
--- a/clients/window.c
+++ b/clients/window.c
@@ -1288,6 +1288,7 @@ static const struct cursor_alternatives cursors[] = {
 static void
 create_cursors(struct display *display)
 {
+	const char *config_file;
 	struct weston_config *config;
 	struct weston_config_section *s;
 	int size;
@@ -1295,7 +1296,8 @@ create_cursors(struct display *display)
 	unsigned int i, j;
 	struct wl_cursor *cursor;
 
-	config = weston_config_parse("weston.ini");
+	config_file = weston_config_get_name_from_env();
+	config = weston_config_parse(config_file);
 	s = weston_config_get_section(config, "shell", NULL, NULL);
 	weston_config_section_get_string(s, "cursor-theme", &theme, NULL);
 	weston_config_section_get_int(s, "cursor-size", &size, 32);
diff --git a/man/weston.man b/man/weston.man
index d8d924e4..86ed67be 100644
--- a/man/weston.man
+++ b/man/weston.man
@@ -255,6 +255,15 @@ This allows launching Weston as a nested server.
 For Wayland clients, holds the file descriptor of an open local socket
 to a Wayland server.
 .TP
+.B WESTON_CONFIG_FILE
+Weston sets this variable to the absolute path of the configuration file
+it loads, or to the empty string if no file is used. Programs that use
+.I weston.ini
+will read the file specified by this variable instead, or do not read any
+file if it is empty. Unset variable causes falling back to the default
+name
+.IR weston.ini .
+.TP
 .B XCURSOR_PATH
 Set the list of paths to look for cursors in. It changes both
 libwayland-cursor and libXcursor, so it affects both Wayland and X11 based
diff --git a/shared/config-parser.c b/shared/config-parser.c
index ff6814ce..8519eb68 100644
--- a/shared/config-parser.c
+++ b/shared/config-parser.c
@@ -294,6 +294,18 @@ weston_config_get_libexec_dir(void)
 	return LIBEXECDIR;
 }
 
+const char *
+weston_config_get_name_from_env(void)
+{
+	const char *name;
+
+	name = getenv(WESTON_CONFIG_FILE_ENV_VAR);
+	if (name)
+		return name;
+
+	return "weston.ini";
+}
+
 static struct weston_config_section *
 config_add_section(struct weston_config *config, const char *name)
 {
diff --git a/shared/config-parser.h b/shared/config-parser.h
index 1ecc8cc2..9b766193 100644
--- a/shared/config-parser.h
+++ b/shared/config-parser.h
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
+#define WESTON_CONFIG_FILE_ENV_VAR "WESTON_CONFIG_FILE"
+
 enum config_key_type {
 	CONFIG_KEY_INTEGER,		/* typeof data = int */
 	CONFIG_KEY_UNSIGNED_INTEGER,	/* typeof data = unsigned int */
@@ -95,6 +97,9 @@ weston_config_section_get_bool(struct weston_config_section *section,
 const char *
 weston_config_get_libexec_dir(void);
 
+const char *
+weston_config_get_name_from_env(void);
+
 struct weston_config *
 weston_config_parse(const char *name);
 
diff --git a/src/compositor.c b/src/compositor.c
index 63450389..3a90cce2 100644
--- a/src/compositor.c
+++ b/src/compositor.c
@@ -5215,16 +5215,21 @@ weston_transform_to_string(uint32_t output_transform)
 static int
 load_configuration(struct weston_config **config, int32_t noconfig)
 {
+	const char *full_path;
+
 	*config = NULL;
 
 	if (noconfig == 0)
 		*config = weston_config_parse("weston.ini");
 
 	if (*config) {
-		weston_log("Using config file '%s'\n",
-			   weston_config_get_full_path(*config));
+		full_path = weston_config_get_full_path(*config);
+
+		weston_log("Using config file '%s'\n", full_path);
+		setenv(WESTON_CONFIG_FILE_ENV_VAR, full_path, 1);
 	} else {
 		weston_log("Starting with no config file.\n");
+		setenv(WESTON_CONFIG_FILE_ENV_VAR, "", 1);
 	}
 
 	return 0;