diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index b226f31..3d2c1b4 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ from timeout import checkForClientTimeout
 from relsignals import checkReliableSignals
 from mandir import checkForUserMandir
 from mandir import autodetectMandir
+from sysconfdir import checkForUserSysconfdir
 
 conf = Configure(env,{'checkForCCOption':checkForCCOption,
                       'MAINTAINER_MODE':checkForMaintainerMode,
@@ -67,7 +68,8 @@ conf = Configure(env,{'checkForCCOption':checkForCCOption,
 		      'checkForClientTimeout':checkForClientTimeout,
 		      'checkReliableSignals':checkReliableSignals,
 		      'checkForUserMandir':checkForUserMandir,
-		      'autodetectMandir':autodetectMandir
+		      'autodetectMandir':autodetectMandir,
+		      'checkForUserSysconfdir':checkForUserSysconfdir
 		      })
 # check for CC options
 for option in Split("""
@@ -128,7 +130,7 @@ if conf.checkReliableSignals():
     conf.env.Append(CPPFLAGS = '-DRELIABLE_SIGNALS')
 conf.checkForLockPrefix()
 PREFIX=conf.checkPrefix(PREFIX)
-conf.env.Append(CPPFLAGS = '-DSYSCONFDIR=\\"'+PREFIX+'/etc\\"')
+conf.checkForUserSysconfdir(PREFIX)
 MANDIR=conf.autodetectMandir(PREFIX)
 conf.checkForUserMandir(MANDIR)
 EFENCE = conf.MAINTAINER_MODE()
diff --git a/site_scons/sysconfdir.py b/site_scons/sysconfdir.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3270e07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site_scons/sysconfdir.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#
+# SCons user-supplied sysconfdir configuration
+#
+# Version 1.0
+# 27-Aug-2009
+#
+
+from SCons.Script import ARGUMENTS
+
+def checkForUserSysconfdir(conf,prefix):
+    """Returns sysconfdir specified on command line or prefix/etc if none is supplied."""
+    conf.Message("Checking for user supplied sysconfdir... ")
+    lp = ARGUMENTS.get('sysconfdir', 0)
+
+    if lp:
+       conf.Result(1)
+    else:
+       conf.Result(0)
+       lp=prefix+'/etc'
+       
+    conf.env.Append(CPPFLAGS = '-DSYSCONFDIR=\\"'+lp+'\\"')
+    return lp