diff --git a/src/panel/plugin/plugin-manager.c b/src/panel/plugin/plugin-manager.c
index 1f0d32d60..2f46cee6e 100644
--- a/src/panel/plugin/plugin-manager.c
+++ b/src/panel/plugin/plugin-manager.c
@@ -115,12 +115,26 @@ static void budgie_panel_plugin_manager_init(BudgiePanelPluginManager *self) {
 	}
 
 	/* System path */
-	peas_engine_add_search_path(self->engine, BUDGIE_MODULE_DIRECTORY, BUDGIE_MODULE_DATA_DIRECTORY);
+	const gchar* libdir = NULL;
+	const gchar* datadir = NULL;
+	libdir = g_getenv("BUDGIE_PLUGIN_LIBDIR");
+	if (libdir != NULL) {
+		g_debug("BUDGIE_PLUGIN_LIBDIR is set to %s", libdir);
+	} else {
+		g_debug("BUDGIE_PLUGIN_LIBDIR is unset, defaulting to %s", BUDGIE_MODULE_DIRECTORY);
+		libdir = BUDGIE_MODULE_DIRECTORY;
+	}
 
-	if (BUDGIE_HAS_SECONDARY_PLUGIN_DIRS) {
-		peas_engine_add_search_path(self->engine, BUDGIE_MODULE_DIRECTORY_SECONDARY, BUDGIE_MODULE_DATA_DIRECTORY_SECONDARY);
+	datadir = g_getenv("BUDGIE_PLUGIN_DATADIR");
+	if (datadir != NULL) {
+		g_debug("BUDGIE_PLUGIN_DATADIR is set to %s", datadir);
+	} else {
+		g_debug("BUDGIE_PLUGIN_DATADIR is unset, defaulting to %s", BUDGIE_MODULE_DATA_DIRECTORY);
+		datadir = BUDGIE_MODULE_DATA_DIRECTORY;
 	}
 
+	peas_engine_add_search_path(self->engine, libdir, datadir);
+
 	/* User path */
 	user_data_dir = g_get_user_data_dir();
 	user_mod_dir = g_build_path(G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S, user_data_dir, "budgie-desktop", "plugins", NULL);
diff --git a/src/raven/plugin_manager.vala b/src/raven/plugin_manager.vala
index 1ff139c9a..809b9b82a 100644
--- a/src/raven/plugin_manager.vala
+++ b/src/raven/plugin_manager.vala
@@ -51,11 +51,24 @@ namespace Budgie {
 
 			/* System path */
 			var dir = Environment.get_user_data_dir();
-			engine.add_search_path(Budgie.RAVEN_PLUGIN_LIBDIR, Budgie.RAVEN_PLUGIN_DATADIR);
-			if (Budgie.HAS_SECONDARY_PLUGIN_DIRS) {
-				engine.add_search_path(Budgie.RAVEN_PLUGIN_LIBDIR_SECONDARY, Budgie.RAVEN_PLUGIN_DATADIR_SECONDARY);
+			var libdir = Environment.get_variable("RAVEN_PLUGIN_LIBDIR");
+			if (libdir != null) {
+				debug("RAVEN_PLUGIN_LIBDIR is set to %s", libdir);
+			} else {
+				debug("RAVEN_PLUGIN_LIBDIR is unset, defaulting to %s", Budgie.RAVEN_PLUGIN_LIBDIR);
+				libdir = Budgie.RAVEN_PLUGIN_LIBDIR;
 			}
 
+			var datadir = Environment.get_variable("RAVEN_PLUGIN_DATADIR");
+			if (datadir != null) {
+				debug("RAVEN_PLUGIN_DATADIR is set to %s", datadir);
+			} else {
+				debug("RAVEN_PLUGIN_DATADIR is unset, defaulting to %s", Budgie.RAVEN_PLUGIN_DATADIR);
+				datadir = Budgie.RAVEN_PLUGIN_DATADIR;
+ 			}
+
+			engine.add_search_path(libdir, datadir);
+
 			/* User path */
 			var user_mod = Path.build_path(Path.DIR_SEPARATOR_S, dir, "budgie-desktop", "raven-plugins");
 			var hdata = Path.build_path(Path.DIR_SEPARATOR_S, dir, "budgie-desktop", "raven-data");