diff --git a/bin/trytond b/bin/trytond
index ea20af1ab9..a55d02c253 100755
--- a/bin/trytond
+++ b/bin/trytond
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@ def parse_commandline():
 
     parser.epilog = 'The first time a database is initialized with "-i" admin'\
             ' password is read from file defined by TRYTONPASSFILE '\
-            'environment variable or interactively ask user'
+            'environment variable or interactively ask user. '\
+            'The config file can be specified in the TRYTOND_CONFIG '\
+            'environment variable.'
 
     (opt, _) = parser.parse_args()
 
diff --git a/trytond/config.py b/trytond/config.py
index 58c27ee484..417ea584f2 100644
--- a/trytond/config.py
+++ b/trytond/config.py
@@ -108,15 +108,17 @@ class ConfigManager(object):
 
     def update_etc(self, configfile=None):
         if configfile is None:
-            prefixdir = os.path.abspath(os.path.normpath(os.path.join(
-                os.path.dirname(sys.prefix), '..')))
-            configfile = os.path.join(prefixdir, 'etc', 'trytond.conf')
-            if not os.path.isfile(configfile):
-                configdir = os.path.abspath(os.path.normpath(os.path.join(
-                    os.path.dirname(__file__), '..')))
-                configfile = os.path.join(configdir, 'etc', 'trytond.conf')
-            if not os.path.isfile(configfile):
-                configfile = None
+            configfile = os.environ.get('TRYTOND_CONFIG')
+            if not configfile:
+                prefixdir = os.path.abspath(os.path.normpath(os.path.join(
+                    os.path.dirname(sys.prefix), '..')))
+                configfile = os.path.join(prefixdir, 'etc', 'trytond.conf')
+                if not os.path.isfile(configfile):
+                    configdir = os.path.abspath(os.path.normpath(os.path.join(
+                        os.path.dirname(__file__), '..')))
+                    configfile = os.path.join(configdir, 'etc', 'trytond.conf')
+                if not os.path.isfile(configfile):
+                    configfile = None
 
         self.configfile = configfile
         if not self.configfile: