diff --git a/admin/administrate.py b/admin/administrate.py
index 3469bbd..5761ad0 100755
--- a/admin/administrate.py
+++ b/admin/administrate.py
@@ -22,13 +22,20 @@ def debugExec(commands):
 
 
 # @TODO hardcoded config?
-cwd = os.getcwd() + "/applicationsconfig.ini"
+cwd = os.environ.get('TILDE_CONF')
+if cwd is None:
+  cwd=os.getcwd()+"/applicationsconfig.ini"
+else:
+  if os.path.isfile(cwd) is False:
+    cwd=os.getcwd()+"/applicationsconfig.ini"
+# cwd is now either cwd/applicationsconfig or $TILDE_CONF
 argparser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description = 'interactive registration formular for tilde platforms')
 argparser.add_argument('-c', '--config', default = cwd, 
       type = str, help = 'Path to configuration file', required = False)
 args = argparser.parse_args()
 
 
+
 CONF_FILE = args.config
 config = configparser.ConfigParser()
 config.read(CONF_FILE)
diff --git a/application/userapplication.py b/application/userapplication.py
index 24c60a6..e1c8f06 100755
--- a/application/userapplication.py
+++ b/application/userapplication.py
@@ -2,12 +2,19 @@
 
 import re, configparser, logging, sqlite3, argparse
 from os import getcwd
-
+from os import environ
+from os import path as ospath
 import re, configparser, logging, sqlite3
 
 
 try:
-  cwd=getcwd()+"/applicationsconfig.ini"
+  cwd = environ.get('TILDE_CONF')
+  if cwd is None:
+    cwd=getcwd()+"/applicationsconfig.ini"
+  else:
+    if ospath.isfile(cwd) is False:
+      cwd=getcwd()+"/applicationsconfig.ini"
+# cwd is now either cwd/applicationsconfig or $TILDE_CONF
   argparser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='interactive registration formular for tilde platforms')
   argparser.add_argument('-c', '--config', default=cwd, type=str, help='Config file', required=False)
   args = argparser.parse_args()