diff --git a/afew/Settings.py b/afew/Settings.py
index 44d6f3c..89a52b5 100644
--- a/afew/Settings.py
+++ b/afew/Settings.py
@@ -9,17 +9,14 @@
 from afew.configparser import ConfigParser
 from afew.FilterRegistry import all_filters
 
-user_config_dir = os.path.join(os.environ.get('XDG_CONFIG_HOME',
-                                              os.path.expanduser('~/.config')),
-                               'afew')
-user_config_dir = os.path.expandvars(user_config_dir)
+user_config_dir = None
+settings = None
 
-settings = ConfigParser()
-# preserve the capitalization of the keys.
-settings.optionxform = str
 
-settings.readfp(open(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'defaults', 'afew.config')))
-settings.read(os.path.join(user_config_dir, 'config'))
+default_user_config_dir = os.path.join(os.environ.get('XDG_CONFIG_HOME',
+                                              os.path.expanduser('~/.config')),
+                               'afew')
+default_user_config_dir = os.path.expandvars(default_user_config_dir)
 
 # All the values for keys listed here are interpreted as ;-delimited lists
 value_is_a_list = ['tags', 'tags_blacklist']
@@ -28,6 +25,21 @@
 section_re = re.compile(r'^(?P<name>[a-z_][a-z0-9_]*)(\((?P<parent_class>[a-z_][a-z0-9_]*)\)|\.(?P<index>\d+))?$', re.I)
 
 
+def parse_settings(argument_user_config_dir = None):
+    global user_config_dir, settings
+
+    if not argument_user_config_dir:
+        argument_user_config_dir = default_user_config_dir
+    user_config_dir = argument_user_config_dir
+    
+    settings = ConfigParser()
+    # preserve the capitalization of the keys.
+    settings.optionxform = str
+
+    settings.readfp(open(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'defaults', 'afew.config')))
+    settings.read(os.path.join(user_config_dir, 'config'))
+
+
 def get_filter_chain(database):
     filter_chain = []
 
diff --git a/afew/commands.py b/afew/commands.py
index 6048592..12caf23 100644
--- a/afew/commands.py
+++ b/afew/commands.py
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@
 from afew.Database import Database
 from afew.main import main as inner_main
 from afew.FilterRegistry import all_filters
-from afew.Settings import user_config_dir, get_filter_chain, \
-    get_mail_move_rules, get_mail_move_age, get_mail_move_rename
+from afew.Settings import default_user_config_dir, user_config_dir, \
+    parse_settings, get_filter_chain, get_mail_move_rules, \
+    get_mail_move_age, get_mail_move_rename
 from afew.NotmuchSettings import read_notmuch_settings, get_notmuch_new_query
 from afew.version import version
 
@@ -54,6 +55,10 @@
 
 # general options
 options_group = parser.add_argument_group('General options')
+options_group.add_argument(
+    '-c', '--config', default=default_user_config_dir,
+    help="path to directory containing afew's config [default: %(default)s]"
+)
 # TODO: get config via notmuch api
 options_group.add_argument(
     '-C', '--notmuch-config', default=None,
@@ -114,6 +119,7 @@ def main():
     elif no_query_modifiers > 1:
         sys.exit('Please specify either --all, --new or a query string')
 
+    parse_settings(args.config)
     read_notmuch_settings(args.notmuch_config)
 
     if args.new: