diff --git a/legacy/elementary/configure.ac b/legacy/elementary/configure.ac
index abc2c29d68..bcf85e2d36 100644
--- a/legacy/elementary/configure.ac
+++ b/legacy/elementary/configure.ac
@@ -684,6 +684,14 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_PO], [test "x${have_po}" = "xyes"])
 
 EFL_CHECK_PATH_MAX
 
+elementary_base_dir=".elementary"
+AC_ARG_WITH([elementary-base-dir],
+   [AC_HELP_STRING([--with-elementary-base-dir=PATH], [specify the subdirectory for all elementary data @<:@default=${elementary_base_dir}@:>@])],
+   [elementary_base_dir=${withval}],
+   [elementary_base_dir=".elementary"])
+
+AC_MSG_NOTICE([ELEMENTARY_BASE_DIR set to ${elementary_base_dir}])
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(ELEMENTARY_BASE_DIR, "${elementary_base_dir}", "subdirectory for all elementary data")
 
 ### Build and install examples
 EFL_CHECK_BUILD_EXAMPLES([enable_build_examples="yes"], [enable_build_examples="no"])
diff --git a/legacy/elementary/src/lib/elm_config.c b/legacy/elementary/src/lib/elm_config.c
index ba922bcf03..3e273cc990 100644
--- a/legacy/elementary/src/lib/elm_config.c
+++ b/legacy/elementary/src/lib/elm_config.c
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ _elm_user_dir_snprintf(char       *dst,
      home = "/";
 
    user_dir_len = eina_str_join_len(dst, size, '/', home, strlen(home),
-                                    ".elementary", sizeof(".elementary") - 1);
+                                    ELEMENTARY_BASE_DIR, sizeof(ELEMENTARY_BASE_DIR) - 1);
 
    off = user_dir_len + 1;
    if (off >= size)
diff --git a/legacy/elementary/src/lib/elm_module.c b/legacy/elementary/src/lib/elm_module.c
index 4b67b52eb9..396e9de7dc 100644
--- a/legacy/elementary/src/lib/elm_module.c
+++ b/legacy/elementary/src/lib/elm_module.c
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ _elm_module_load(Elm_Module *m)
    home = getenv("HOME");
    if (home)
      {
-        snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/.elementary/modules/%s/%s/module" EFL_SHARED_EXTENSION, home, m->name, MODULE_ARCH);
+        snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/"ELEMENTARY_BASE_DIR"/modules/%s/%s/module" EFL_SHARED_EXTENSION, home, m->name, MODULE_ARCH);
         m->module = eina_module_new(buf);
         if (m->module && eina_module_load (m->module) == EINA_TRUE)
           {
@@ -124,9 +124,9 @@ _elm_module_load(Elm_Module *m)
                {
                   m->shutdown_func = eina_module_symbol_get(m->module, "elm_modapi_shutdown");
                   m->so_path = eina_stringshare_add(buf);
-                  snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/.elementary/modules/%s/%s", home, m->name, MODULE_ARCH);
+                  snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/"ELEMENTARY_BASE_DIR"/modules/%s/%s", home, m->name, MODULE_ARCH);
                   m->bin_dir = eina_stringshare_add(buf);
-                  snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/.elementary/modules/%s", home, m->name);
+                  snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/"ELEMENTARY_BASE_DIR"/modules/%s", home, m->name);
                   m->data_dir = eina_stringshare_add(buf);
                }
              else
diff --git a/legacy/elementary/src/lib/elm_theme.c b/legacy/elementary/src/lib/elm_theme.c
index 7747d54b1a..06f340530a 100644
--- a/legacy/elementary/src/lib/elm_theme.c
+++ b/legacy/elementary/src/lib/elm_theme.c
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ _elm_theme_theme_element_try(Elm_Theme *th, const char *home, const char *f, con
         snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/%s", home, f + 2);
         return _elm_theme_find_try(th, buf, group);
      }
-   snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/.elementary/themes/%s.edj", home, f);
+   snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/"ELEMENTARY_BASE_DIR"/themes/%s.edj", home, f);
    file = _elm_theme_find_try(th, buf, group);
    if (file) return file;
    snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/themes/%s.edj", _elm_data_dir, f);
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ _elm_theme_theme_data_try(Elm_Theme *th, const char *home, const char *f, const
         snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/%s", home, f + 2);
         return _elm_theme_find_try(th, buf, key);
      }
-   snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/.elementary/themes/%s.edj", home, f);
+   snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/"ELEMENTARY_BASE_DIR"/themes/%s.edj", home, f);
    data = _elm_theme_find_data_try(th, buf, key);
    if (data) return data;
    snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/themes/%s.edj", _elm_data_dir, f);
@@ -544,7 +544,7 @@ elm_theme_list_item_path_get(const char *f, Eina_Bool *in_search_path)
         snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/%s", home, f + 2);
         return strdup(buf);
      }
-   snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/.elementary/themes/%s.edj", home, f);
+   snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/"ELEMENTARY_BASE_DIR"/themes/%s.edj", home, f);
    if (ecore_file_exists(buf))
      {
         if (in_search_path) *in_search_path = EINA_TRUE;
@@ -616,11 +616,11 @@ elm_theme_name_available_list_new(void)
         if (!home) home = "";
      }
 
-   snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/.elementary/themes", home);
+   snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/"ELEMENTARY_BASE_DIR"/themes", home);
    dir = ecore_file_ls(buf);
    EINA_LIST_FREE(dir, file)
      {
-        snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/.elementary/themes/%s", home, file);
+        snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/"ELEMENTARY_BASE_DIR"/themes/%s", home, file);
         if ((!ecore_file_is_dir(buf)) && (ecore_file_size(buf) > 0))
           {
              s = strchr(file, '.');