diff --git a/src/nemo-python.c b/src/nemo-python.c
index 8d2acdb..900811b 100644
--- a/src/nemo-python.c
+++ b/src/nemo-python.c
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@ nemo_module_initialize(GTypeModule *module)
 {
 	gchar *user_extensions_dir;
 	const gchar *env_string;
+	const gchar *python_extensiondir;
 
 	env_string = g_getenv("NEMO_PYTHON_DEBUG");
 	if (env_string != NULL)
@@ -269,8 +270,12 @@ nemo_module_initialize(GTypeModule *module)
 
 	all_types = g_array_new(FALSE, FALSE, sizeof(GType));
 
-	// Look in the new global path, $DATADIR/nemo-python/extensions
-	nemo_python_load_dir(module, PYTHON_EXTENSION_DIR);
+	// Look in NEMO_PYTHON_EXTENSION_DIR
+	python_extensiondir = g_getenv("NEMO_PYTHON_EXTENSION_DIR");
+	if (python_extensiondir == NULL) {
+		python_extensiondir = PYTHON_EXTENSION_DIR;
+	}
+	nemo_python_load_dir(module, python_extensiondir);
 
 	// Look in XDG_DATA_DIR, ~/.local/share/nemo-python/extensions
 	user_extensions_dir = g_build_filename(g_get_user_data_dir(),