diff --git a/doc/man/es/mc.1.in b/doc/man/es/mc.1.in
index 30165fdf0..2f07a0be8 100644
--- a/doc/man/es/mc.1.in
+++ b/doc/man/es/mc.1.in
@@ -4258,10 +4258,10 @@ personal o de sistema.
 .PP
 Para cambiar el directorio de incio de MC se puede utilizar la variable de
 entorno
-.BR MC_HOME .
-El valor de MC_HOME tiene que ser una ruta absoluta. Si MC_HOME no existe o
-está vacía se usa la variable HOME. Si HOME no existe o está vacía se recurre
-a la biblioteca GLib para obtener los directorios de MC.
+.BR MC_PROFILE_ROOT .
+El valor de MC_PROFILE_ROOT tiene que ser una ruta absoluta. Si MC_PROFILE_ROOT
+no existe o está vacía se usa la variable HOME. Si HOME no existe o está vacía
+se recurre a la biblioteca GLib para obtener los directorios de MC.
 .\"SKIP_SECTION"
 .SH "LICENCIA"
 Este programa se distribuye en los términos que recoge la Licencia Pública
diff --git a/doc/man/hu/mc.1.in b/doc/man/hu/mc.1.in
index 2a67463c0..229928250 100644
--- a/doc/man/hu/mc.1.in
+++ b/doc/man/hu/mc.1.in
@@ -3242,10 +3242,10 @@ Helyi felhasználó által definiált menü. Ha ez a fájl létezik, ezt
 használja a home, vagy rendszerszintű alkalmazás menü helyett.
 .PP
 To change default home directory of MC, you can use 
-.BR MC_HOME
-environment variable. The value of MC_HOME must be an absolute path. If MC_HOME
-is unset or empty, HOME variable is used. If HOME is unset or empty, MC
-directories are get from GLib library.
+.BR MC_PROFILE_ROOT
+environment variable. The value of MC_PROFILE_ROOT must be an absolute path.
+If MC_PROFILE_ROOT is unset or empty, HOME variable is used. If HOME is unset
+or empty, MC directories are get from GLib library.
 .\"NODE "AVAILABILITY"
 .SH "A Midnight Commander frissítése"
 A program legutolsó verzióját az ftp.nuclecu.unam.mx címen a
diff --git a/doc/man/it/mc.1.in b/doc/man/it/mc.1.in
index e549f19ea..cbe9a2e7e 100644
--- a/doc/man/it/mc.1.in
+++ b/doc/man/it/mc.1.in
@@ -3231,10 +3231,10 @@ Menu locale definito dall'utente. Se questo file è presente viene usato
 al posto del menu delle applicazioni utente o di sistema.
 .PP
 To change default home directory of MC, you can use 
-.BR MC_HOME
-environment variable. The value of MC_HOME must be an absolute path. If MC_HOME
-is unset or empty, HOME variable is used. If HOME is unset or empty, MC
-directories are get from GLib library.
+.BR MC_PROFILE_ROOT
+environment variable. The value of MC_PROFILE_ROOT must be an absolute path.
+If MC_PROFILE_ROOT is unset or empty, HOME variable is used. If HOME is unset
+or empty, MC directories are get from GLib library.
 .\"SKIP_SECTION"
 .SH "LICENZA"
 Questo programma è distribuito sotto i termini della Licenza Generale
diff --git a/doc/man/mc.1.in b/doc/man/mc.1.in
index 1d6cb16de..b63223e86 100644
--- a/doc/man/mc.1.in
+++ b/doc/man/mc.1.in
@@ -4341,10 +4341,10 @@ Local user\-defined menu. If this file is present, it is used instead of
 the home or system\-wide applications menu.
 .PP
 To change default root directory of MC, you can use
-.BR MC_HOME
-environment variable. The value of MC_HOME must be an absolute path. If MC_HOME
-is unset or empty, HOME variable is used. If HOME is unset or empty, MC
-directories are get from GLib library.
+.BR MC_PROFILE_ROOT
+environment variable. The value of MC_PROFILE_ROOT must be an absolute path.
+If MC_PROFILE_ROOT is unset or empty, HOME variable is used. If HOME is unset
+or empty, MC directories are get from GLib library.
 .\"SKIP_SECTION"
 .SH "LICENSE"
 This program is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public
diff --git a/doc/man/pl/mc.1.in b/doc/man/pl/mc.1.in
index 4d7018d54..89085fbf4 100644
--- a/doc/man/pl/mc.1.in
+++ b/doc/man/pl/mc.1.in
@@ -2939,10 +2939,10 @@ Lokalny plik zdefiniowany przez użytkownika. Jeśli ten plik jest dostępny,
 jest używany zamiast pliku w katalogu domowym i ogólnosystemowego.
 .PP
 To change default home directory of MC, you can use 
-.BR MC_HOME
-environment variable. The value of MC_HOME must be an absolute path. If MC_HOME
-is unset or empty, HOME variable is used. If HOME is unset or empty, MC
-directories are get from GLib library.
+.BR MC_PROFILE_ROOT
+environment variable. The value of MC_PROFILE_ROOT must be an absolute path.
+If MC_PROFILE_ROOT is unset or empty, HOME variable is used. If HOME is unset
+or empty, MC directories are get from GLib library.
 .\"SKIP_SECTION"
 .SH LICENCJA
 Program jest dystrybuowany na zasadach licencji GNU General Public License
diff --git a/doc/man/ru/mc.1.in b/doc/man/ru/mc.1.in
index f50aec653..ebe017fd0 100644
--- a/doc/man/ru/mc.1.in
+++ b/doc/man/ru/mc.1.in
@@ -4727,8 +4727,8 @@ Commander; используется только в тех случаях, ко
 .PP
 Для того, чтобы изменить корневой каталог MC, установленный по умолчанию,
 можно использовать переменную окружения
-.BR MC_HOME .
-Значением этой переменный должен быть абсолютный путь. Если переменная MC_HOME
+.BR MC_PROFILE_ROOT .
+Значением этой переменный должен быть абсолютный путь. Если переменная MC_PROFILE_ROOT
 не определена или пуста, используется переменная окружения HOME. Если и HOME
 не определена или пуста, каталоги MC определяются средствами библиотеки GLib.
 .\"SKIP_SECTION"
diff --git a/lib/mcconfig/paths.c b/lib/mcconfig/paths.c
index 7c3462234..cccdf8b39 100644
--- a/lib/mcconfig/paths.c
+++ b/lib/mcconfig/paths.c
@@ -51,9 +51,6 @@ static char *mc_config_str = NULL;
 static char *mc_cache_str = NULL;
 static char *mc_data_str = NULL;
 
-/* value of $MC_HOME */
-static const char *mc_home = NULL;
-
 static gboolean config_dir_present = FALSE;
 
 static const struct
@@ -285,6 +282,7 @@ mc_config_deprecated_dir_present (void)
 void
 mc_config_init_config_paths (GError ** mcerror)
 {
+    const char *profile_root;
     char *dir;
 #if MC_HOMEDIR_XDG == 0
     char *defined_userconf_dir;
@@ -295,21 +293,27 @@ mc_config_init_config_paths (GError ** mcerror)
     if (xdg_vars_initialized)
         return;
 
-    /* init mc_home if not yet */
-    (void) mc_config_get_home_dir ();
+    profile_root = mc_get_profile_root ();
 
 #if MC_HOMEDIR_XDG
-    if (mc_home != NULL)
+    if (strcmp (profile_root, mc_config_get_home_dir ()) != 0)
     {
-        dir = g_build_filename (mc_home, ".config", (char *) NULL);
+        /*
+         * The user overrode the default profile root.
+         *
+         * In this case we can't use GLib's g_get_user_{config,cache,data}_dir()
+         * as these functions use the user's home dir as the root.
+         */
+
+        dir = g_build_filename (profile_root, ".config", (char *) NULL);
         mc_config_str = mc_config_init_one_config_path (dir, MC_USERCONF_DIR, mcerror);
         g_free (dir);
 
-        dir = g_build_filename (mc_home, ".cache", (char *) NULL);
+        dir = g_build_filename (profile_root, ".cache", (char *) NULL);
         mc_cache_str = mc_config_init_one_config_path (dir, MC_USERCONF_DIR, mcerror);
         g_free (dir);
 
-        dir = g_build_filename (mc_home, ".local", "share", (char *) NULL);
+        dir = g_build_filename (profile_root, ".local", "share", (char *) NULL);
         mc_data_str = mc_config_init_one_config_path (dir, MC_USERCONF_DIR, mcerror);
         g_free (dir);
     }
@@ -331,7 +335,7 @@ mc_config_init_config_paths (GError ** mcerror)
     else
     {
         g_free (defined_userconf_dir);
-        dir = g_build_filename (mc_config_get_home_dir (), MC_USERCONF_DIR, (char *) NULL);
+        dir = g_build_filename (profile_root, MC_USERCONF_DIR, (char *) NULL);
     }
 
     mc_data_str = mc_cache_str = mc_config_str = mc_config_init_one_config_path (dir, "", mcerror);
@@ -393,15 +397,11 @@ mc_config_get_home_dir (void)
 
     if (homedir == NULL)
     {
-        homedir = g_getenv ("MC_HOME");
         /* Prior to GLib 2.36, g_get_home_dir() ignores $HOME, which is why
          * we read it ourselves. As that function's documentation explains,
          * using $HOME is good for compatibility with other programs and
          * for running from test frameworks. */
-        if (homedir == NULL || *homedir == '\0')
-            homedir = g_getenv ("HOME");
-        else
-            mc_home = homedir;
+        homedir = g_getenv ("HOME");
         if (homedir == NULL || *homedir == '\0')
             homedir = g_get_home_dir ();
     }
diff --git a/lib/util.c b/lib/util.c
index 304351ddd..2112e2dfe 100644
--- a/lib/util.c
+++ b/lib/util.c
@@ -1418,6 +1418,30 @@ guess_message_value (void)
     return g_strdup (locale);
 }
 
+/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+/**
+ * The "profile root" is the tree under which all of MC's user data &
+ * settings are stored.
+ *
+ * It defaults to the user's home dir. The user may override this default
+ * with the environment variable $MC_PROFILE_ROOT.
+ */
+const char *
+mc_get_profile_root (void)
+{
+    static const char *profile_root = NULL;
+
+    if (profile_root == NULL)
+    {
+        profile_root = g_getenv ("MC_PROFILE_ROOT");
+        if (profile_root == NULL || *profile_root == '\0')
+            profile_root = mc_config_get_home_dir ();
+    }
+
+    return profile_root;
+}
+
 /* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 /**
  * Propagate error in simple way.
diff --git a/lib/util.h b/lib/util.h
index af4022ee7..6b986a3fd 100644
--- a/lib/util.h
+++ b/lib/util.h
@@ -249,6 +249,8 @@ char *guess_message_value (void);
 char *mc_build_filename (const char *first_element, ...);
 char *mc_build_filenamev (const char *first_element, va_list args);
 
+const char *mc_get_profile_root (void);
+
 /* *INDENT-OFF* */
 void mc_propagate_error (GError ** dest, int code, const char *format, ...) G_GNUC_PRINTF (3, 4);
 void mc_replace_error (GError ** dest, int code, const char *format, ...) G_GNUC_PRINTF (3, 4);
diff --git a/src/textconf.c b/src/textconf.c
index d6ee6717e..d48f17e44 100644
--- a/src/textconf.c
+++ b/src/textconf.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "lib/global.h"
 #include "lib/fileloc.h"
 #include "lib/mcconfig.h"
+#include "lib/util.h"           /* mc_get_profile_root() */
 
 #include "src/textconf.h"
 
@@ -180,7 +181,8 @@ show_version (void)
 void
 show_datadirs_extended (void)
 {
-    (void) printf ("%s %s\n", _("Root directory:"), mc_config_get_home_dir ());
+    (void) printf ("%s %s\n", _("Home directory:"), mc_config_get_home_dir ());
+    (void) printf ("%s %s\n", _("Profile root directory:"), mc_get_profile_root ());
     (void) puts ("");
 
     PRINTF_GROUP (_("System data"));