diff --git a/src/viced/host.c b/src/viced/host.c
index 6eadd5b25c..87f12b32a9 100644
--- a/src/viced/host.c
+++ b/src/viced/host.c
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ extern int LogLevel;
 extern struct afsconf_dir *confDir;	/* config dir object */
 extern int lwps;		/* the max number of server threads */
 extern afsUUID FS_HostUUID;
+extern char *FS_configPath;
 
 afsUUID nulluuid;
 int CEs = 0;			/* active clients */
@@ -266,9 +267,11 @@ hpr_Initialize(struct ubik_client **uclient)
     afs_int32 i;
     char cellstr[64];
 
-    tdir = afsconf_Open(AFSDIR_SERVER_ETC_DIRPATH);
+    tdir = afsconf_Open(FS_configPath);
     if (!tdir) {
-	ViceLog(0, ("hpr_Initialize: Could not open configuration directory: %s", AFSDIR_SERVER_ETC_DIRPATH));
+	ViceLog(0,
+		("hpr_Initialize: Could not open configuration directory: %s",
+		 FS_configPath));
 	return -1;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/viced/viced.c b/src/viced/viced.c
index 9a406e4fcf..982aad2c2f 100644
--- a/src/viced/viced.c
+++ b/src/viced/viced.c
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ pthread_key_t viced_uclient_key;
 #define ADDRSPERSITE 16		/* Same global is in rx/rx_user.c */
 
 char FS_HostName[128] = "localhost";
+char *FS_configPath = NULL;
 afs_uint32 FS_HostAddr_NBO;
 afs_uint32 FS_HostAddr_HBO;
 afs_uint32 FS_HostAddrs[ADDRSPERSITE], FS_HostAddr_cnt = 0, FS_registered = 0;
@@ -1835,10 +1836,12 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	exit(1);
     }
 #endif
-    confDir = afsconf_Open(AFSDIR_SERVER_ETC_DIRPATH);
+    FS_configPath = strdup(AFSDIR_SERVER_ETC_DIRPATH);
+
+    confDir = afsconf_Open(FS_configPath);
     if (!confDir) {
 	fprintf(stderr, "Unable to open config directory %s\n",
-		AFSDIR_SERVER_ETC_DIRPATH);
+		FS_configPath);
 	exit(-1);
     }