diff --git a/src/main/java/net/fabricmc/loader/impl/FabricLoaderImpl.java b/src/main/java/net/fabricmc/loader/impl/FabricLoaderImpl.java
index b229c9418..c77b2689c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/fabricmc/loader/impl/FabricLoaderImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/fabricmc/loader/impl/FabricLoaderImpl.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.VisibleForTesting;
 import org.objectweb.asm.Opcodes;
 
@@ -135,7 +136,7 @@ public void setGameProvider(GameProvider provider) {
 
 	private void setGameDir(Path gameDir) {
 		this.gameDir = gameDir.toAbsolutePath().normalize();
-		this.configDir = gameDir.resolve("config");
+		this.configDir = getConfigDirectory0();
 	}
 
 	@Override
@@ -617,9 +618,17 @@ public String[] getLaunchArguments(boolean sanitize) {
 
 	@Override
 	protected Path getModsDirectory0() {
-		String directory = System.getProperty(SystemProperties.MODS_FOLDER);
+		return getConfiguredOrRelativeDirectory(SystemProperties.MODS_FOLDER, "mods");
+	}
+
+	private Path getConfigDirectory0() {
+		return getConfiguredOrRelativeDirectory(SystemProperties.CONFIG_FOLDER, "config");
+	}
+
+	private @NotNull Path getConfiguredOrRelativeDirectory(String systemProperty, String fallbackName) {
+		String directory = System.getProperty(systemProperty);
 
-		return directory != null ? Paths.get(directory) : gameDir.resolve("mods");
+		return directory != null ? Paths.get(directory) : gameDir.resolve(fallbackName);
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/fabricmc/loader/impl/util/SystemProperties.java b/src/main/java/net/fabricmc/loader/impl/util/SystemProperties.java
index dce2e1cb7..d0ea0ce09 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/fabricmc/loader/impl/util/SystemProperties.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/fabricmc/loader/impl/util/SystemProperties.java
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ public final class SystemProperties {
 	public static final String ADD_MODS = "fabric.addMods";
 	// a comma-separated list of mod ids to disable, even if they're discovered. mostly useful for unit testing.
 	public static final String DISABLE_MOD_IDS = "fabric.debug.disableModIds";
+	// a path to a directory to replace the default mod config directory
+	public static final String CONFIG_FOLDER = "fabric.configFolder";
 	// file containing the class path for in-dev runtime mod remapping
 	public static final String REMAP_CLASSPATH_FILE = "fabric.remapClasspathFile";
 	// class path groups to map multiple class path entries to a mod (paths separated by path separator, groups by double path separator)