diff --git a/common/SC_Filesystem_unix.cpp b/common/SC_Filesystem_unix.cpp
index 52dc1fd2d..aae09ed9c 100644
--- a/common/SC_Filesystem_unix.cpp
+++ b/common/SC_Filesystem_unix.cpp
@@ -94,6 +94,10 @@ bool SC_Filesystem::isNonHostPlatformDirectoryName(const std::string& s) {
 }
 
 Path SC_Filesystem::defaultSystemAppSupportDirectory() {
+    const char* sc_data_dir = getenv("SC_DATA_DIR");
+    if (sc_data_dir)
+        return Path(sc_data_dir);
+
 #    ifdef SC_DATA_DIR
     return Path(SC_DATA_DIR);
 #    else
@@ -125,6 +129,10 @@ Path SC_Filesystem::defaultUserConfigDirectory() {
 }
 
 Path SC_Filesystem::defaultResourceDirectory() {
+    const char* sc_data_dir = getenv("SC_DATA_DIR");
+    if (sc_data_dir)
+        return Path(sc_data_dir);
+
 #    ifdef SC_DATA_DIR
     return Path(SC_DATA_DIR);
 #    else
diff --git a/server/scsynth/SC_Lib_Cintf.cpp b/server/scsynth/SC_Lib_Cintf.cpp
index f6219307e..28e13eb98 100644
--- a/server/scsynth/SC_Lib_Cintf.cpp
+++ b/server/scsynth/SC_Lib_Cintf.cpp
@@ -178,9 +178,13 @@ void initialize_library(const char* uGensPluginPath) {
     using DirName = SC_Filesystem::DirName;
 
     if (loadUGensExtDirs) {
+        const char* sc_plugin_dir = getenv("SC_PLUGIN_DIR");
+        if (sc_plugin_dir) {
+            PlugIn_LoadDir(sc_plugin_dir, true);
+        }
 #ifdef SC_PLUGIN_DIR
         // load globally installed plugins
-        if (bfs::is_directory(SC_PLUGIN_DIR)) {
+        else if (bfs::is_directory(SC_PLUGIN_DIR)) {
             PlugIn_LoadDir(SC_PLUGIN_DIR, true);
         }
 #endif // SC_PLUGIN_DIR
diff --git a/server/supernova/server/main.cpp b/server/supernova/server/main.cpp
index b2b5adf4e..6cb8c411c 100644
--- a/server/supernova/server/main.cpp
+++ b/server/supernova/server/main.cpp
@@ -224,8 +224,14 @@ void set_plugin_paths(server_arguments const& args, nova::sc_ugen_factory* facto
             }
         }
     } else {
+        const char* sc_plugin_dir = getenv("SC_PLUGIN_DIR");
+        if (sc_plugin_dir) {
+            factory->load_plugin_folder(sc_plugin_dir);
+        }
 #ifdef SC_PLUGIN_DIR
-        factory->load_plugin_folder(SC_PLUGIN_DIR);
+        else {
+            factory->load_plugin_folder(SC_PLUGIN_DIR);
+        }
 #endif
         factory->load_plugin_folder(SC_Filesystem::instance().getDirectory(DirName::Resource) / SC_PLUGIN_DIR_NAME);
         factory->load_plugin_folder(SC_Filesystem::instance().getDirectory(DirName::SystemExtension));