diff --git a/qsettings.cpp b/qsettings.cpp
index 35b3ed4..210dfeb 100644
--- a/qsettings.cpp
+++ b/qtbase/src/corelib/io/qsettings.cpp
@@ -1174,6 +1174,24 @@ QConfFileSettingsPrivate::QConfFileSettingsPrivate(QSettings::Format format,
     if (!application.isEmpty())
         confFiles[F_System | F_Application].reset(QConfFile::fromName(systemPath + appFile, false));
     confFiles[F_System | F_Organization].reset(QConfFile::fromName(systemPath + orgFile, false));
+
+#if !defined(Q_OS_WIN)
+    // Add directories specified in $XDG_CONFIG_DIRS
+    const QString pathEnv = QString::fromLocal8Bit(getenv("XDG_CONFIG_DIRS"));
+    if (!pathEnv.isEmpty()) {
+        const QStringList pathEntries = pathEnv.split(QLatin1Char(':'), QString::SkipEmptyParts);
+        if (!pathEntries.isEmpty()) {
+            int j = 4; // This is the number of confFiles set above -- we need to start adding $XDG_CONFIG_DIRS after those.
+            for (int k = 0; k < pathEntries.size() && j < NumConfFiles - 1; ++k) {
+                const QString& path = pathEntries.at(k);
+                if (!application.isEmpty())
+                    confFiles[j++].reset(QConfFile::fromName(path + QDir::separator() + appFile, false));
+                confFiles[j++].reset(QConfFile::fromName(path + QDir::separator() + orgFile, false));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+#endif
+
 #else
     QString confName = getPath(format, QSettings::UserScope) + org;
     if (!application.isEmpty())
diff --git a/qsettings_p.h b/qsettings_p.h
index a28b583..b2a240d 100644
--- a/qsettings_p.h
+++ b/qtbase/src/corelib/io/qsettings_p.h
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ public:
         F_Organization = 0x1,
         F_User = 0x0,
         F_System = 0x2,
-        NumConfFiles = 4
+        NumConfFiles = 40 // HACK: increase NumConfFiles from 4 to 40 in order to accommodate more paths in $XDG_CONFIG_DIRS -- ellis
 #else
         SandboxConfFile = 0,
         NumConfFiles = 1