diff --git a/include/common/dir.h b/include/common/dir.h
index ef03b5e7..a9478acc 100644
--- a/include/common/dir.h
+++ b/include/common/dir.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #define LABWC_DIR_H
 
 char *config_dir(void);
+char *config_dir_n(int n);
 
 /**
  * theme_dir - find theme directory containing theme @theme_name
diff --git a/src/common/dir.c b/src/common/dir.c
index 85dfea14..41c230b2 100644
--- a/src/common/dir.c
+++ b/src/common/dir.c
@@ -74,12 +74,12 @@ build_theme_path(struct ctx *ctx, char *prefix, const char *path)
 }
 
 static char *
-find_dir(struct ctx *ctx)
+find_dir(struct ctx *ctx, int n)
 {
 	char *debug = getenv("LABWC_DEBUG_DIR_CONFIG_AND_THEME");
 
 	for (int i = 0; ctx->dirs[i].path; i++) {
-		struct dir d = ctx->dirs[i];
+		struct dir d = ctx->dirs[n != -1 ? n : i];
 		if (!d.prefix) {
 			/* handle /etc/xdg... */
 			ctx->build_path_fn(ctx, NULL, d.path);
@@ -109,6 +109,9 @@ find_dir(struct ctx *ctx)
 			}
 			g_strfreev(prefixes);
 		}
+		if (n != -1) {
+			break;
+		}
 	}
 	/* no directory was found */
 	ctx->buf[0] = '\0';
@@ -128,7 +131,20 @@ config_dir(void)
 		.len = sizeof(buf),
 		.dirs = config_dirs
 	};
-	return find_dir(&ctx);
+	return find_dir(&ctx, -1);
+}
+
+char *
+config_dir_n(int n)
+{
+	char buf[4096] = { 0 };
+	struct ctx ctx = {
+		.build_path_fn = build_config_path,
+		.buf = buf,
+		.len = sizeof(buf),
+		.dirs = config_dirs
+	};
+	return find_dir(&ctx, n);
 }
 
 char *
@@ -142,5 +158,5 @@ theme_dir(const char *theme_name)
 		.dirs = theme_dirs,
 		.theme_name = theme_name
 	};
-	return find_dir(&ctx);
+	return find_dir(&ctx, -1);
 }
diff --git a/src/config/rcxml.c b/src/config/rcxml.c
index 54aacb9c..2df07212 100644
--- a/src/config/rcxml.c
+++ b/src/config/rcxml.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include <wlr/util/box.h>
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
 #include "action.h"
+#include "common/dir.h"
 #include "common/list.h"
 #include "common/macros.h"
 #include "common/mem.h"
@@ -1487,34 +1488,37 @@ rcxml_read(const char *filename)
 	 * the first time. The specified 'filename' is only respected the first
 	 * time.
 	 */
-	if (rcxml[0] == '\0') {
-		find_config_file(rcxml, sizeof(rcxml), filename);
-	}
-	if (rcxml[0] == '\0') {
-		wlr_log(WLR_INFO, "cannot find rc.xml config file");
-		goto no_config;
-	}
-
-	/* Reading file into buffer before parsing - better for unit tests */
-	stream = fopen(rcxml, "r");
-	if (!stream) {
-		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "cannot read (%s)", rcxml);
-		goto no_config;
-	}
-	wlr_log(WLR_INFO, "read config file %s", rcxml);
-	buf_init(&b);
-	while (getline(&line, &len, stream) != -1) {
-		char *p = strrchr(line, '\n');
-		if (p) {
-			*p = '\0';
+	for (int i = 3; i >= 0; i--) {
+		line = NULL;
+		len = 0;
+		if (filename) {
+			sprintf(rcxml, "%s", filename);
+			i = 0;
+		} else {
+			sprintf(rcxml, "%s/rc.xml", config_dir_n(i));
+		}
+		/* Reading file into buffer before parsing - better for unit tests */
+		stream = fopen(rcxml, "r");
+		if (!stream) {
+			wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "cannot read (%s)", rcxml);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+		wlr_log(WLR_INFO, "read config file %s", rcxml);
+		buf_init(&b);
+		while (getline(&line, &len, stream) != -1) {
+			char *p = strrchr(line, '\n');
+			if (p) {
+				*p = '\0';
+			}
+			buf_add(&b, line);
+		}
+		free(line);
+		fclose(stream);
+		rcxml_parse_xml(&b);
+		free(b.buf);
 		}
-		buf_add(&b, line);
 	}
-	free(line);
-	fclose(stream);
-	rcxml_parse_xml(&b);
-	free(b.buf);
-no_config:
 	post_processing();
 	validate();
 }