diff --git a/man/pipewire.conf.5.xml.in b/man/pipewire.conf.5.xml.in
index 14c2f582d..ee3a15130 100644
--- a/man/pipewire.conf.5.xml.in
+++ b/man/pipewire.conf.5.xml.in
@@ -21,8 +21,9 @@ This file is part of PipeWire.
     file.</p>
 
     <p>The config file in the default location is used but the
-    environment variable PIPEWIRE_CONFIG_FILE can be used to specify
-    an alternative config file.</p>
+    environment variables PIPEWIRE_CONFIG_DIR, PIPEWIRE_CONFIG_PREFIX
+    and PIPEWIRE_CONFIG_NAME can be used to specify an alternative config
+    directory, subdirectory and file respectively.</p>
   </description>
 
   <section name="General Commands">
diff --git a/src/pipewire/context.c b/src/pipewire/context.c
index 1f3580519..da3b29c89 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/context.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/context.c
@@ -199,7 +199,9 @@ struct pw_context *pw_context_new(struct pw_loop *main_loop,
 		goto error_free;
 	}
 
-	conf_prefix = pw_properties_get(properties, PW_KEY_CONFIG_PREFIX);
+	conf_prefix = getenv("PIPEWIRE_CONFIG_PREFIX");
+	if (conf_prefix == NULL)
+		conf_prefix = pw_properties_get(properties, PW_KEY_CONFIG_PREFIX);
 
 	conf_name = getenv("PIPEWIRE_CONFIG_NAME");
 	if (conf_name == NULL)