diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 7727f6ba5b..6587e8014b 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -332,6 +332,7 @@ modules="no"
 prefix="/usr/local"
 mandir="\${prefix}/share/man"
 datadir="\${prefix}/share"
+firmwarepath="\${prefix}/share/qemu-firmware"
 qemu_docdir="\${prefix}/share/doc/qemu"
 bindir="\${prefix}/bin"
 libdir="\${prefix}/lib"
@@ -914,6 +915,8 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --localstatedir=*) local_statedir="$optarg"
   ;;
+  --firmwarepath=*) firmwarepath="$optarg"
+  ;;
   --sbindir=*|--sharedstatedir=*|\
   --oldincludedir=*|--datarootdir=*|--infodir=*|--localedir=*|\
   --htmldir=*|--dvidir=*|--pdfdir=*|--psdir=*)
@@ -1415,6 +1418,7 @@ Advanced options (experts only):
   --libdir=PATH            install libraries in PATH
   --sysconfdir=PATH        install config in PATH$confsuffix
   --localstatedir=PATH     install local state in PATH (set at runtime on win32)
+  --firmwarepath=PATH      search PATH for firmware files
   --with-confsuffix=SUFFIX suffix for QEMU data inside datadir/libdir/sysconfdir [$confsuffix]
   --enable-debug           enable common debug build options
   --disable-strip          disable stripping binaries
@@ -5275,6 +5279,7 @@ libs_softmmu="$pixman_libs $libs_softmmu"
 
 echo "Install prefix    $prefix"
 echo "BIOS directory    $(eval echo $qemu_datadir)"
+echo "firmware path     $(eval echo $firmwarepath)"
 echo "binary directory  $(eval echo $bindir)"
 echo "library directory $(eval echo $libdir)"
 echo "module directory  $(eval echo $qemu_moddir)"
@@ -5466,6 +5471,7 @@ echo "mandir=$mandir" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "sysconfdir=$sysconfdir" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "qemu_confdir=$qemu_confdir" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "qemu_datadir=$qemu_datadir" >> $config_host_mak
+echo "qemu_firmwarepath=$firmwarepath" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "qemu_docdir=$qemu_docdir" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "qemu_moddir=$qemu_moddir" >> $config_host_mak
 if test "$mingw32" = "no" ; then
diff --git a/scripts/create_config b/scripts/create_config
index e6929dd61e..603b826886 100755
--- a/scripts/create_config
+++ b/scripts/create_config
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ case $line in
     echo "#define QEMU_VERSION_MINOR $minor"
     echo "#define QEMU_VERSION_MICRO $micro"
     ;;
- qemu_*dir=*) # qemu-specific directory configuration
+ qemu_*dir=* | qemu_*path=*) # qemu-specific directory configuration
     name=${line%=*}
     value=${line#*=}
     define_name=$(echo $name | LC_ALL=C tr '[a-z]' '[A-Z]')
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 4fd01fda91..3fed457921 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -2348,6 +2348,24 @@ char *qemu_find_file(int type, const char *name)
     return NULL;
 }
 
+static void qemu_add_data_dir(const char *path)
+{
+    int i;
+
+    if (path == NULL) {
+        return;
+    }
+    if (data_dir_idx == ARRAY_SIZE(data_dir)) {
+        return;
+    }
+    for (i = 0; i < data_dir_idx; i++) {
+        if (strcmp(data_dir[i], path) == 0) {
+            return; /* duplicate */
+        }
+    }
+    data_dir[data_dir_idx++] = path;
+}
+
 static inline bool nonempty_str(const char *str)
 {
     return str && *str;
@@ -3107,6 +3125,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     Error *main_loop_err = NULL;
     Error *err = NULL;
     bool list_data_dirs = false;
+    char **dirs;
     typedef struct BlockdevOptions_queue {
         BlockdevOptions *bdo;
         Location loc;
@@ -3527,8 +3546,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
             case QEMU_OPTION_L:
                 if (is_help_option(optarg)) {
                     list_data_dirs = true;
-                } else if (data_dir_idx < ARRAY_SIZE(data_dir)) {
-                    data_dir[data_dir_idx++] = optarg;
+                } else {
+                    qemu_add_data_dir(optarg);
                 }
                 break;
             case QEMU_OPTION_bios:
@@ -4291,19 +4310,18 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
         qemu_set_log(0);
     }
 
-    /* If no data_dir is specified then try to find it relative to the
-       executable path.  */
-    if (data_dir_idx < ARRAY_SIZE(data_dir)) {
-        data_dir[data_dir_idx] = os_find_datadir();
-        if (data_dir[data_dir_idx] != NULL) {
-            data_dir_idx++;
-        }
-    }
-    /* If all else fails use the install path specified when building. */
-    if (data_dir_idx < ARRAY_SIZE(data_dir)) {
-        data_dir[data_dir_idx++] = CONFIG_QEMU_DATADIR;
+    /* add configured firmware directories */
+    dirs = g_strsplit(CONFIG_QEMU_FIRMWAREPATH, G_SEARCHPATH_SEPARATOR_S, 0);
+    for (i = 0; dirs[i] != NULL; i++) {
+        qemu_add_data_dir(dirs[i]);
     }
 
+    /* try to find datadir relative to the executable path */
+    qemu_add_data_dir(os_find_datadir());
+
+    /* add the datadir specified when building */
+    qemu_add_data_dir(CONFIG_QEMU_DATADIR);
+
     /* -L help lists the data directories and exits. */
     if (list_data_dirs) {
         for (i = 0; i < data_dir_idx; i++) {