diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 5e8c75ba..40aa8705 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 dist_EXTRA_tmux_SOURCES = compat/*.[ch]
 
 # Preprocessor flags.
-AM_CPPFLAGS += @XOPEN_DEFINES@ -DTMUX_CONF="\"$(sysconfdir)/tmux.conf\""
+AM_CPPFLAGS += @XOPEN_DEFINES@
+AM_CPPFLAGS += -DTMUX_CONF="\"$(sysconfdir)/tmux.conf:~/.tmux.conf:~/.config/tmux/tmux.conf\""
 
 # Additional object files.
 LDADD = $(LIBOBJS)
diff --git a/cfg.c b/cfg.c
index c29292b2..8dbb6233 100644
--- a/cfg.c
+++ b/cfg.c
@@ -66,12 +66,45 @@ set_cfg_file(const char *path)
 	cfg_file = xstrdup(path);
 }
 
+static char *
+expand_cfg_file(const char *path, const char *home)
+{
+	char			*expanded, *name;
+	const char		*end;
+	struct environ_entry	*value;
+
+	if (strncmp(path, "~/", 2) == 0) {
+		if (home == NULL)
+			return (NULL);
+		xasprintf(&expanded, "%s%s", home, path + 1);
+		return (expanded);
+	}
+
+	if (*path == '$') {
+		end = strchr(path, '/');
+		if (end == NULL)
+			name = xstrdup(path + 1);
+		else
+			name = xstrndup(path + 1, end - path - 1);
+		value = environ_find(global_environ, name);
+		free(name);
+		if (value == NULL)
+			return (NULL);
+		if (end == NULL)
+			end = "";
+		xasprintf(&expanded, "%s%s", value->value, end);
+		return (expanded);
+	}
+
+	return (xstrdup(path));
+}
+
 void
 start_cfg(void)
 {
-	const char	*home;
-	int		 flags = 0;
+	const char	*home = find_home();
 	struct client	*c;
+	char		*path, *copy, *next, *expanded;
 
 	/*
 	 * Configuration files are loaded without a client, so commands are run
@@ -89,15 +122,21 @@ start_cfg(void)
 		cmdq_append(c, cfg_item);
 	}
 
-	if (cfg_file == NULL)
-		load_cfg(TMUX_CONF, c, NULL, CMD_PARSE_QUIET, NULL);
-
-	if (cfg_file == NULL && (home = find_home()) != NULL) {
-		xasprintf(&cfg_file, "%s/.tmux.conf", home);
-		flags = CMD_PARSE_QUIET;
-	}
-	if (cfg_file != NULL)
-		load_cfg(cfg_file, c, NULL, flags, NULL);
+	if (cfg_file == NULL) {
+		path = copy = xstrdup(TMUX_CONF);
+		while ((next = strsep(&path, ":")) != NULL) {
+			expanded = expand_cfg_file(next, home);
+			if (expanded == NULL) {
+				log_debug("couldn't expand %s", next);
+				continue;
+			}
+			log_debug("expanded %s to %s", next, expanded);
+			load_cfg(expanded, c, NULL, CMD_PARSE_QUIET, NULL);
+			free(expanded);
+		}
+		free(copy);
+	} else
+		load_cfg(cfg_file, c, NULL, 0, NULL);
 
 	cmdq_append(NULL, cmdq_get_callback(cfg_done, NULL));
 }
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 79c08491..288db687 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -63,9 +63,9 @@ struct winlink;
 /* Client-server protocol version. */
 #define PROTOCOL_VERSION 8
 
-/* Default global configuration file. */
+/* Default configuration files. */
 #ifndef TMUX_CONF
-#define TMUX_CONF "/etc/tmux.conf"
+#define TMUX_CONF "/etc/tmux.conf:~/.tmux.conf"
 #endif
 
 /* Minimum layout cell size, NOT including border lines. */