diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 765b5626f..dcb472378 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -135,6 +135,12 @@ This may render your system unusable if the upstream SELinux userspace
 lacks library functions or other dependencies relied upon by your
 distribution.  If it breaks, you get to keep both pieces.
 
+A directory for distribution provided configuration files (in e.g. /usr/etc) can be set by:
+
+   make VENDORDIR=/usr/etc
+
+If distribution provided configuration files are used, the library libeconf is
+needed for parsing these files in the correct order.
 
 ## Setting CFLAGS
 
diff --git a/policycoreutils/sestatus/Makefile b/policycoreutils/sestatus/Makefile
index aebf050c2..bb1f6bda0 100644
--- a/policycoreutils/sestatus/Makefile
+++ b/policycoreutils/sestatus/Makefile
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ BINDIR ?= $(PREFIX)/bin
 SBINDIR ?= $(PREFIX)/sbin
 MANDIR = $(PREFIX)/share/man
 ETCDIR ?= /etc
+LIBECONFH ?= $(shell test -f /usr/include/libeconf.h && echo y)
 
 CFLAGS ?= -Werror -Wall -W
 override CFLAGS += -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64
@@ -13,6 +14,13 @@ override LDLIBS += -lselinux
 all: sestatus
 
 sestatus: sestatus.o
+ifdef VENDORDIR
+ifneq ($(LIBECONFH), y)
+	(echo "VENDORDIR defined but libeconf not available."; exit 1)
+endif
+override CFLAGS += -DVENDORDIR='"${VENDORDIR}"'
+override LDLIBS += -leconf
+endif
 
 install: all
 	[ -d $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man8 ] || mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man8
diff --git a/policycoreutils/sestatus/sestatus.c b/policycoreutils/sestatus/sestatus.c
index 6c95828ed..f80612dcd 100644
--- a/policycoreutils/sestatus/sestatus.c
+++ b/policycoreutils/sestatus/sestatus.c
@@ -21,11 +21,16 @@
 
 #define PROC_BASE "/proc"
 #define MAX_CHECK 50
-#define CONF "/etc/sestatus.conf"
+#define CONFDIR "/etc"
+#define CONFNAME "sestatus"
+#define CONFPOST "conf"
+#define CONF CONFDIR "/" CONFNAME "." CONFPOST
 
 /* conf file sections */
-#define PROCS "[process]"
-#define FILES "[files]"
+#define SECTIONPROCS "process"
+#define SECTIONFILES "files"
+#define PROCS "[" SECTIONPROCS "]"
+#define FILES "[" SECTIONFILES "]"
 
 /* buffer size for cmp_cmdline */
 #define BUFSIZE 255
@@ -92,9 +97,75 @@ static int pidof(const char *command)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static void load_checks(char *pc[], int *npc, char *fc[], int *nfc)
+#ifdef VENDORDIR
+#include <libeconf.h>
+
+static void load_checks_with_vendor_settings(char *pc[], int *npc, char *fc[], int *nfc)
 {
+	econf_file *key_file = NULL;
+	econf_err error;
+	char **keys;
+	size_t key_number;
+
+	error = econf_readDirs (&key_file,
+				VENDORDIR,
+				CONFDIR,
+				CONFNAME,
+				CONFPOST,
+				"", "#");
+	if (error != ECONF_SUCCESS) {
+		printf("\nCannot read settings %s.%s: %s\n",
+		       CONFNAME,
+		       CONFPOST,
+		       econf_errString( error ));
+		return;
+	}
+
+	error = econf_getKeys(key_file, SECTIONPROCS, &key_number, &keys);
+	if (error != ECONF_SUCCESS) {
+		printf("\nCannot read group %s: %s\n",
+		       SECTIONPROCS,
+		       econf_errString( error ));
+	} else {
+		for (size_t i = 0; i < key_number; i++) {
+			if (*npc >= MAX_CHECK)
+				break;
+			pc[*npc] = strdup(keys[i]);
+			if (!pc[*npc])
+				break;
+			(*npc)++;
+		}
+		econf_free (keys);
+	}
+
+	error = econf_getKeys(key_file, SECTIONFILES, &key_number, &keys);
+	if (error != ECONF_SUCCESS) {
+		printf("\nCannot read group %s: %s\n",
+		       SECTIONFILES,
+		       econf_errString( error ));
+	} else {
+		for (size_t i = 0; i < key_number; i++) {
+			if (*nfc >= MAX_CHECK)
+				break;
+			fc[*nfc] = strdup(keys[i]);
+			if (!fc[*nfc])
+				break;
+			(*nfc)++;
+		}
+		econf_free (keys);
+	}
 
+	econf_free (key_file);
+	return;
+}
+#endif
+
+static void load_checks(char *pc[], int *npc, char *fc[], int *nfc)
+{
+#ifdef VENDORDIR
+	load_checks_with_vendor_settings(pc, npc, fc, nfc);
+	return;
+#endif
 	FILE *fp = fopen(CONF, "r");
 	char buf[255], *bufp;
 	int buf_len, section = -1;
diff --git a/policycoreutils/sestatus/sestatus.conf.5 b/policycoreutils/sestatus/sestatus.conf.5
index acfedf6f5..01f8051d2 100644
--- a/policycoreutils/sestatus/sestatus.conf.5
+++ b/policycoreutils/sestatus/sestatus.conf.5
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ The \fIsestatus.conf\fR file is used by the \fBsestatus\fR(8) command with the \
 .sp
 The fully qualified path name of the configuration file is:
 .RS
-\fI/etc/sestatus.conf\fR
+\fI/etc/sestatus.conf\fR or \fI<vendordir>/sestatus.conf\fR if it is not available
 .RE
 .RE
 .sp