diff --git a/configfile.c b/configfile.c
index 2ea24aa0..bf8c39fd 100644
--- a/configfile.c
+++ b/configfile.c
@@ -288,6 +288,7 @@ _parse_config(t_configuration_options *options, ItemList *error_list, ItemList *
 	memset(options->node_name, 0, sizeof(options->node_name));
 	memset(options->conninfo, 0, sizeof(options->conninfo));
 	memset(options->data_directory, 0, sizeof(options->data_directory));
+	memset(options->config_directory, 0, sizeof(options->data_directory));
 	memset(options->pg_bindir, 0, sizeof(options->pg_bindir));
 	options->replication_type = REPLICATION_TYPE_PHYSICAL;
 
@@ -464,6 +465,9 @@ _parse_config(t_configuration_options *options, ItemList *error_list, ItemList *
 			strncpy(options->conninfo, value, MAXLEN);
 		else if (strcmp(name, "data_directory") == 0)
 			strncpy(options->data_directory, value, MAXPGPATH);
+		else if (strcmp(name, "config_directory") == 0)
+			strncpy(options->config_directory, value, MAXPGPATH);
+
 		else if (strcmp(name, "replication_user") == 0)
 		{
 			if (strlen(value) < NAMEDATALEN)
diff --git a/configfile.h b/configfile.h
index 7bd9e094..d86aa907 100644
--- a/configfile.h
+++ b/configfile.h
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ typedef struct
 	char		conninfo[MAXLEN];
 	char		replication_user[NAMEDATALEN];
 	char		data_directory[MAXPGPATH];
+	char		config_directory[MAXPGPATH];
 	char		pg_bindir[MAXPGPATH];
 	int			replication_type;
 
@@ -159,7 +160,7 @@ typedef struct
 
 #define T_CONFIGURATION_OPTIONS_INITIALIZER { \
 		/* node information */ \
-		UNKNOWN_NODE_ID, "", "", "", "", "", REPLICATION_TYPE_PHYSICAL,	\
+		UNKNOWN_NODE_ID, "", "", "", "", "", "", REPLICATION_TYPE_PHYSICAL,	\
 		/* log settings */ \
 		"", "", "", DEFAULT_LOG_STATUS_INTERVAL,	\
 		/* standby clone settings */ \
diff --git a/repmgr-action-node.c b/repmgr-action-node.c
index d9fd1e92..22c36f49 100644
--- a/repmgr-action-node.c
+++ b/repmgr-action-node.c
@@ -1518,7 +1518,7 @@ do_node_service(void)
 
 	if (data_dir_required_for_action(action))
 	{
-		get_node_data_directory(data_dir);
+		get_node_config_directory(data_dir);
 
 		if (data_dir[0] == '\0')
 		{
@@ -1606,7 +1606,7 @@ _do_node_service_list_actions(t_server_action action)
 
 	if (data_dir_required == true)
 	{
-		get_node_data_directory(data_dir);
+		get_node_config_directory(data_dir);
 	}
 
 	/* show command for specific action only */
diff --git a/repmgr-action-standby.c b/repmgr-action-standby.c
index a1bbc1c9..702598b7 100644
--- a/repmgr-action-standby.c
+++ b/repmgr-action-standby.c
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ static char local_repmgr_tmp_directory[MAXPGPATH];
 static char datadir_list_filename[MAXLEN];
 static char barman_command_buf[MAXLEN] = "";
 
-static void _do_standby_promote_internal(PGconn *conn, const char *data_dir);
+static void _do_standby_promote_internal(PGconn *conn);
 static void _do_create_recovery_conf(void);
 
 static void check_barman_config(void);
@@ -1957,13 +1957,12 @@ do_standby_promote(void)
 
 	PQfinish(current_primary_conn);
 
-
-	_do_standby_promote_internal(conn, config_file_options.data_directory);
+	_do_standby_promote_internal(conn);
 }
 
 
 static void
-_do_standby_promote_internal(PGconn *conn, const char *data_dir)
+_do_standby_promote_internal(PGconn *conn)
 {
 	char		script[MAXLEN];
 	int			r,
@@ -1975,7 +1974,9 @@ _do_standby_promote_internal(PGconn *conn, const char *data_dir)
 
 	t_node_info local_node_record = T_NODE_INFO_INITIALIZER;
 	RecordStatus record_status = RECORD_NOT_FOUND;
+	char		data_dir[MAXPGPATH];
 
+	get_node_config_directory(data_dir);
 
 	/* fetch local node record so we can add detail in log messages */
 	record_status = get_node_record(conn,
@@ -3636,7 +3637,7 @@ do_standby_switchover(void)
 	}
 
 	/* promote standby (local node) */
-	_do_standby_promote_internal(local_conn, config_file_options.data_directory);
+	_do_standby_promote_internal(local_conn);
 
 
 	/*
diff --git a/repmgr-client-global.h b/repmgr-client-global.h
index cf07c931..d0e78a08 100644
--- a/repmgr-client-global.h
+++ b/repmgr-client-global.h
@@ -231,6 +231,7 @@ extern void print_help_header(void);
 /* server control functions */
 extern void get_server_action(t_server_action action, char *script, char *data_dir);
 extern bool data_dir_required_for_action(t_server_action action);
+extern void get_node_config_directory(char *config_dir_buf);
 extern void get_node_data_directory(char *data_dir_buf);
 extern void init_node_record(t_node_info *node_record);
 extern bool can_use_pg_rewind(PGconn *conn, const char *data_directory, PQExpBufferData *reason);
diff --git a/repmgr-client.c b/repmgr-client.c
index 9b455029..a3c56322 100644
--- a/repmgr-client.c
+++ b/repmgr-client.c
@@ -1328,6 +1328,15 @@ check_cli_parameters(const int action)
 										 _("--no-upstream-connection only effective in Barman mode"));
 					}
 				}
+
+				if (strlen(config_file_options.config_directory))
+				{
+					if (runtime_options.copy_external_config_files == false)
+					{
+						item_list_append(&cli_warnings,
+										 _("\"config_directory\" set in repmgr.conf, but --copy-external-config-files not provided"));
+					}
+				}
 			}
 			break;
 
@@ -2735,6 +2744,33 @@ data_dir_required_for_action(t_server_action action)
 }
 
 
+/*
+ * Copy the location of the configuration file directory into the
+ * provided buffer; if "config_directory" provided, use that, otherwise
+ * default to the data directory.
+ *
+ * This is primarily intended for use with "pg_ctl" (which itself shouldn't
+ * be used outside of development environments).
+ */
+void
+get_node_config_directory(char *config_dir_buf)
+{
+	if (config_file_options.config_directory[0] != '\0')
+	{
+		strncpy(config_dir_buf, config_file_options.config_directory, MAXPGPATH);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (config_file_options.data_directory[0] != '\0')
+	{
+		strncpy(config_dir_buf, config_file_options.data_directory, MAXPGPATH);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	return;
+}
+
+
 void
 get_node_data_directory(char *data_dir_buf)
 {
diff --git a/repmgr.conf.sample b/repmgr.conf.sample
index ac9b137c..3e4237aa 100644
--- a/repmgr.conf.sample
+++ b/repmgr.conf.sample
@@ -40,18 +40,28 @@
 				 # is not running and there's no other way of determining
 				 # the data directory.
 
-#replication_user='repmgr'	 # User to make replication connections with, if not set defaults
-				 # to the user defined in "conninfo".
 
 # =============================================================================
 
 # Optional configuration items
 # =============================================================================
 
+
+#------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Server settings
+#------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#config_directory=''		 # If configuration files are located outside the data
+				 # directory, specify the directory where the main
+				 # postgresql.conf file is located.
+
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Replication settings
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+#replication_user='repmgr'	 # User to make replication connections with, if not set defaults
+				 # to the user defined in "conninfo".
+
 #replication_type=physical	 # Must be one of 'physical' or 'bdr'.
 
 #location=default		 # arbitrary string defining the location of the node; this