diff -ur nano.1 nano.1
--- nano.1	Sun Jun 29 04:25:46 2003
+++ nano.1	Fri Dec 31 16:44:48 2004
@@ -39,6 +39,11 @@
 When saving a file, back up the previous version of it to the current
 filename suffixed with a ~.
 .TP
+.B \-C (\-\-config\-file)
+Use another nanorc file instead of 
+.IR ~/.nanorc ,
+if nanorc support is available.
+.TP
 .B \-D (\-\-dos)
 Write file in DOS format.
 .TP
diff -ur nano.c nano.c
--- nano.c	Sat Jun 26 02:12:19 2004
+++ nano.c	Fri Dec 31 16:21:37 2004
@@ -638,6 +638,9 @@
     print1opt(_("+LINE"), "", _("Start at line number LINE"));
 #ifndef NANO_SMALL
     print1opt("-B", "--backup", _("Backup existing files on save"));
+#ifdef ENABLE_NANORC
+    print1opt("-C", "--config-file", _("Use an alternate nanorc file"));
+#endif
     print1opt("-D", "--dos", _("Write file in DOS format"));
 #endif
 #ifdef ENABLE_MULTIBUFFER
@@ -3039,6 +3042,7 @@
 #endif
 #ifdef ENABLE_NANORC
 #ifndef NANO_SMALL
+	{"config-file", 1, 0, 'C'},
 	{"historylog", 0, 0, 'H'},
 #endif
 	{"ignorercfiles", 0, 0, 'I'},
@@ -3104,11 +3108,11 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifdef HAVE_GETOPT_LONG
-    while ((optchr = getopt_long(argc, argv, "h?BDFHIKMNQ:RST:VY:abcefgijklmo:pr:s:tvwxz",
+    while ((optchr = getopt_long(argc, argv, "h?BC:DFHIKMNQ:RST:VY:abcefgijklmo:pr:s:tvwxz",
 				 long_options, &option_index)) != -1) {
 #else
     while ((optchr =
-	    getopt(argc, argv, "h?BDFHIKMNQ:RST:VY:abcefgijklmo:pr:s:tvwxz")) != -1) {
+	    getopt(argc, argv, "h?BC:DFHIKMNQ:RST:VY:abcefgijklmo:pr:s:tvwxz")) != -1) {
 #endif
 
 	switch (optchr) {
@@ -3136,6 +3140,11 @@
 #endif
 #ifdef ENABLE_NANORC
 #ifndef NANO_SMALL
+	case 'C':
+            nanorc=mallocstrcpy(nanorc,optarg);
+            have_alternate_nanorc=1;
+	    break;
+
 	case 'H':
 	    SET(HISTORYLOG);
 	    break;
diff -ur nano.h nano.h
--- nano.h	Sat Jun 26 02:12:19 2004
+++ nano.h	Fri Dec 31 16:26:09 2004
@@ -179,10 +179,17 @@
 #endif /* !NANO_SMALL */
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_NANORC
+char *nanorc;
+#ifdef SYSCONFDIR
+char *nanorc_default;
+#endif
+int have_alternate_nanorc;
+
 typedef struct rcoption {
    const char *name;
    int flag;
 } rcoption;
+
 #endif /* ENABLE_NANORC */
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
@@ -438,5 +445,4 @@
 /* Maximum number of search history strings saved, same value used for
    replace history */
 #define MAX_SEARCH_HISTORY 100
-
 #endif /* !NANO_H */
diff -ur rcfile.c rcfile.c
--- rcfile.c	Sat Jun 26 02:12:19 2004
+++ rcfile.c	Fri Dec 31 16:30:06 2004
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@
 
 static int errors = 0;
 static int lineno = 0;
-static char *nanorc;
 
 /* We have an error in some part of the rcfile; put it on stderr and
    make the user hit return to continue starting up nano. */
@@ -626,20 +625,23 @@
     uid_t euid = geteuid();
     char *homenv = getenv("HOME");
 
+
 #ifdef SYSCONFDIR
     assert(sizeof(SYSCONFDIR) == strlen(SYSCONFDIR) + 1);
-    nanorc = charalloc(sizeof(SYSCONFDIR) + 7);
-    sprintf(nanorc, "%s/nanorc", SYSCONFDIR);
+    nanorc_default = charalloc(sizeof(SYSCONFDIR) + 7);
+    sprintf(nanorc_default, "%s/nanorc", SYSCONFDIR);
     /* Try to open system nanorc */
-    if ((rcstream = fopen(nanorc, "r")) != NULL) {
+    if ((rcstream = fopen(nanorc_default, "r")) != NULL) {
 	/* Parse it! */
 	parse_rcfile(rcstream);
 	fclose(rcstream);
     }
+    free(nanorc_default);
 #endif
 
     lineno = 0;
 
+if (!have_alternate_nanorc) {
     /* Rely on $HOME, fall back on getpwuid() */
     if (homenv != NULL) {
 	nanorc = charealloc(nanorc, strlen(homenv) + 10);
@@ -657,6 +659,7 @@
 
 	}
     }
+}
 
     if (!ISSET(NO_RCFILE)) {
 
@@ -668,9 +671,9 @@
 #endif
 	if ((rcstream = fopen(nanorc, "r")) == NULL) {
 	    /* Don't complain about the file not existing */
-	    if (errno != ENOENT) {
-		rcfile_error(_("Unable to open ~/.nanorc file, %s"),
-			strerror(errno));
+	    if (errno != ENOENT || (have_alternate_nanorc)) {
+		rcfile_error(_("Unable to open %s file, %s"),
+			nanorc, strerror(errno));
 		SET(NO_RCFILE);
 	    }
 	} else {