diff --git a/terminal/terminal-preferences.c b/terminal/terminal-preferences.c
index 3f941e7..c782928 100644
--- a/terminal/terminal-preferences.c
+++ b/terminal/terminal-preferences.c
@@ -1396,7 +1396,11 @@ terminal_preferences_load (TerminalPreferences *preferences)
   gchar         color_name[16];
   GString      *array;
 
-  filename = xfce_resource_lookup (XFCE_RESOURCE_CONFIG, TERMINALRC);
+  filename = g_strdup(g_getenv("TERMINALRC"));
+  if (filename == NULL)
+    {
+      filename = xfce_resource_lookup (XFCE_RESOURCE_CONFIG, TERMINALRC);
+    }
   if (G_UNLIKELY (filename == NULL))
     {
       /* old location of the Terminal days */
@@ -1565,7 +1569,10 @@ terminal_preferences_store_idle (gpointer user_data)
   if (G_UNLIKELY (preferences->loading_in_progress))
     return TRUE;
 
-  filename = xfce_resource_save_location (XFCE_RESOURCE_CONFIG, TERMINALRC, TRUE);
+  filename = g_strdup(g_getenv("TERMINALRC"));
+  if (filename == NULL) {
+    filename = xfce_resource_save_location (XFCE_RESOURCE_CONFIG, TERMINALRC, TRUE);
+  }
   if (G_UNLIKELY (filename == NULL))
     {
       g_warning ("Unable to store terminal preferences.");