diff -Nru bvi-1.3.1/io.c bvi-1.3.1.new/io.c
--- bvi-1.3.1/io.c	Tue Dec 25 13:37:38 2001
+++ bvi-1.3.1.new/io.c	Sun Mar 23 19:07:37 2003
@@ -264,7 +264,8 @@
 {
 	char    *initstr;
 	char    rcpath[MAXCMD];
-
+	char	*etc_dir = getenv("ETC_DIR");
+	
 	terminal = getenv("TERM");
 	shell = getenv("SHELL");
 	if (shell == NULL || *shell == '\0')
@@ -275,9 +276,15 @@
 		return;
 	}
 	
-	strncpy(rcpath, getenv("HOME"), MAXCMD - 8);
-	rcpath[MAXCMD - 8] = '\0';
-	strcat(rcpath, "/.bvirc");
+	if (etc_dir) {
+		strncpy(rcpath, etc_dir, MAXCMD - 7);
+		rcpath[MAXCMD - 7] = '\0';
+		strcat(rcpath, "/bvirc");
+	} else {
+		strncpy(rcpath, getenv("HOME"), MAXCMD - 8);
+		rcpath[MAXCMD - 8] = '\0';
+		strcat(rcpath, "/.bvirc");
+	}
 	if (stat(rcpath, &buf) == 0) {
 		if (buf.st_uid == getuid()) read_rc(rcpath);
 	}