diff -Nru fetchmail-6.2.5.orig/env.c fetchmail-6.2.5/env.c
--- fetchmail-6.2.5.orig/env.c	Thu Jul 17 03:03:20 2003
+++ fetchmail-6.2.5/env.c	Mon Nov  3 07:51:10 2003
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@
     }
 
     /* compute user's home directory */
+		home = getenv("HOME_ETC");
+		if (!home)
     if (!(home = getenv("HOME")))
 	home = pwp->pw_dir;
 
diff -Nru fetchmail-6.2.5.orig/fetchmail.man fetchmail-6.2.5/fetchmail.man
--- fetchmail-6.2.5.orig/fetchmail.man	Wed Oct 15 21:22:31 2003
+++ fetchmail-6.2.5/fetchmail.man	Mon Nov  3 07:57:46 2003
@@ -2167,6 +2167,9 @@
 \&.netrc file is looked for in the the invoking user's home directory
 regardless of FETCHMAILHOME's setting.
 
+If the HOME_ETC variable is set, file $HOME_ETC/.fetchmailrc is used
+instead of ~/.fetchmailrc.
+
 .SH SIGNALS
 If a
 .I fetchmail