diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 333e292f0..13ba209bf 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -231,6 +231,10 @@ if(NOT DEFINED APPDATADIR)
     endif()
 endif()
 
+if(DEFINED LENSFUNDBDIR AND NOT IS_ABSOLUTE "${LENSFUNDBDIR}")
+    set(LENSFUNDBDIR "${DATADIR}/${LENSFUNDBDIR}")
+endif()
+
 # Enforce absolute paths for non-bundle builds:
 if(NOT BUILD_BUNDLE)
     foreach(path BINDIR DATADIR LIBDIR DOCDIR CREDITSDIR LICENCEDIR)
diff --git a/rtengine/init.cc b/rtengine/init.cc
index 7ef40f43a..7ac4ca35b 100644
--- a/rtengine/init.cc
+++ b/rtengine/init.cc
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ int init (const Settings* s, Glib::ustring baseDir, Glib::ustring userSettingsDi
     Color::init ();
     PerceptualToneCurve::init ();
     RawImageSource::init ();
-    LFDatabase::init();
+    LFDatabase::init(s->lensfunDbDirectory);
     delete lcmsMutex;
     lcmsMutex = new MyMutex;
     dfm.init( s->darkFramesPath );
diff --git a/rtengine/rtlensfun.cc b/rtengine/rtlensfun.cc
index 87a7272e9..a352613ab 100644
--- a/rtengine/rtlensfun.cc
+++ b/rtengine/rtlensfun.cc
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ float LFCamera::getCropFactor() const
 Glib::ustring LFCamera::getDisplayString() const
 {
     if (data_) {
-        return Glib::ustring::compose("%1 %2", getMake(), getModel());
+        return getMake() + ' ' + getModel();
     } else {
         return "---";
     }
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ Glib::ustring LFLens::getMake() const
 Glib::ustring LFLens::getLens() const
 {
     if (data_) {
-        return Glib::ustring::compose("%1 %2", data_->Maker, data_->Model);
+        return Glib::ustring(data_->Maker) + ' ' + data_->Model;
     } else {
         return "---";
     }
@@ -253,10 +253,27 @@ bool LFLens::hasDistortionCorrection() const
 LFDatabase LFDatabase::instance_;
 
 
-bool LFDatabase::init()
+bool LFDatabase::init(const Glib::ustring &dbdir)
 {
     instance_.data_ = lfDatabase::Create();
-    return instance_.data_->Load() != LF_NO_ERROR;
+
+    if (settings->verbose) {
+        std::cout << "Loading lensfun database from ";
+        if (dbdir.empty()) {
+            std::cout << "the default directories";
+        } else {
+            std::cout << "'" << dbdir << "'";
+        }
+        std::cout << "..." << std::flush;
+    }
+
+    bool ok = dbdir.empty() ? (instance_.data_->Load() ==  LF_NO_ERROR) : instance_.data_->LoadDirectory(dbdir.c_str());
+
+    if (settings->verbose) {
+        std::cout << (ok ? "OK" : "FAIL") << std::endl;
+    }
+    
+    return ok;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/rtengine/rtlensfun.h b/rtengine/rtlensfun.h
index 5774968ee..a4ff17ae9 100644
--- a/rtengine/rtlensfun.h
+++ b/rtengine/rtlensfun.h
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ class LFDatabase final :
     public NonCopyable
 {
 public:
-    static bool init();
+    static bool init(const Glib::ustring &dbdir);
     static const LFDatabase *getInstance();
 
     ~LFDatabase();
diff --git a/rtengine/settings.h b/rtengine/settings.h
index 663354453..b13c1165a 100644
--- a/rtengine/settings.h
+++ b/rtengine/settings.h
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ public:
     double          reduclow;
 
 
+    Glib::ustring   lensfunDbDirectory; ///< The directory containing the lensfun database. If empty, the system defaults will be used (as described in http://lensfun.sourceforge.net/manual/dbsearch.html)
+    
     /** Creates a new instance of Settings.
       * @return a pointer to the new Settings instance. */
     static Settings* create  ();
diff --git a/rtgui/config.h.in b/rtgui/config.h.in
index cab481278..fdf64b73c 100644
--- a/rtgui/config.h.in
+++ b/rtgui/config.h.in
@@ -25,5 +25,6 @@
 #define DOC_SEARCH_PATH "${DOCDIR}"
 #define CREDITS_SEARCH_PATH "${CREDITSDIR}"
 #define LICENCE_SEARCH_PATH "${LICENCEDIR}"
+#define LENSFUN_DB_PATH "${LENSFUNDBDIR}"
 
 #endif
diff --git a/rtgui/options.cc b/rtgui/options.cc
index b13ace249..2b23e6ef6 100644
--- a/rtgui/options.cc
+++ b/rtgui/options.cc
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "addsetids.h"
 #include "guiutils.h"
 #include "version.h"
+#include "config.h"
 
 #ifdef _OPENMP
 #include <omp.h>
@@ -744,6 +745,8 @@ void Options::setDefaults ()
     lastLensProfileDir = "";
     gimpPluginShowInfoDialog = true;
     maxRecentFolders = 15;
+
+    rtSettings.lensfunDbDirectory = LENSFUN_DB_PATH;
 }
 
 Options* Options::copyFrom (Options* other)
@@ -1920,6 +1923,12 @@ void Options::readFromFile (Glib::ustring fname)
                 }
             }
 
+            if (keyFile.has_group ("Lensfun")) {
+                if (keyFile.has_key ("Lensfun", "DBDirectory")) {
+                    rtSettings.lensfunDbDirectory = keyFile.get_string ("Lensfun", "DBDirectory");
+                }
+            }
+
 // --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
             filterOutParsedExtensions ();
@@ -2302,6 +2311,8 @@ void Options::saveToFile (Glib::ustring fname)
         keyFile.set_string ("Dialogs", "LastLensProfileDir", lastLensProfileDir);
         keyFile.set_boolean ("Dialogs", "GimpPluginShowInfoDialog", gimpPluginShowInfoDialog);
 
+        keyFile.set_string  ("Lensfun", "DBDirectory", rtSettings.lensfunDbDirectory);        
+
         keyData = keyFile.to_data ();
 
     } catch (Glib::KeyFileError &e) {
diff --git a/rtgui/paramsedited.cc b/rtgui/paramsedited.cc
index ac6bbcdef..0fac5c97d 100644
--- a/rtgui/paramsedited.cc
+++ b/rtgui/paramsedited.cc
@@ -3603,7 +3603,7 @@ bool RAWParamsEdited::isUnchanged() const
 
 bool LensProfParamsEdited::isUnchanged() const
 {
-    return lcpFile;
+    return lcpFile && useVign && lfLens;
 }
 
 bool RetinexParamsEdited::isUnchanged() const