diff --git a/profile/xdg-app.sh.in b/profile/xdg-app.sh.in
index 2dc212e6..4c86566d 100644
--- a/profile/xdg-app.sh.in
+++ b/profile/xdg-app.sh.in
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 # @sysconfdir@/profile.d/xdg-app.sh - set XDG_DATA_DIRS
 
-XDG_DATA_DIRS="$HOME/.local/share/xdg-app/exports/share:@localstatedir@/xdg-app/exports/share/:/usr/local/share/:/usr/share/"
+XDG_DATA_DIRS="${XDG_DATA_DIRS:-$HOME/.local/share/xdg-app/exports/share:@localstatedir@/xdg-app/exports/share/:/usr/local/share/:/usr/share/}"
 export XDG_DATA_DIRS