diff --git a/src/pcm/pcm.c b/src/pcm/pcm.c
index 74d1d1a..17ffb12 100644
--- a/src/pcm/pcm.c
+++ b/src/pcm/pcm.c
@@ -2042,6 +2042,19 @@ static const char *const build_in_pcms[] = {
 	NULL
 };
 
+
+// helper funcion used below
+int file_exists(const char * filename)
+{
+	FILE * file;
+	if (file = fopen(filename, "r"))
+	{
+		fclose(file);
+		return 1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int snd_pcm_open_conf(snd_pcm_t **pcmp, const char *name,
 			     snd_config_t *pcm_root, snd_config_t *pcm_conf,
 			     snd_pcm_stream_t stream, int mode)
@@ -2141,8 +2154,38 @@ static int snd_pcm_open_conf(snd_pcm_t **pcmp, const char *name,
 				err = -ENOMEM;
 				goto _err;
 			}
-			lib = buf1;
 			sprintf(buf1, "%s/libasound_module_pcm_%s.so", ALSA_PLUGIN_DIR, str);
+			if (!file_exists(buf1)){
+				// try to locate plugin in one of ALSA_PLUGIN_DIRS which is colon separated list of paths
+				char * pdirs = getenv("ALSA_PLUGIN_DIRS");
+
+				if (pdirs){ // env var set?
+					char * saveptr;
+					while (1) {
+						char * dir_tok = strtok_r(pdirs, "::::", &saveptr); // "::::" to work around bug in glibc and -O2 ? ":" seems to cause a segfault
+						if (dir_tok == NULL)
+                            break;
+						char * so_file = malloc(strlen(str) + strlen(dir_tok) + 32);
+						if (so_file == NULL) {
+							err = -ENOMEM;
+							goto _err;
+						}
+
+						sprintf(so_file, "%s/libasound_module_pcm_%s.so", dir_tok, str);
+
+						if (file_exists(so_file)){
+
+							free(buf1);
+							buf1 = so_file;
+							break;
+						} else {
+							free (so_file);
+						}
+						pdirs = NULL;
+					}
+				}
+			}
+			lib = buf1;
 		}
 	}
 #ifndef PIC


diff --git a/src/control/control.c b/src/control/control.c
index c090797..137fe57 100644
--- a/src/control/control.c
+++ b/src/control/control.c
@@ -854,8 +854,38 @@ static int snd_ctl_open_conf(snd_ctl_t **ctlp, const char *name,
 				err = -ENOMEM;
 				goto _err;
 			}
+			sprintf(buf1, "%s/libasound_module_pcm_%s.so", ALSA_PLUGIN_DIR, str);
+			if (!file_exists(buf1)){
+				// try to locate plugin in one of ALSA_PLUGIN_DIRS which is colon separated list of paths
+				char * pdirs = getenv("ALSA_PLUGIN_DIRS");
+
+				if (pdirs){ // env var set?
+					char * saveptr;
+					while (1) {
+						char * dir_tok = strtok_r(pdirs, "::::", &saveptr); // "::::" to work around bug in glibc and -O2 ? ":" seems to cause a segfault
+						if (dir_tok == NULL)
+                            break;
+						char * so_file = malloc(strlen(str) + strlen(dir_tok) + 32);
+						if (so_file == NULL) {
+							err = -ENOMEM;
+							goto _err;
+						}
+
+						sprintf(so_file, "%s/libasound_module_ctl_%s.so", dir_tok, str);
+
+						if (file_exists(so_file)){
+
+							free(buf1);
+							buf1 = so_file;
+							break;
+						} else {
+							free (so_file);
+						}
+						pdirs = NULL;
+					}
+				}
+			}
 			lib = buf1;
-			sprintf(buf1, "%s/libasound_module_ctl_%s.so", ALSA_PLUGIN_DIR, str);
 		}
 	}
 #ifndef PIC
diff --git a/src/dlmisc.c b/src/dlmisc.c
index 8c8f3ff7..274d4b84 100644
--- a/src/dlmisc.c
+++ b/src/dlmisc.c
@@ -82,19 +82,52 @@ void *snd_dlopen(const char *name, int mode, char *errbuf, size_t errbuflen)
 	char *filename = NULL;
 
 	if (name && name[0] != '/') {
-		filename = alloca(sizeof(ALSA_PLUGIN_DIR) + 1 + strlen(name) + 1);
-		if (filename) {
-			strcpy(filename, ALSA_PLUGIN_DIR);
-			strcat(filename, "/");
-			strcat(filename, name);
-			handle = dlopen(filename, mode);
-			if (!handle) {
-				/* if the filename exists and cannot be opened */
-				/* return immediately */
-				if (access(filename, X_OK) == 0)
-					goto errpath;
+                // 'name' is the full library.so name, e.g. libasound_module_conf_pulse.so
+		fprintf(stderr, "XXX name is %s\n", name);
+		char * plugindirs = getenv("ALSA_PLUGIN_DIRS");
+		fprintf(stderr, "XXX plugindirs are %s\n" ,plugindirs);
+		if (plugindirs) {
+			char * saveptr;
+			while (1) {
+				// See comment in src/control/control.c about "::::"
+				char * dir_tok = strtok_r(plugindirs, "::::", &saveptr);
+				if (dir_tok == NULL)
+					break;
+				fprintf(stderr, "XXX dir token is %s\n" ,dir_tok);
+				char * so_file = malloc(strlen(name) + strlen(dir_tok) + 32);
+				sprintf(so_file, "%s/%s" ,dir_tok, name);
+				// TODO Check if so_file == NULL here
+				if (file_exists(so_file)) {
+					fprintf(stderr, "XXX Found the library %s\n" ,so_file);
+					handle = dlopen(filename, mode);
+					if (!handle) {
+						/* if the filename exists and cannot be opened */
+						/* return immediately */
+						if (access(filename, X_OK) == 0)
+							goto errpath;
+					}
+					break;
+				} else {
+					fprintf(stderr, "XXX Did not find the library %s\n" ,so_file);
+					break;
+				}
 			}
 		}
+// Cut here:
+//		filename = alloca(sizeof(ALSA_PLUGIN_DIR) + 1 + strlen(name) + 1);
+//		if (filename) {
+//			strcpy(filename, ALSA_PLUGIN_DIR);
+//			strcat(filename, "/");
+//			strcat(filename, name);
+//			handle = dlopen(filename, mode);
+//			if (!handle) {
+//				/* if the filename exists and cannot be opened */
+//				/* return immediately */
+//				if (access(filename, X_OK) == 0)
+//					goto errpath;
+//			}
+//		}
+// ... to here.
 	}
 	if (!handle) {
 		handle = dlopen(name, mode);
@@ -104,6 +137,7 @@ void *snd_dlopen(const char *name, int mode, char *errbuf, size_t errbuflen)
 	return handle;
 errpath:
 	if (errbuf)
+		fprintf(stderr, "XXX couldn't find your thing!\n");
 		snprintf(errbuf, errbuflen, "%s: %s", filename, dlerror());
 #endif
 	return NULL;