diff --git a/run.in b/run.in
index 9a1c6ea11a..8574f81463 100644
--- a/run.in
+++ b/run.in
@@ -60,6 +60,12 @@ else
 fi
 export PKG_CONFIG_PATH
 
+# Ensure that any 3rd party apps using libvirt.so from the build tree get
+# files resolved to the build/source tree too. Typically useful for language
+# bindings running tests against non-installed libvirt.
+LIBVIRT_DIR_OVERRIDE=1
+export LIBVIRT_DIR_OVERRIDE
+
 # This is a cheap way to find some use-after-free and uninitialized
 # read problems when using glibc.
 random_val="$(awk 'BEGIN{srand(); print 1+int(255*rand())}' < /dev/null)"
diff --git a/src/libvirt.c b/src/libvirt.c
index 19bc05638f..15917cba6f 100644
--- a/src/libvirt.c
+++ b/src/libvirt.c
@@ -247,6 +247,8 @@ virGlobalInit(void)
         virErrorInitialize() < 0)
         goto error;
 
+    virFileActivateDirOverrideForLib();
+
     if (getuid() != geteuid() ||
         getgid() != getegid()) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 0ee2014beb..918f81470b 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -1918,7 +1918,8 @@ virDirOpenQuiet;
 virDirRead;
 virFileAbsPath;
 virFileAccessibleAs;
-virFileActivateDirOverride;
+virFileActivateDirOverrideForLib;
+virFileActivateDirOverrideForProg;
 virFileBindMountDevice;
 virFileBuildPath;
 virFileCanonicalizePath;
diff --git a/src/locking/lock_daemon.c b/src/locking/lock_daemon.c
index ac242bf65c..edb61d74c0 100644
--- a/src/locking/lock_daemon.c
+++ b/src/locking/lock_daemon.c
@@ -1188,7 +1188,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         }
     }
 
-    virFileActivateDirOverride(argv[0]);
+    virFileActivateDirOverrideForProg(argv[0]);
 
     if (!(config = virLockDaemonConfigNew(privileged))) {
         VIR_ERROR(_("Can't create initial configuration"));
diff --git a/src/logging/log_daemon.c b/src/logging/log_daemon.c
index f74e900aea..85c58aaa7b 100644
--- a/src/logging/log_daemon.c
+++ b/src/logging/log_daemon.c
@@ -960,7 +960,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         }
     }
 
-    virFileActivateDirOverride(argv[0]);
+    virFileActivateDirOverrideForProg(argv[0]);
 
     if (!(config = virLogDaemonConfigNew(privileged))) {
         VIR_ERROR(_("Can't create initial configuration"));
diff --git a/src/remote/remote_daemon.c b/src/remote/remote_daemon.c
index 5d64397062..966f3da2d0 100644
--- a/src/remote/remote_daemon.c
+++ b/src/remote/remote_daemon.c
@@ -1034,7 +1034,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 
     virUpdateSelfLastChanged(argv[0]);
 
-    virFileActivateDirOverride(argv[0]);
+    virFileActivateDirOverrideForProg(argv[0]);
 
     while (1) {
         int optidx = 0;
diff --git a/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c b/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c
index 3f9d775acc..326cfaf52a 100644
--- a/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c
+++ b/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c
@@ -1427,7 +1427,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
     }
 
-    virFileActivateDirOverride(argv[0]);
+    virFileActivateDirOverrideForProg(argv[0]);
 
     /* Initialize the log system */
     virLogSetFromEnv();
diff --git a/src/util/virfile.c b/src/util/virfile.c
index dbfe74e24f..bb844c64e5 100644
--- a/src/util/virfile.c
+++ b/src/util/virfile.c
@@ -1774,7 +1774,7 @@ virFileFindResource(const char *filename,
 
 
 /**
- * virFileActivateDirOverride:
+ * virFileActivateDirOverrideForProg:
  * @argv0: argv[0] of the calling program
  *
  * Look at @argv0 and try to detect if running from
@@ -1782,7 +1782,7 @@ virFileFindResource(const char *filename,
  * on the binary name, or '/.libs/' in the path
  */
 void
-virFileActivateDirOverride(const char *argv0)
+virFileActivateDirOverrideForProg(const char *argv0)
 {
     char *file = strrchr(argv0, '/');
     if (!file || file[1] == '\0')
@@ -1796,6 +1796,20 @@ virFileActivateDirOverride(const char *argv0)
 }
 
 
+/**
+ * virFileActivateDirOverrideForLib:
+ *
+ * Look for LIBVIRT_DIR_OVERRIDE env var to see if we should find files from
+ * the build/src tree instead of install tree.
+ */
+void
+virFileActivateDirOverrideForLib(void)
+{
+    if (getenv("LIBVIRT_DIR_OVERRIDE") != NULL)
+        useDirOverride = true;
+}
+
+
 /**
  * virFileLength:
  * @path: full path of the file
diff --git a/src/util/virfile.h b/src/util/virfile.h
index a8a5dd8074..2b037b00aa 100644
--- a/src/util/virfile.h
+++ b/src/util/virfile.h
@@ -193,8 +193,9 @@ char *virFileFindResourceFull(const char *filename,
                               const char *installdir,
                               const char *envname)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(4) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(5);
-void virFileActivateDirOverride(const char *argv0)
+void virFileActivateDirOverrideForProg(const char *argv0)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1);
+void virFileActivateDirOverrideForLib(void);
 
 off_t virFileLength(const char *path, int fd) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1);
 bool virFileIsDir (const char *file) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1);
diff --git a/tests/testutils.c b/tests/testutils.c
index 8b2c51044e..003893dc44 100644
--- a/tests/testutils.c
+++ b/tests/testutils.c
@@ -992,7 +992,7 @@ int virTestMain(int argc,
 
     setenv("VIR_TEST_MOCK_PROGNAME", progname, 1);
 
-    virFileActivateDirOverride(argv[0]);
+    virFileActivateDirOverrideForProg(argv[0]);
 
     if (virTestSetEnvPath() < 0)
         return EXIT_AM_HARDFAIL;
diff --git a/tools/virsh.c b/tools/virsh.c
index e76d242ec8..ec20f35a77 100644
--- a/tools/virsh.c
+++ b/tools/virsh.c
@@ -897,7 +897,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
         return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
 
-    virFileActivateDirOverride(argv[0]);
+    virFileActivateDirOverrideForProg(argv[0]);
 
     if (!vshInit(ctl, cmdGroups, NULL))
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
diff --git a/tools/virt-admin.c b/tools/virt-admin.c
index 4ff006ffcb..e549ec1f83 100644
--- a/tools/virt-admin.c
+++ b/tools/virt-admin.c
@@ -1552,7 +1552,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
         return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
 
-    virFileActivateDirOverride(argv[0]);
+    virFileActivateDirOverrideForProg(argv[0]);
 
     if (!vshInit(ctl, cmdGroups, NULL))
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);