diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index c4c730a..d04a26c 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -224,6 +224,9 @@ How it works?
     It recursively searches up your configuration module path looking for a
     ``settings.ini`` or a ``.env`` file.
 
+    Optionally, it accepts ``search_path`` argument to explicitly define
+    where the search starts.
+
 The **config** object is an instance of ``AutoConfig`` to improve
 *decouple*'s usage.
 
diff --git a/decouple.py b/decouple.py
index 28dc3dc..0e1b07e 100644
--- a/decouple.py
+++ b/decouple.py
@@ -147,13 +147,21 @@ def get(self, key):
 class AutoConfig(object):
     """
     Autodetects the config file and type.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    search_path : str, optional
+        Initial search path. If empty, the default search path is the
+        caller's path.
+
     """
     SUPPORTED = {
         'settings.ini': RepositoryIni,
         '.env': RepositoryEnv,
     }
 
-    def __init__(self):
+    def __init__(self, search_path=None):
+        self.search_path = search_path
         self.config = None
 
     def _find_file(self, path):
@@ -192,7 +200,7 @@ def _caller_path(self):
 
     def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         if not self.config:
-            self._load(self._caller_path())
+            self._load(self.search_path or self._caller_path())
 
         return self.config(*args, **kwargs)
 
diff --git a/tests/autoconfig/env/custom-path/.env b/tests/autoconfig/env/custom-path/.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1124b51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/autoconfig/env/custom-path/.env
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+KEY=CUSTOMPATH
diff --git a/tests/test_autoconfig.py b/tests/test_autoconfig.py
index 667c266..63136bc 100644
--- a/tests/test_autoconfig.py
+++ b/tests/test_autoconfig.py
@@ -60,3 +60,9 @@ def test_autoconfig_is_not_a_file():
     with patch('os.path.isfile', return_value=False):
         assert True == config('KeyFallback', cast=bool)
     del os.environ['KeyFallback']
+
+
+def test_autoconfig_search_path():
+    path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'autoconfig', 'env', 'custom-path')
+    config = AutoConfig(path)
+    assert 'CUSTOMPATH' == config('KEY')