diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/test/utils/shell_spec.rb b/Library/Homebrew/test/utils/shell_spec.rb
index b3a0ae8f7dc8a..c0d4e33e6f837 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/test/utils/shell_spec.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/test/utils/shell_spec.rb
@@ -19,8 +19,15 @@
       expect(subject.profile).to eq("~/.bash_profile")
     end
 
+    it "returns /tmp/.zshrc for Zsh if ZDOTDIR is /tmp" do
+      ENV["SHELL"] = "/bin/zsh"
+      ENV["ZDOTDIR"] = "/tmp"
+      expect(subject.profile).to eq("/tmp/.zshrc")
+    end
+
     it "returns ~/.zshrc for Zsh" do
       ENV["SHELL"] = "/bin/zsh"
+      ENV["ZDOTDIR"] = nil
       expect(subject.profile).to eq("~/.zshrc")
     end
 
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/utils/shell.rb b/Library/Homebrew/utils/shell.rb
index 31a807e84a412..a6f233a259122 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/utils/shell.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/utils/shell.rb
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ def export_value(key, value, shell = preferred)
 
     # return the shell profile file based on user's preferred shell
     def profile
+      return "#{ENV["ZDOTDIR"]}/.zshrc" if preferred == :zsh && ENV["ZDOTDIR"].present?
+
       SHELL_PROFILE_MAP.fetch(preferred, "~/.bash_profile")
     end