diff --git a/core/src/main/java/jeeves/server/overrides/ConfigurationOverrides.java b/core/src/main/java/jeeves/server/overrides/ConfigurationOverrides.java
index 110776cf326..76e5f272cfd 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/jeeves/server/overrides/ConfigurationOverrides.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/jeeves/server/overrides/ConfigurationOverrides.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package jeeves.server.overrides;
 
 import org.apache.commons.io.IOUtils;
+import org.apache.commons.lang.StringUtils;
 import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
 import org.apache.log4j.PropertyConfigurator;
 import org.apache.log4j.spi.LoggerRepository;
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.regex.Matcher;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
+
 import javax.servlet.ServletContext;
 
 /**
@@ -512,6 +514,11 @@ String updatePropertiesInText(Properties properties, String value) {
             String propKey = matcher.group(1);
             String propValue = properties.getProperty(propKey);
 
+            // if property begins with "env:", it will be replaced later on
+            if (propKey.startsWith("env:")) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
             if (propValue == null) {
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException("Found a reference to a variable: " + propKey + " which is not a valid property.  Check the spelling");
             }
@@ -619,6 +626,17 @@ private String lookupOverrideParamFromServlet(ServletContext context) throws IOE
 
     public static abstract class ResourceLoader {
         protected InputStream loadInputStream(String resource) throws IOException {
+            // resolves env variables before trying to resolve the actual file
+            Pattern p = Pattern.compile("\\$\\{env:([^\\}]*)\\}");
+            Matcher m = p.matcher(resource);
+            while (m.find()) {
+                String repl = m.group();
+                String subst = System.getProperty(m.group(1), "");
+                if (StringUtils.isEmpty(subst)) {
+                    Log.warning(Log.JEEVES, "Unable to resolve environmnent variable " + m.group(1) + ", replacing with empty string");
+                }
+                resource = resource.replace((CharSequence) repl, subst);
+            }
             Path file = resolveFile(resource);
             if(file == null) {
                 return fallbackInputStream(resource);
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/jeeves/server/overrides/ConfigurationOverridesTest.java b/core/src/test/java/jeeves/server/overrides/ConfigurationOverridesTest.java
index e66c9f679aa..c2aff3ae5d9 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/jeeves/server/overrides/ConfigurationOverridesTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/jeeves/server/overrides/ConfigurationOverridesTest.java
@@ -1,7 +1,24 @@
 package jeeves.server.overrides;
 
 
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+
+import java.io.BufferedReader;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.InputStreamReader;
+import java.net.URISyntaxException;
+import java.net.URL;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.regex.Matcher;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
+
 import jeeves.config.springutil.JeevesApplicationContext;
+
 import org.apache.log4j.Level;
 import org.fao.geonet.Constants;
 import org.fao.geonet.utils.IO;
@@ -12,19 +29,6 @@
 import org.springframework.security.access.ConfigAttribute;
 import org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor;
 
-import java.io.BufferedReader;
-import java.io.IOException;
-import java.io.InputStreamReader;
-import java.net.URL;
-import java.nio.file.Path;
-import java.util.Collection;
-import java.util.List;
-
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
-
 public class ConfigurationOverridesTest {
 	private static final ClassLoader classLoader;
     private static final Path appPath;
@@ -197,7 +201,49 @@ public void noUpdateConfig() throws JDOMException, IOException {
 
         assertEquals(Xml.selectString(unchanged,"default/gui/xml[@name = 'countries']/@file"), Xml.selectString(config,"default/gui/xml[@name = 'countries']/@file"));
     }
-    
+
+    @Test
+    public void resolveRessourcesWithEnvVariable() throws Exception {
+        // Ensures the testcase begins in correct conditions
+        System.clearProperty("geonetwork.datadir");
+        System.clearProperty("another_one");
+
+        // No properties defined, it should resolve as "//test.xml"
+
+        try {
+            boolean exCaught = false;
+            URL u = this.getClass().getResource("/");
+
+            try {
+                loader.loadXmlResource("${env:geonetwork.datadir}/${env:another_one}/test.xml");
+            } catch (Throwable e) {
+                System.out.println(e.getMessage());
+                exCaught = e.getMessage().contains("//test.xml");
+            }
+            assertTrue(
+                    "Expected to fail on loading //test.xml file, no exception encountered",
+                    exCaught);
+
+            // Same defining the previously missing env variables
+
+            System.setProperty("geonetwork.datadir", u.toURI().getPath());
+            System.setProperty("another_one", "test-spring-config.xml");
+
+            exCaught = false;
+            try {
+                loader.loadXmlResource("${env:geonetwork.datadir}/${env:another_one}");
+            } catch (Throwable e) {
+                exCaught = true;
+            }
+            assertFalse("Unexepected exception caught with a legit file.",
+                    exCaught);
+        } finally {
+            // Cleanup after testing
+            System.clearProperty("geonetwork.datadir");
+            System.clearProperty("another_one");
+        }
+    }
+
     // TODO no property
     // no overrides
     // invalid appPath