diff --git a/libsemanage/include/semanage/handle.h b/libsemanage/include/semanage/handle.h
index a5ea31deb..601cd9ee9 100644
--- a/libsemanage/include/semanage/handle.h
+++ b/libsemanage/include/semanage/handle.h
@@ -30,7 +30,11 @@
 struct semanage_handle;
 typedef struct semanage_handle semanage_handle_t;
 
-/* Create and return a semanage handle.
+/* Create and return a semanage handle with a specific config path.
+   The handle is initially in the disconnected state. */
+semanage_handle_t *semanage_handle_create_with_path(const char *conf_name);
+
+/* Create and return a semanage handle with the default config path.
    The handle is initially in the disconnected state. */
 extern semanage_handle_t *semanage_handle_create(void);
 
diff --git a/libsemanage/src/handle.c b/libsemanage/src/handle.c
index faea0606a..ca57702aa 100644
--- a/libsemanage/src/handle.c
+++ b/libsemanage/src/handle.c
@@ -59,19 +59,14 @@ const char * semanage_root(void)
 	return private_semanage_root;
 }
 
-
-semanage_handle_t *semanage_handle_create(void)
+semanage_handle_t *semanage_handle_create_with_path(const char *conf_name)
 {
 	semanage_handle_t *sh = NULL;
-	char *conf_name = NULL;
 
 	/* Allocate handle */
 	if ((sh = calloc(1, sizeof(semanage_handle_t))) == NULL)
 		goto err;
 
-	if ((conf_name = semanage_conf_path()) == NULL)
-		goto err;
-
 	if ((sh->conf = semanage_conf_parse(conf_name)) == NULL)
 		goto err;
 
@@ -106,13 +101,30 @@ semanage_handle_t *semanage_handle_create(void)
 	sh->msg_callback = semanage_msg_default_handler;
 	sh->msg_callback_arg = NULL;
 
+	return sh;
+
+      err:
+	semanage_handle_destroy(sh);
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+semanage_handle_t *semanage_handle_create(void)
+{
+	semanage_handle_t *sh = NULL;
+	char *conf_name = NULL;
+
+	if ((conf_name = semanage_conf_path()) == NULL)
+		goto err;
+
+	if ((sh = semanage_handle_create_with_path(conf_name)) == NULL)
+		goto err;
+
 	free(conf_name);
 
 	return sh;
 
       err:
 	free(conf_name);
-	semanage_handle_destroy(sh);
 	return NULL;
 }
 
diff --git a/libsemanage/src/libsemanage.map b/libsemanage/src/libsemanage.map
index c8214b26f..8d7d8b053 100644
--- a/libsemanage/src/libsemanage.map
+++ b/libsemanage/src/libsemanage.map
@@ -350,3 +350,7 @@ LIBSEMANAGE_3.4 {
     semanage_module_compute_checksum;
     semanage_set_check_ext_changes;
 } LIBSEMANAGE_1.1;
+
+LIBSEMANAGE_3.9 {
+    semanage_handle_create_with_path;
+} LIBSEMANAGE_3.4;
diff --git a/policycoreutils/semodule/semodule.c b/policycoreutils/semodule/semodule.c
index ebe062bf4..ab5168ebd 100644
--- a/policycoreutils/semodule/semodule.c
+++ b/policycoreutils/semodule/semodule.c
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ static void usage(char *progname)
 	printf("  -v,--verbose     be verbose\n");
 	printf("  -P,--preserve_tunables	Preserve tunables in policy\n");
 	printf("  -C,--ignore-module-cache	Rebuild CIL modules compiled from HLL files\n");
+	printf("  -g,--config=PATH use an alternate path for the semanage config\n");
 	printf("  -p,--path        use an alternate path for the policy root\n");
 	printf("  -S,--store-path  use an alternate path for the policy store root\n");
 	printf("  -c, --cil extract module as cil. This only affects module extraction.\n");
@@ -210,6 +211,7 @@ static void parse_command_line(int argc, char **argv)
 		{"enable", required_argument, NULL, 'e'},
 		{"disable", required_argument, NULL, 'd'},
 		{"path", required_argument, NULL, 'p'},
+		{"config", required_argument, NULL, 'g'},
 		{"store-path", required_argument, NULL, 'S'},
 		{"checksum", 0, NULL, 'm'},
 		{NULL, 0, NULL, 0}
@@ -223,7 +225,7 @@ static void parse_command_line(int argc, char **argv)
 	check_ext_changes = 0;
 	priority = 400;
 	while ((i =
-		getopt_long(argc, argv, "s:b:hi:l::vr:u:RnNBDCPX:e:d:p:S:E:cHm",
+		getopt_long(argc, argv, "s:b:hi:l::vr:u:RnNBDCPX:e:d:p:g:S:E:cHm",
 			    opts, &longind)) != -1) {
 		switch (i) {
 		case '\0':
@@ -304,6 +306,14 @@ static void parse_command_line(int argc, char **argv)
 		case 'C':
 			ignore_module_cache = 1;
 			break;
+		case 'g':
+			sh = semanage_handle_create_with_path(optarg);
+			if (!sh) {
+				fprintf(stderr, "%s:  Could not create semanage handle\n",
+					argv[0]);
+				exit(1);
+			}
+			break;
 		case 'X':
 			set_mode(PRIORITY_M, optarg);
 			break;
@@ -421,11 +431,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (build || check_ext_changes)
 		commit = 1;
 
-	sh = semanage_handle_create();
 	if (!sh) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s:  Could not create semanage handle\n",
-			argv[0]);
-		goto cleanup_nohandle;
+		sh = semanage_handle_create();
+		if (!sh) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "%s:  Could not create semanage handle\n",
+				argv[0]);
+			goto cleanup_nohandle;
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (store) {