diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 2e09e18902..3c00baaf4b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -128,11 +128,9 @@ option( KICAD_SPICE "Build KiCad with internal Spice simulator." ON )
 set( CMAKE_CXX_VISIBILITY_PRESET "hidden" )
 set( CMAKE_VISIBILITY_INLINES_HIDDEN ON )
 
-
 # Global setting: build everything position independent
 set( CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON )
 
-
 # Global setting: Use C++11
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 11)
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
@@ -160,12 +158,9 @@ endif()
 # Add option to add user directories for linker, if any
 LINK_DIRECTORIES( ${LINK_DIRECTORIES_PATH} )
 
-if( UNIX )
-    set( KICAD_USER_CONFIG_DIR $ENV{HOME} CACHE PATH "Location of user specific KiCad config files" )
-elseif( MINGW )
-    set( KICAD_USER_CONFIG_DIR $ENV{APPDATA} CACHE PATH "Location of user specific KiCad config files" )
-endif()
-mark_as_advanced( KICAD_USER_CONFIG_DIR )
+set( KICAD_CONFIG_DIR "kicad" CACHE STRING "Location of user specific KiCad config files" )
+mark_as_advanced( KICAD_CONFIG_DIR )
+add_definitions( -DKICAD_CONFIG_DIR=${KICAD_CONFIG_DIR} )
 
 # Set default data file path to CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX if it wasn't specified during the
 # CMake configuration.  The value of DEFAULT_INSTALL_PATH is expanded in config.h and
diff --git a/Documentation/development/compiling.md b/Documentation/development/compiling.md
index b9873a5a09..d106a970ed 100644
--- a/Documentation/development/compiling.md
+++ b/Documentation/development/compiling.md
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ so use at your own risk.
 ## Graphics Context Overlay ## {#overlay_opt}
 
 The USE_WX_OVERLAY option is used to enable the optional wxOverlay class for graphics rendering
-on macOS.  This is enabled on macOS by default and disabled on all other platforms.
+on macOS.  This is enabled on macOS and GTK3 by default and disabled on all other platforms.
 
 ## Scripting Support ## {#scripting_opt}
 
@@ -222,6 +222,18 @@ information as follows:
      |
      output of `git describe --dirty` if git is available.
 
+
+## KiCad Config Directory ## {#config_dir_opt}
+
+The default KiCad configuration directory is `kicad`.  On Linux this is located at
+`~/.config/kicad`, on MSW, this is `C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\kicad` and
+on MacOS, this is `~/Library/Preferences/kicad`.  If the installation package would like to, it may
+specify an alternate configuration name instead of `kicad`.  This may be useful for versioning
+the configuration parameters and allowing the use of, e.g. `kicad5` and `kicad6` concurrently without
+losing configuration data.
+
+This is set by specifying the KICAD_CONFIG_DIR string at compile time.
+
 # Getting the KiCad Source Code ## {#getting_src}
 
 There are several ways to get the KiCad source.  If you want to build the stable version you
diff --git a/common/common.cpp b/common/common.cpp
index 26a333a7f8..d2dec02727 100644
--- a/common/common.cpp
+++ b/common/common.cpp
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ wxString GetKicadConfigPath()
         cfgpath.AssignDir( envstr );
     }
 
-    cfgpath.AppendDir( wxT( "kicad" ) );
+    cfgpath.AppendDir( TO_STR( KICAD_CONFIG_DIR ) );
 
     // Use KICAD_CONFIG_HOME to allow the user to force a specific configuration path.
     if( wxGetEnv( wxT( "KICAD_CONFIG_HOME" ), &envstr ) && !envstr.IsEmpty() )
diff --git a/include/macros.h b/include/macros.h
index d5a5cf7706..7f75281f1f 100644
--- a/include/macros.h
+++ b/include/macros.h
@@ -46,6 +46,14 @@
  */
 #define TO_UTF8( wxstring )  ( (const char*) (wxstring).utf8_str() )
 
+/**
+ * Stringifies the given parameter by placing in quotes
+ * @param cstring STRING (no spaces)
+ * @return "STRING"
+ */
+#define TO_STR2(x) #x
+#define TO_STR(x) TO_STR2(x)
+
 /**
  * function FROM_UTF8
  * converts a UTF8 encoded C string to a wxString for all wxWidgets build modes.