diff --git a/pkgs/applications/misc/spnavcfg/configure-cfgfile-path.patch b/pkgs/applications/misc/spnavcfg/configure-cfgfile-path.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..22db2ee66ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/applications/misc/spnavcfg/configure-cfgfile-path.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+diff --git a/back.c b/back.c
+index c1810dc..75416fb 100644
+--- a/back.c
++++ b/back.c
+@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ along with this program. If not, see .
+ #include "cfgfile.h"
+ #include "cmd.h"
+
+-#define CFGFILE "/etc/spnavrc"
+
+ int get_daemon_pid(void);
+ static int update_cfg(void);
+@@ -127,7 +126,7 @@ int get_daemon_pid(void)
+
+ static int update_cfg(void)
+ {
+- if(write_cfg(CFGFILE, &cfg) == -1) {
++ if(write_cfg(cfg_path(), &cfg) == -1) {
+ fprintf(stderr, "failed to update config file\n");
+ return -1;
+ }
+diff --git a/cfgfile.c b/cfgfile.c
+index 5a9c502..2ea323d 100644
+--- a/cfgfile.c
++++ b/cfgfile.c
+@@ -22,12 +22,40 @@ along with this program. If not, see .
+ #include
+ #include
+ #include
++#include
++#include
++#include
+ #include "cfgfile.h"
+
+ enum {TX, TY, TZ, RX, RY, RZ};
+
+ static const int def_axmap[] = {0, 2, 1, 3, 5, 4};
+ static const int def_axinv[] = {0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1};
++static char* config_path;
++
++char* cfg_path()
++{
++ char* buf;
++ if((buf = getenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME"))) {
++ if(config_path == NULL) {
++ config_path = malloc(strlen(buf) + strlen("/spnavrc") + 1);
++ if ( config_path != NULL) {
++ sprintf(config_path, "%s/spnavrc", buf);
++ }
++ };
++ return config_path;
++ } else {
++ if (!(buf = getenv("HOME"))) {
++ struct passwd *pw = getpwuid(getuid());
++ buf = pw->pw_dir;
++ }
++ config_path = malloc(strlen(buf) + strlen("/.config/spnavrc") + 1);
++ if ( config_path != NULL) {
++ sprintf(config_path, "%s/.config/spnavrc", buf);
++ }
++ return config_path;
++ }
++}
+
+ void default_cfg(struct cfg *cfg)
+ {
+diff --git a/cfgfile.h b/cfgfile.h
+index dfed8c9..5bb1b2c 100644
+--- a/cfgfile.h
++++ b/cfgfile.h
+@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ struct cfg {
+ int devid[MAX_CUSTOM][2]; /* custom USB vendor/product id list */
+ };
+
++char* cfg_path(void);
+ void default_cfg(struct cfg *cfg);
+ int read_cfg(const char *fname, struct cfg *cfg);
+ int write_cfg(const char *fname, struct cfg *cfg);
+diff --git a/front_gtk.c b/front_gtk.c
+index e4c2cd7..6a800a0 100644
+--- a/front_gtk.c
++++ b/front_gtk.c
+@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@ along with this program. If not, see .
+ #include "cmd.h"
+ #include "ui.h"
+
+-#define CFGFILE "/etc/spnavrc"
+-
+ #define CHK_AXINV_TRANS_X "axinv_trans_x"
+ #define CHK_AXINV_TRANS_Y "axinv_trans_y"
+ #define CHK_AXINV_TRANS_Z "axinv_trans_z"
+@@ -121,7 +119,7 @@ void frontend(int pfd)
+
+ gtk_init(&argc, 0);
+
+- read_cfg(CFGFILE, &cfg);
++ read_cfg(cfg_path(), &cfg);
+
+ create_ui();
+
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/misc/spnavcfg/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/misc/spnavcfg/default.nix
index 1d01b99a4af..fcd4630e803 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/misc/spnavcfg/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/misc/spnavcfg/default.nix
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
# Changes the pidfile path from /run/spnavd.pid to $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/spnavd.pid
# to allow for a user service
./configure-pidfile-path.patch
+ # Changes the config file path from /etc/spnavrc to $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/spnavrc or $HOME/.config/spnavrc
+ # to allow for a user service
+ ./configure-cfgfile-path.patch
];
postPatch = ''