diff --git a/cmake/script.tmpl b/cmake/script.tmpl
index 1b0cab64..4d9224b0 100755
--- a/cmake/script.tmpl
+++ b/cmake/script.tmpl
@@ -3,7 +3,5 @@
 @define('CONST_BinDir', '@CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR@/utils');
 @define('CONST_LibDir', '@CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR@/lib');
 @define('CONST_DataDir', '@CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR@');
-@define('CONST_InstallDir', '@CMAKE_BINARY_DIR@');
 
-require_once(CONST_InstallDir.'/settings/settings.php');
 require_once(CONST_BinDir.'/@script_source@');
diff --git a/lib/lib.php b/lib/lib.php
index fcd22066..9861cdd0 100644
--- a/lib/lib.php
+++ b/lib/lib.php
@@ -1,5 +1,23 @@
 <?php
 
+require('Symfony/Component/Dotenv/autoload.php');
+
+function loadSettings($sProjectDir)
+{
+    if (!$sProjectDir) {
+        $sProjectDir = getcwd();
+    }
+
+    @define('CONST_InstallDir', $sProjectDir);
+
+    $dotenv = new \Symfony\Component\Dotenv\Dotenv();
+
+    if (file_exists($sProjectDir.'/.env')) {
+        $dotenv->load($sProjectDir.'/.env');
+    }
+    $dotenv->load(CONST_DataDir.'/settings/env.defaults');
+}
+
 function fail($sError, $sUserError = false)
 {
     if (!$sUserError) $sUserError = $sError;
diff --git a/utils/setup.php b/utils/setup.php
index 95ad7992..10d7e155 100644
--- a/utils/setup.php
+++ b/utils/setup.php
@@ -44,11 +44,13 @@ $aCMDOptions
    array('create-country-names', '', 0, 1, 0, 0, 'bool', 'Create default list of searchable country names'),
    array('drop', '', 0, 1, 0, 0, 'bool', 'Drop tables needed for updates, making the database readonly (EXPERIMENTAL)'),
    array('setup-website', '', 0, 1, 0, 0, 'bool', 'Used to compile environment variables for the website'),
+   array('project-dir', '', 0, 1, 1, 1, 'realpath', 'Base directory for this Nominatim installation'),
   );
 
 // $aCMDOptions passed to getCmdOpt by reference
 getCmdOpt($_SERVER['argv'], $aCMDOptions, $aCMDResult, true, true);
 
+loadSettings($aCMDResult['project-dir'] ?? false);
 setupHTTPProxy();
 
 $bDidSomething = false;