diff --git a/src/arduino/arduinoSettings.ts b/src/arduino/arduinoSettings.ts
index 60e8ebea..9a2f7720 100644
--- a/src/arduino/arduinoSettings.ts
+++ b/src/arduino/arduinoSettings.ts
@@ -214,10 +214,11 @@ export class ArduinoSettings implements IArduinoSettings {
             this._packagePath = path.join(this._arduinoPath, "portable");
         } else if (util.fileExistsSync(path.join(this._arduinoPath, "AppxManifest.xml"))) {
             this._packagePath = path.join(folder, "ArduinoData");
+        } else if (process.env.hasOwnProperty('ARDUINO_DIRECTORIES_DATA')) {
+            this._packagePath = process.env.ARDUINO_DIRECTORIES_DATA
         } else {
             this._packagePath = path.join(process.env.LOCALAPPDATA, "Arduino15");
         }
-
         if (this.preferences.get("sketchbook.path")) {
             if (util.directoryExistsSync(path.join(this._arduinoPath, "portable"))) {
                 this._sketchbookPath = path.join(this._arduinoPath, "portable", this.preferences.get("sketchbook.path"));