diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index bf625e4..baa985d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 *.orig
 *.pyc
 *.pyo
+local_settings.py
diff --git a/eobuilder/settings.py b/eobuilder/settings.py
index 0a799ee..683c64f 100644
--- a/eobuilder/settings.py
+++ b/eobuilder/settings.py
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+import os
+
+BASE_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(__file__))
 
 GIT_PATH = "/var/lib/eobuilder/git"
 ORIGIN_PATH = "/var/lib/eobuilder/origin"
@@ -35,3 +38,8 @@ MIN_PACKAGE_VERSIONS = 10
 # Keep a package version during minum X days
 MIN_AGE = 60
 
+
+local_settings_file = os.environ.get('EOBUILDER_SETTINGS_FILE',
+        os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'local_settings.py'))
+if os.path.exists(local_settings_file):
+    execfile(local_settings_file)