diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/Application/OpenSimBase.cs b/OpenSim/Region/Application/OpenSimBase.cs
index 8a279675ff..9d36986e73 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/Application/OpenSimBase.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/Application/OpenSimBase.cs
@@ -159,12 +159,26 @@ namespace OpenSim
         protected virtual void LoadPlugins()
         {
             IConfig startupConfig = Config.Configs["Startup"];
-            string registryLocation = (startupConfig != null) ? startupConfig.GetString("RegistryLocation",".") : ".";
+            string registryLocation = (startupConfig != null) ? startupConfig.GetString("RegistryLocation", String.Empty) : String.Empty;
 
-            using (PluginLoader<IApplicationPlugin> loader = new PluginLoader<IApplicationPlugin>(new ApplicationPluginInitialiser(this), registryLocation))
+            // The location can also be specified in the environment. If there
+            // is no location in the configuration, we must call the constructor
+            // without a location parameter to allow that to happen.
+            if (registryLocation == String.Empty)
             {
-                loader.Load("/OpenSim/Startup");
-                m_plugins = loader.Plugins;
+                using (PluginLoader<IApplicationPlugin> loader = new PluginLoader<IApplicationPlugin>(new ApplicationPluginInitialiser(this)))
+                {
+                    loader.Load("/OpenSim/Startup");
+                    m_plugins = loader.Plugins;
+                }
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                using (PluginLoader<IApplicationPlugin> loader = new PluginLoader<IApplicationPlugin>(new ApplicationPluginInitialiser(this), registryLocation))
+                {
+                    loader.Load("/OpenSim/Startup");
+                    m_plugins = loader.Plugins;
+                }
             }
         }
 
@@ -1052,4 +1066,4 @@ namespace OpenSim
     {
         public IConfigSource Source;
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}