diff --git a/red/red.js b/red/red.js
index e9924a43e..aea6bbbf9 100644
--- a/red/red.js
+++ b/red/red.js
@@ -44,11 +44,15 @@ module.exports = {
             userSettings = httpServer;
             httpServer = null;
         }
-        
+
         if (!userSettings.SKIP_BUILD_CHECK) {
             checkBuild();
         }
 
+        if (!userSettings.coreNodesDir) {
+            userSettings.coreNodesDir = path.resolve(path.join(__dirname,"..","nodes"));
+        }
+
         if (userSettings.httpAdminRoot !== false || userSettings.httpNodeRoot !== false) {
             runtime.init(userSettings,api);
             api.init(httpServer,runtime);
diff --git a/red/runtime/nodes/registry/localfilesystem.js b/red/runtime/nodes/registry/localfilesystem.js
index 36a9bd88c..59560deaf 100644
--- a/red/runtime/nodes/registry/localfilesystem.js
+++ b/red/runtime/nodes/registry/localfilesystem.js
@@ -23,21 +23,13 @@ var log;
 var i18n;
 
 var settings;
-var defaultNodesDir = path.resolve(path.join(__dirname,"..","..","..","..","nodes"));
 var disableNodePathScan = false;
 
-function init(runtime,_defaultNodesDir,_disableNodePathScan) {
+function init(runtime) {
     settings = runtime.settings;
     events = runtime.events;
     log = runtime.log;
     i18n = runtime.i18n;
-
-    if (_disableNodePathScan) {
-        disableNodePathScan = _disableNodePathScan;
-    }
-    if (_defaultNodesDir) {
-        defaultNodesDir = path.resolve(_defaultNodesDir);
-    }
 }
 
 function isExcluded(name) {
@@ -139,7 +131,7 @@ function scanDirForNodesModules(dir,moduleName) {
  * @return a list of node modules: {dir,package}
  */
 function scanTreeForNodesModules(moduleName) {
-    var dir = defaultNodesDir;
+    var dir = settings.coreNodesDir;
     var results = [];
     var userDir;
 
@@ -193,19 +185,13 @@ function getModuleNodeFiles(module) {
     return results;
 }
 
-function getNodeFiles(_defaultNodesDir,disableNodePathScan) {
-
-    if (_defaultNodesDir) {
-        defaultNodesDir = _defaultNodesDir;
-    }
-
+function getNodeFiles(disableNodePathScan) {
     var dir;
     // Find all of the nodes to load
-    //console.log(defaultNodesDir);
-    var nodeFiles = getLocalNodeFiles(path.resolve(defaultNodesDir));
+    var nodeFiles = getLocalNodeFiles(path.resolve(settings.coreNodesDir));
     //console.log(nodeFiles);
 
-    var defaultLocalesPath = path.resolve(path.join(defaultNodesDir,"core","locales"));
+    var defaultLocalesPath = path.resolve(path.join(settings.coreNodesDir,"core","locales"));
     i18n.registerMessageCatalog("node-red",defaultLocalesPath,"messages.json");
 
     if (settings.userDir) {
@@ -250,6 +236,8 @@ function getNodeFiles(_defaultNodesDir,disableNodePathScan) {
             });
             nodeFiles = nodeFiles.concat(nodeModuleFiles);
         });
+    } else {
+        console.log("node path scan disabled");
     }
     return nodeList;
 }
diff --git a/test/red/runtime/nodes/registry/localfilesystem_spec.js b/test/red/runtime/nodes/registry/localfilesystem_spec.js
index 7e5a9812f..a9b036bcb 100644
--- a/test/red/runtime/nodes/registry/localfilesystem_spec.js
+++ b/test/red/runtime/nodes/registry/localfilesystem_spec.js
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ describe("red/nodes/registry/localfilesystem",function() {
     }
     describe("#getNodeFiles",function() {
         it("Finds all the node files in the resources tree",function(done) {
-            localfilesystem.init({i18n:{registerMessageCatalog:function(){}},events:{emit:function(){}},settings:{}});
-            var nodeList = localfilesystem.getNodeFiles(resourcesDir,true);
+            localfilesystem.init({i18n:{registerMessageCatalog:function(){}},events:{emit:function(){}},settings:{coreNodesDir:resourcesDir}});
+            var nodeList = localfilesystem.getNodeFiles(true);
             nodeList.should.have.a.property("node-red");
             var nm = nodeList['node-red'];
             nm.should.have.a.property('name','node-red');
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@ describe("red/nodes/registry/localfilesystem",function() {
             done();
         });
         it("Excludes node files from settings",function(done) {
-            localfilesystem.init({i18n:{registerMessageCatalog:function(){}},events:{emit:function(){}},settings:{nodesExcludes:['TestNode1.js']}});
-            var nodeList = localfilesystem.getNodeFiles(resourcesDir,true);
+            localfilesystem.init({i18n:{registerMessageCatalog:function(){}},events:{emit:function(){}},settings:{nodesExcludes:['TestNode1.js'],coreNodesDir:resourcesDir}});
+            var nodeList = localfilesystem.getNodeFiles(true);
             nodeList.should.have.a.property("node-red");
             var nm = nodeList['node-red'];
             nm.should.have.a.property('name','node-red');
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ describe("red/nodes/registry/localfilesystem",function() {
             done();
         });
         it("Finds nodes in userDir/nodes",function(done) {
-            localfilesystem.init({i18n:{registerMessageCatalog:function(){}},events:{emit:function(){}},settings:{userDir:userDir}});
-            var nodeList = localfilesystem.getNodeFiles(__dirname,true);
+            localfilesystem.init({i18n:{registerMessageCatalog:function(){}},events:{emit:function(){}},settings:{userDir:userDir,coreNodesDir:__dirname}});
+            var nodeList = localfilesystem.getNodeFiles(true);
             nodeList.should.have.a.property("node-red");
             var nm = nodeList['node-red'];
             nm.should.have.a.property('name','node-red');
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ describe("red/nodes/registry/localfilesystem",function() {
         });
 
         it("Finds nodes in settings.nodesDir (string)",function(done) {
-            localfilesystem.init({i18n:{registerMessageCatalog:function(){}},events:{emit:function(){}},settings:{nodesDir:userDir}});
-            var nodeList = localfilesystem.getNodeFiles(__dirname,true);
+            localfilesystem.init({i18n:{registerMessageCatalog:function(){}},events:{emit:function(){}},settings:{nodesDir:userDir,coreNodesDir:__dirname}});
+            var nodeList = localfilesystem.getNodeFiles(true);
             nodeList.should.have.a.property("node-red");
             var nm = nodeList['node-red'];
             nm.should.have.a.property('name','node-red');
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@ describe("red/nodes/registry/localfilesystem",function() {
             done();
         });
         it("Finds nodes in settings.nodesDir (array)",function(done) {
-            localfilesystem.init({i18n:{registerMessageCatalog:function(){}},events:{emit:function(){}},settings:{nodesDir:[userDir]}});
-            var nodeList = localfilesystem.getNodeFiles(__dirname,true);
+            localfilesystem.init({i18n:{registerMessageCatalog:function(){}},events:{emit:function(){}},settings:{nodesDir:[userDir],coreNodesDir:__dirname}});
+            var nodeList = localfilesystem.getNodeFiles(true);
             nodeList.should.have.a.property("node-red");
             var nm = nodeList['node-red'];
             nm.should.have.a.property('name','node-red');
@@ -106,8 +106,8 @@ describe("red/nodes/registry/localfilesystem",function() {
                 }
                 return _join.apply(null,arguments);
             }));
-            localfilesystem.init({i18n:{registerMessageCatalog:function(){}},events:{emit:function(){}},settings:{}});
-            var nodeList = localfilesystem.getNodeFiles(moduleDir,false);
+            localfilesystem.init({i18n:{registerMessageCatalog:function(){}},events:{emit:function(){}},settings:{coreNodesDir:moduleDir}});
+            var nodeList = localfilesystem.getNodeFiles();
             nodeList.should.have.a.property("node-red");
             var nm = nodeList['node-red'];
             nm.should.have.a.property('name','node-red');
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ describe("red/nodes/registry/localfilesystem",function() {
                 }
                 return _join.apply(null,arguments);
             }));
-            localfilesystem.init({i18n:{registerMessageCatalog:function(){}},events:{emit:function(){}},settings:{}},moduleDir,true);
+            localfilesystem.init({i18n:{registerMessageCatalog:function(){}},events:{emit:function(){}},settings:{coreNodesDir:moduleDir}});
             var nodeModule = localfilesystem.getModuleFiles('TestNodeModule');
             nodeModule.should.have.a.property('TestNodeModule');
             nodeModule['TestNodeModule'].should.have.a.property('name','TestNodeModule');
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ describe("red/nodes/registry/localfilesystem",function() {
                 }
                 return _join.apply(null,arguments);
             }));
-            localfilesystem.init({i18n:{registerMessageCatalog:function(){}},events:{emit:function(){}},settings:{}},moduleDir,true);
+            localfilesystem.init({i18n:{registerMessageCatalog:function(){}},events:{emit:function(){}},settings:{coreNodesDir:moduleDir}});
             /*jshint immed: false */
             (function(){
                 localfilesystem.getModuleFiles('WontExistModule');