diff --git a/festival/src/arch/festival/festival.cc b/festival/src/arch/festival/festival.cc
index f485c44..03fbf4e 100644
--- festival/src/arch/festival/festival.cc
+++ festival/src/arch/festival/festival.cc
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ const char *festival_version =  STRINGIZE(FTVERSION) ":" STRINGIZE(FTSTATE) " "
 #endif
 
 const char *festival_libdir = FTLIBDIR;
+const char *festival_sysconfdir = "/etc/festival";
+
 ostream *cdebug;
 static int festival_server_port = 1314;
 static EST_StrList sub_copyrights;
@@ -315,6 +317,7 @@ void festival_lisp_vars(void)
     int major,minor,subminor;
     
     siod_set_lval("libdir",strintern(festival_libdir));
+    siod_set_lval("sysconfdir",strintern(festival_sysconfdir));
     if (!streq(FTOSTYPE,""))
 	siod_set_lval("*ostype*",cintern(FTOSTYPE));
     siod_set_lval("festival_version",