diff --git a/cli/main.cpp b/cli/main.cpp
index bae01f6..70c9788 100644
--- a/cli/main.cpp
+++ b/cli/main.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 
 void printUsage(QString argv0)
 {
-	qInfo() << "Usage: " << argv0 << "command";
+	qInfo() << "Usage:" << argv0 << "command";
 }
 
 Command *commandFromName(QString name, SqliteDbService &dbService)
@@ -66,11 +66,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
-	QString commandName = args.first();
-	QSettings settings;
-	QString connectionString = settings.value("dbpath").toString();
+	QString connectionString = Common::databasePath();
 	DatabaseFactory dbFactory(connectionString);
 	SqliteDbService dbService(dbFactory);
+	QString commandName = args.first();
 	Command *cmd = commandFromName(commandName, dbService);
 	if(cmd != nullptr)
 	{
diff --git a/gui/mainwindow.cpp b/gui/mainwindow.cpp
index 99288ef..e6cc510 100644
--- a/gui/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/gui/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -16,13 +16,15 @@
 #include "clicklabel.h"
 #include "../shared/sqlitesearch.h"
 #include "../shared/qssgeneralexception.h"
+#include "../shared/common.h"
+
 MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent) : QMainWindow(parent), ui(new Ui::MainWindow)
 {
 	ui->setupUi(this);
 	QSettings settings;
 
 	db = QSqlDatabase::addDatabase("QSQLITE");
-	db.setDatabaseName(settings.value("dbpath").toString());
+	db.setDatabaseName(Common::databasePath());
 	if(!db.open())
 	{
 		qDebug() << "failed to open database";
diff --git a/shared/common.cpp b/shared/common.cpp
index 43be177..7767ed0 100644
--- a/shared/common.cpp
+++ b/shared/common.cpp
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#include <QProcessEnvironment>
+#include <QSettings>
 #include "common.h"
 
 void Common::setupAppInfo()
@@ -6,3 +8,14 @@ void Common::setupAppInfo()
 	QCoreApplication::setOrganizationDomain("quitesimple.org");
 	QCoreApplication::setApplicationName("qss");
 }
+
+QString Common::databasePath()
+{
+	QString env = QProcessEnvironment::systemEnvironment().value("QSS_DB_OVERRIDE");
+	if(env == "")
+	{
+		QSettings settings;
+		return settings.value("dbpath").toString();
+	}
+	return env;
+}
diff --git a/shared/common.h b/shared/common.h
index 410ef96..ba028d6 100644
--- a/shared/common.h
+++ b/shared/common.h
@@ -5,5 +5,6 @@
 namespace Common
 {
 void setupAppInfo();
-}
+QString databasePath();
+} // namespace Common
 #endif