diff --git a/src/pcm/pcm.c b/src/pcm/pcm.c
index 1064044c..22d10a74 100644
--- a/src/pcm/pcm.c
+++ b/src/pcm/pcm.c
@@ -2479,6 +2479,18 @@ static const char *const build_in_pcms[] = {
 	NULL
 };
 
+// helper funcion used below
+int file_exists(const char * filename)
+{
+	FILE * file;
+	if (file = fopen(filename, "r"))
+	{
+		fclose(file);
+		return 1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int snd_pcm_open_conf(snd_pcm_t **pcmp, const char *name,
 			     snd_config_t *pcm_root, snd_config_t *pcm_conf,
 			     snd_pcm_stream_t stream, int mode)
@@ -2573,13 +2585,37 @@ static int snd_pcm_open_conf(snd_pcm_t **pcmp, const char *name,
 			build_in++;
 		}
 		if (*build_in == NULL) {
-			buf1 = malloc(strlen(str) + sizeof(ALSA_PLUGIN_DIR) + 32);
-			if (buf1 == NULL) {
-				err = -ENOMEM;
-				goto _err;
+
+			// try to locate plugin in one of ALSA_PLUGIN_DIRS which is colon separated list of paths
+			char *pdirs = getenv("ALSA_PLUGIN_DIRS");
+			if (pdirs) { // env var set?
+				while (1) {
+					char *dir_tok = strtok(pdirs, ":");
+					if (dir_tok == NULL)
+						break;
+					buf1 = malloc(strlen(str) + strlen(dir_tok) + 32);
+					if (buf1 == NULL) {
+						err = -ENOMEM;
+						goto _err;
+					}
+
+					sprintf(buf1, "%s/libasound_module_pcm_%s.so", dir_tok, str);
+
+					if (file_exists(buf1)) {
+						lib = buf1;
+						break;
+					}
+					pdirs = NULL;
+				}
+			} else {
+				buf1 = malloc(strlen(str) + sizeof(ALSA_PLUGIN_DIR) + 32);
+				if (buf1 == NULL) {
+					err = -ENOMEM;
+					goto _err;
+				}
+				lib = buf1;
+				sprintf(buf1, "%s/libasound_module_pcm_%s.so", ALSA_PLUGIN_DIR, str);
 			}
-			lib = buf1;
-			sprintf(buf1, "%s/libasound_module_pcm_%s.so", ALSA_PLUGIN_DIR, str);
 		}
 	}
 #ifndef PIC