diff --git a/src/classes/PStartupHandler.cpp b/src/classes/PStartupHandler.cpp
index b245d233..813a0129 100644
--- a/src/classes/PStartupHandler.cpp
+++ b/src/classes/PStartupHandler.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
  ***************************************************************************/
 
 #include <iostream>
+#include <fstream>
 using namespace std;
 
 #include <TObjArray.h>
@@ -48,6 +49,34 @@ ClassImpQ(PStartupHandler)
  */
 PStartupHandler::PStartupHandler()
 {
+  fStartupFileFound = false;
+  fStartupFilePath = "";
+
+  // get default path (for the moment only linux like)
+  char *pmusrpath;
+  char musrpath[128];
+  char startup_path_name[128];
+
+  // check if the startup file is found in the current directory
+  strcpy(startup_path_name, "./musrfit_startup.xml");
+  if (StartupFileExists(startup_path_name)) {
+    fStartupFileFound = true;
+    fStartupFilePath = TString(startup_path_name);
+  } else { // startup file is not found in the current directory
+    // check if the MUSRFITPATH system variable is set
+    pmusrpath = getenv("MUSRFITPATH");
+    if (pmusrpath == 0) { // not set, will try default one
+      strcpy(musrpath, "/home/nemu/analysis/bin");
+      cout << endl << "**WARNING** MUSRFITPATH environment variable not set will try " << musrpath << endl;
+    } else {
+      strncpy(musrpath, pmusrpath, sizeof(musrpath));
+    }
+    sprintf(startup_path_name, "%s/musrfit_startup.xml", musrpath);
+    if (StartupFileExists(startup_path_name)) {
+      fStartupFileFound = true;
+      fStartupFilePath = TString(startup_path_name);
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -440,5 +469,30 @@ void PStartupHandler::CheckLists()
   }
 }
 
-// end ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// StartupFileExists
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+/**
+ * <p>
+ *
+ */
+bool PStartupHandler::StartupFileExists(char *fln)
+{
+  bool result = false;
+
+  ifstream ifile(fln);
+
+  if (ifile.fail()) {
+    result = false;
+  } else {
+    result = true;
+    ifile.close();
+  }
+
+  return result;
+}
+
+// -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// end
+// -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/src/include/PStartupHandler.h b/src/include/PStartupHandler.h
index 1543a941..e8c9a1c4 100644
--- a/src/include/PStartupHandler.h
+++ b/src/include/PStartupHandler.h
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ class PStartupHandler : public TObject, public TQObject
     virtual void OnFatalError(const char*); // SLOT
     virtual void OnCdataBlock(const char*, Int_t); // SLOT
 
+    virtual bool StartupFileFound() { return fStartupFileFound; }
+    virtual TString GetStartupFilePath() { return fStartupFilePath; }
+
     virtual void CheckLists();
 
     virtual PMsrFourierStructure GetFourierDefaults() { return fFourierDefaults; }
@@ -70,11 +73,15 @@ class PStartupHandler : public TObject, public TQObject
                     eColorList, eColor};
     EKeyWords       fKey;
 
+    bool                 fStartupFileFound;
+    TString              fStartupFilePath;
     PMsrFourierStructure fFourierDefaults;
     PStringVector        fDataPathList;
     PIntVector           fMarkerList;
     PIntVector           fColorList;
 
+    bool StartupFileExists(char *fln);
+
   ClassDef(PStartupHandler, 1)
 };
 
diff --git a/src/musrfit.cpp b/src/musrfit.cpp
index 54f327cd..7e571c68 100644
--- a/src/musrfit.cpp
+++ b/src/musrfit.cpp
@@ -554,22 +554,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   }
 
 
-  // get default path (for the moment only linux like)
-  char *pmusrpath;
-  char musrpath[128];
-  pmusrpath = getenv("MUSRFITPATH");
-  if (pmusrpath == 0) { // not set, will try default one
-    strcpy(musrpath, "/home/nemu/analysis/bin");
-    cout << endl << "**WARNING** MUSRFITPATH environment variable not set will try " << musrpath << endl;
-  } else {
-    strncpy(musrpath, pmusrpath, sizeof(musrpath));
-  }
-
   // read startup file
   char startup_path_name[128];
-  sprintf(startup_path_name, "%s/musrfit_startup.xml", musrpath);
   TSAXParser *saxParser = new TSAXParser();
   PStartupHandler *startupHandler = new PStartupHandler();
+  strcpy(startup_path_name, startupHandler->GetStartupFilePath().Data());
   saxParser->ConnectToHandler("PStartupHandler", startupHandler);
   status = saxParser->ParseFile(startup_path_name);
   // check for parse errors
diff --git a/src/musrgui/PAdmin.cpp b/src/musrgui/PAdmin.cpp
index dcb41df7..321cdbc4 100644
--- a/src/musrgui/PAdmin.cpp
+++ b/src/musrgui/PAdmin.cpp
@@ -235,10 +235,13 @@ PAdmin::PAdmin()
   fHelpMain   = QString("");
 
   // XML Parser part
-  QString path = getenv("MUSRFITPATH");
-  if (path.isEmpty())
-    path = "/home/nemu/analysis/bin";
-  QString fln = path + "/musrgui_startup.xml";
+  QString fln = "./musrgui_startup.xml";
+  if (!QFile::exists(fln)) {
+    QString path = getenv("MUSRFITPATH");
+    if (path.isEmpty())
+      path = "/home/nemu/analysis/bin";
+    fln = path + "/musrgui_startup.xml";
+  }
   if (QFile::exists(fln)) { // administration file present
     PAdminXMLParser handler(this);
     QFile xmlFile(fln);
diff --git a/src/musrt0.cpp b/src/musrt0.cpp
index 61588dc1..77fb553f 100644
--- a/src/musrt0.cpp
+++ b/src/musrt0.cpp
@@ -97,22 +97,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     return PMUSR_WRONG_STARTUP_SYNTAX;
   }
 
-  // get default path (for the moment only linux like)
-  char *pmusrpath;
-  char musrpath[128];
-  pmusrpath = getenv("MUSRFITPATH");
-  if (pmusrpath == 0) { // not set, will try default one
-    strcpy(musrpath, "/home/nemu/analysis/bin");
-    cout << endl << "**WARNING** MUSRFITPATH environment variable not set will try " << musrpath << endl;
-  } else {
-    strncpy(musrpath, pmusrpath, sizeof(musrpath));
-  }
-
   // read startup file
   char startup_path_name[128];
-  sprintf(startup_path_name, "%s/musrfit_startup.xml", musrpath);
   TSAXParser *saxParser = new TSAXParser();
   PStartupHandler *startupHandler = new PStartupHandler();
+  strcpy(startup_path_name, startupHandler->GetStartupFilePath().Data());
   saxParser->ConnectToHandler("PStartupHandler", startupHandler);
   status = saxParser->ParseFile(startup_path_name);
   // check for parse errors
diff --git a/src/musrview.cpp b/src/musrview.cpp
index 0ed4a2cf..3aa2cc2f 100644
--- a/src/musrview.cpp
+++ b/src/musrview.cpp
@@ -98,23 +98,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     return PMUSR_WRONG_STARTUP_SYNTAX;
   }
 
-  // get default path (for the moment only linux like)
-  char *pmusrpath;
-  char musrpath[128];
-  pmusrpath = getenv("MUSRFITPATH");
-  if (pmusrpath == 0) { // not set, will try default one
-    strcpy(musrpath, "/home/nemu/analysis/bin");
-    cout << endl << "**WARNING** MUSRFITPATH environment variable not set will try " << musrpath << endl;
-  } else {
-    strncpy(musrpath, pmusrpath, sizeof(musrpath));
-  }
-
   // read startup file
   char startup_path_name[128];
-  sprintf(startup_path_name, "%s/musrfit_startup.xml", musrpath);
   TSAXParser *saxParser = new TSAXParser();
   PStartupHandler *startupHandler = new PStartupHandler();
   saxParser->ConnectToHandler("PStartupHandler", startupHandler);
+  strcpy(startup_path_name, startupHandler->GetStartupFilePath().Data());
   status = saxParser->ParseFile(startup_path_name);
   // check for parse errors
   if (status) { // error