diff --git a/src/IKVM.Runtime/JVM.Properties.cs b/src/IKVM.Runtime/JVM.Properties.cs
index 0efbd1fa2..d0d1e5701 100644
--- a/src/IKVM.Runtime/JVM.Properties.cs
+++ b/src/IKVM.Runtime/JVM.Properties.cs
@@ -128,6 +128,13 @@ static string GetHomePath()
                     if (Directory.Exists(Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(ikvmHomeEntry.BasePath, ikvmHomeEntry.Value))))
                         return Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(ikvmHomeEntry.BasePath, ikvmHomeEntry.Value));
 
+#if NET
+                // specified home directory in runtime.json, where path is relative to application
+                if (AppContext.GetData("IKVM.Home") is string confHome && !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(confHome))
+                    if (Directory.Exists(Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, confHome))))
+                        return Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, confHome));
+#endif
+
 #if NETFRAMEWORK
                 // attempt to find settings in legacy app.config
                 try
@@ -153,6 +160,13 @@ static string GetHomePath()
                     if (ResolveHomePathFromRoot(Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(ikvmHomeRootEntry.BasePath, ikvmHomeRootEntry.Value))) is string ikvmHomeRootPath)
                         return ikvmHomeRootPath;
 
+#if NET
+                // specified home root directory in runtime.json, where path is relative to application
+                if (AppContext.GetData("IKVM.Home.Root") is string confHomeRoot && !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(confHomeRoot))
+                    if (ResolveHomePathFromRoot(Path.Combine(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, confHomeRoot)) is string confHomeRootPath)
+                        return confHomeRootPath;
+#endif
+
 #if NETFRAMEWORK
                 // attempt to find settings in legacy app.config
                 try