diff --git a/server-ce/README.md b/server-ce/README.md
index 27198bf9cc..858b0161dd 100644
--- a/server-ce/README.md
+++ b/server-ce/README.md
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ ShareLaTeX should mostly run out of the box, although it uses Amazon S3 for stor
 files like images. You will need to configure ShareLaTeX to use your own S3 access key
 which can be done by editing the file at `config/settings.development.coffee`
 
+A local settings file can be specified by setting the `SHARELATEX_CONFIG` environment variable
+to point to your own settings file. E.g.
+
+	$ export SHARELATEX_CONFIG=/home/james/config/settings.development.coffee
+
 Other repositories
 ------------------