diff --git a/festival/src/arch/festival/festival.cc b/festival/src/arch/festival/festival.cc

index f485c44..03fbf4e 100644

--- festival/src/arch/festival/festival.cc

+++ festival/src/arch/festival/festival.cc

@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ const char *festival_version =  STRINGIZE(FTVERSION) ":" STRINGIZE(FTSTATE) " "

 #endif

 const char *festival_libdir = FTLIBDIR;

+const char *festival_sysconfdir = "/etc/festival";

+

 ostream *cdebug;

 static int festival_server_port = 1314;

 static EST_StrList sub_copyrights;

@@ -315,6 +317,7 @@ void festival_lisp_vars(void)

     int major,minor,subminor;

     siod_set_lval("libdir",strintern(festival_libdir));

+    siod_set_lval("sysconfdir",strintern(festival_sysconfdir));

     if (!streq(FTOSTYPE,""))

 	siod_set_lval("*ostype*",cintern(FTOSTYPE));

     siod_set_lval("festival_version",