diff --git a/lib/foreman/export/base.rb b/lib/foreman/export/base.rb
index e771196..09fd89f 100644
--- a/lib/foreman/export/base.rb
+++ b/lib/foreman/export/base.rb
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ private ######################################################################
   def export_template(exporter, file, template_root)
     if template_root && File.exist?(file_path = File.join(template_root, file))
       File.read(file_path)
+    elsif File.exist?(file_path = File.join("~/.foreman/", file))
+      File.read(file_path)
     else
       File.read(File.expand_path("../../../../data/export/#{exporter}/#{file}", __FILE__))
     end
diff --git a/spec/foreman/export/upstart_spec.rb b/spec/foreman/export/upstart_spec.rb
index db746c0..ef8f653 100644
--- a/spec/foreman/export/upstart_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/foreman/export/upstart_spec.rb
@@ -36,4 +36,20 @@ describe Foreman::Export::Upstart do
       File.read("/tmp/init/app.conf").should == "alternate_template\n"
     end
   end
+
+  context "with alternate templates from home dir" do
+    let(:default_template_root) {File.expand_path("~/.foreman")}
+
+    before do
+      FileUtils.mkdir_p default_template_root
+      File.open("#{default_template_root}/master.conf.erb", "w") { |f| f.puts "default_alternate_template" }
+    end
+
+    it "can export with alternate template files" do
+      upstart.export("/tmp/init")
+
+      File.read("/tmp/init/app.conf").should == "default_alternate_template\n"
+    end
+  end
+
 end