diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 2b8e8742cd6..8ffb11d47fe 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -6476,4 +6476,7 @@
 	  (1) it has a bad side effect in that the sub-directory setting
 	  no longer tracks the board setting, and (2) you still can't
 	  source the Kconfig file from the custom board directory (2014-1-16).
-
+	* Makefile.unix, Makefile.win, and configs/Kconfig:  After thinking a
+	  little harder, I re-implemented the backed-out custom configuration
+	  feature.  The new version does not have bad side-effect (1) (but stil
+	  has bad side-effect (2)) (2014-1-16).
diff --git a/Makefile.unix b/Makefile.unix
index 273024f6d38..d76c34859a7 100644
--- a/Makefile.unix
+++ b/Makefile.unix
@@ -63,7 +63,12 @@ KDEFINE = ${shell $(TOPDIR)/tools/define.sh "$(CC)" __KERNEL__}
 ARCH_DIR = arch/$(CONFIG_ARCH)
 ARCH_SRC = $(ARCH_DIR)/src
 ARCH_INC = $(ARCH_DIR)/include
-BOARD_DIR = configs/$(CONFIG_ARCH_BOARD)
+
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_ARCH_BOARD_CUSTOM),y)
+  BOARD_DIR = $(CONFIG_ARCH_BOARD_CUSTOM_DIR)
+else
+  BOARD_DIR = configs/$(CONFIG_ARCH_BOARD)
+endif
 
 # Add-on directories.  These may or may not be in place in the
 # NuttX source tree (they must be specifically installed)
diff --git a/Makefile.win b/Makefile.win
index 3acf4187b10..533ebc1b223 100644
--- a/Makefile.win
+++ b/Makefile.win
@@ -56,7 +56,12 @@ KDEFINE = ${shell $(TOPDIR)\tools\define.bat "$(CC)" __KERNEL__}
 ARCH_DIR = arch\$(CONFIG_ARCH)
 ARCH_SRC = $(ARCH_DIR)\src
 ARCH_INC = $(ARCH_DIR)\include
-BOARD_DIR = configs\$(CONFIG_ARCH_BOARD)
+
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_ARCH_BOARD_CUSTOM),y)
+  BOARD_DIR = $(CONFIG_ARCH_BOARD_CUSTOM_DIR)
+else
+  BOARD_DIR = configs/$(CONFIG_ARCH_BOARD)
+endif
 
 # Add-on directories.  These may or may not be in place in the
 # NuttX source tree (they must be specifically installed)
diff --git a/configs/Kconfig b/configs/Kconfig
index 17e9fdbd318..c4565dbe7d5 100644
--- a/configs/Kconfig
+++ b/configs/Kconfig
@@ -858,8 +858,18 @@ config ARCH_BOARD_CUSTOM
 
 endchoice
 
+config ARCH_BOARD_CUSTOM_DIR
+	string "Custom board directory"
+	depends on ARCH_BOARD_CUSTOM
+	---help---
+		If the custom board configuration is selected, then it is necessary
+		to also tell the build system where it can find the board directory
+		for the custom board. This may be either a relative path from the
+		toplevel NuttX directory (like "configs/myboard") or an absolute path
+		to some location outside of the NuttX source tree (like
+		"~/projects/myboard").
+
 config ARCH_BOARD
-	string
 	default "amber"               if ARCH_BOARD_AMBER
 	default "arduino-due"         if ARCH_BOARD_ARDUINO_DUE
 	default "avr32dev1"           if ARCH_BOARD_AVR32DEV1
@@ -946,7 +956,6 @@ config ARCH_BOARD
 	default "zp214xpa"            if ARCH_BOARD_ZP214XPA
 	default "zkit-arm-1769"       if ARCH_BOARD_ZKITARM
 	default "sim"                 if ARCH_BOARD_SIM
-	default ""                    if ARCH_BOARD_CUSTOM
 
 comment "Common Board Options"