diff --git a/bash/rc b/bash/rc
index 4d7cf10..9bc142d 100644
--- a/bash/rc
+++ b/bash/rc
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 ## bashrc, called for interactive shells
 
+[[ -z "$DOTFILES_ROOT_DIR" ]] && source "$HOME/.dotfilesrc"
+
 source $DOTFILES_BASH_DIR/prompt
 source $DOTFILES_BASH_DIR/history
 source $DOTFILES_BASH_DIR/term_title
diff --git a/home/dotfilesrc b/home/dotfilesrc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ea93689
--- /dev/null
+++ b/home/dotfilesrc
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# dotfiles locations
+DOTFILES_HOME_DIR="$(cd -P "$(dirname "$(readlink ~/.profile)")" && pwd)"
+DOTFILES_ROOT_DIR="$( dirname "$DOTFILES_HOME_DIR" )"
+DOTFILES_ZSH_DIR="$DOTFILES_ROOT_DIR/zsh"
+DOTFILES_BASH_DIR="$DOTFILES_ROOT_DIR/bash"
+
+# vim: ft=sh
diff --git a/home/profile b/home/profile
index 1f4d80c..f2edb64 100644
--- a/home/profile
+++ b/home/profile
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
 ## .profile
 
-# dotfiles locations
-DOTFILES_HOME_DIR="$(cd -P "$(dirname "$(readlink ~/.profile)")" && pwd)"
-DOTFILES_ROOT_DIR="$( dirname "$DOTFILES_HOME_DIR" )"
-DOTFILES_ZSH_DIR="$DOTFILES_ROOT_DIR/zsh"
-DOTFILES_BASH_DIR="$DOTFILES_ROOT_DIR/bash"
-
+. "$HOME/.dotfilesrc"
 . "$DOTFILES_ROOT_DIR/shell/autoload"
 
 export PATH
diff --git a/zsh/rc b/zsh/rc
index 4168445..8ddb432 100644
--- a/zsh/rc
+++ b/zsh/rc
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # zshrc, called for interactive shells
 
+[[ -z "$DOTFILES_ROOT_DIR" ]] && source "$HOME/.dotfilesrc"
+
 source $DOTFILES_ZSH_DIR/term_title
 set_term_title # call it right now