diff --git a/java/README.rst b/java/README.rst
index 95ab961e7..e01616935 100644
--- a/java/README.rst
+++ b/java/README.rst
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ Ray will read your configurations in the following order:
 
 * Java system properties: e.g., ``-Dray.home=/path/to/ray``.
 * A ``ray.conf`` file in the classpath: `example <https://github.com/ray-project/ray/blob/master/java/example.conf>`_.
+* Customise your own ``ray.conf`` path using system property ``-Dray.config=/path/to/ray.conf``
 
 For all available config items and default values, see `this file <https://github.com/ray-project/ray/blob/master/java/runtime/src/main/resources/ray.default.conf>`_.
 
diff --git a/java/runtime/src/main/java/org/ray/runtime/config/RayConfig.java b/java/runtime/src/main/java/org/ray/runtime/config/RayConfig.java
index 1688fa6db..e07b9e89e 100644
--- a/java/runtime/src/main/java/org/ray/runtime/config/RayConfig.java
+++ b/java/runtime/src/main/java/org/ray/runtime/config/RayConfig.java
@@ -7,11 +7,13 @@ import com.typesafe.config.Config;
 import com.typesafe.config.ConfigException;
 import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory;
 
+import java.io.File;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import org.ray.api.id.UniqueId;
 import org.ray.runtime.util.NetworkUtil;
 import org.ray.runtime.util.ResourceUtil;
+import org.ray.runtime.util.StringUtil;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
@@ -242,9 +244,16 @@ public class RayConfig {
   */
   public static RayConfig create() {
     ConfigFactory.invalidateCaches();
-    Config config = ConfigFactory.systemProperties()
-        .withFallback(ConfigFactory.load(CUSTOM_CONFIG_FILE))
-        .withFallback(ConfigFactory.load(DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE));
+    Config config = ConfigFactory.systemProperties();
+    String configPath = System.getProperty("ray.config");
+    if (StringUtil.isNullOrEmpty(configPath)) {
+      LOGGER.info("Loading config from \"ray.conf\" file in classpath.");
+      config = config.withFallback(ConfigFactory.load(CUSTOM_CONFIG_FILE));
+    } else {
+      LOGGER.info("Loading config from " + configPath + ".");
+      config = config.withFallback(ConfigFactory.parseFile(new File(configPath)));
+    }
+    config = config.withFallback(ConfigFactory.load(DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE));
     return new RayConfig(config);
   }