diff --git a/bin/cdist b/bin/cdist
index bd6825eb..7d2c035b 100755
--- a/bin/cdist
+++ b/bin/cdist
@@ -112,7 +112,6 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
             import cdist.emulator
             cdist.emulator.run(sys.argv)
         else:
-            import cdist
             import cdist.banner
             import cdist.config
             import cdist.install
diff --git a/lib/cdist/config_install.py b/lib/cdist/config_install.py
index e8d179e8..407cdcd7 100644
--- a/lib/cdist/config_install.py
+++ b/lib/cdist/config_install.py
@@ -37,8 +37,9 @@ class ConfigInstall:
     """Cdist main class to hold arbitrary data"""
 
     def __init__(self, target_host, initial_manifest=False,
-                    exec_path=sys.argv[0],
-                    debug=False):
+        base_dir=False,
+        exec_path=sys.argv[0],
+        debug=False):
 
         self.target_host    = target_host
         os.environ['target_host'] = target_host
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ class ConfigInstall:
         self.exec_path      = exec_path
 
         self.context = cdist.context.Context(self.target_host,
-            initial_manifest=initial_manifest,
+            initial_manifest=initial_manifest, base_dir=base_dir,
             debug=debug)
         
     def cleanup(self):
diff --git a/lib/cdist/context.py b/lib/cdist/context.py
index 44f432a8..1615d196 100644
--- a/lib/cdist/context.py
+++ b/lib/cdist/context.py
@@ -33,12 +33,15 @@ import cdist.exec
 class Context:
     """Storing context dependent information"""
 
-    def __init__(self, target_host, initial_manifest=False, debug=False):
+    def __init__(self, target_host, initial_manifest=False, base_dir=False,
+        debug=False):
 
         self.target_host = target_host
 
         # Base and Temp Base 
-        if "__cdist_base_dir" in os.environ:
+        if base_dir:
+            self.base_dir = base_dir
+        elif "__cdist_base_dir" in os.environ:
             self.base_dir = os.environ['__cdist_base_dir']
         else:
             self.base_dir = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), os.pardir, os.pardir))